The following statement was issued earlier today by Cllr Kris Hopkins, Leader of the Bradford Council Conservative Group, in response to the announcement of the Local Government Financial Settlement:
“Given that the average funding increase announced for English local authorities is 4.2%, I am obviously very disappointed that, at 3.6%, the amount awarded to Bradford Council is significantly lower than this for 2009-10 and is then due to fall even further in 2010-11.
”As ever, this Labour Government continues to pass extra responsibilities and costs to local authorities and Council Tax payers with no additional funding to pay for them.
“This will inevitably place greater pressures on us than ever before when we sit down to discuss the budget for the next financial year.
“With regard to finding efficiencies, Conservative-led Bradford Council agreed the lowest Council Tax increase in Yorkshire and Humber for the current financial year by doing just this, and we remain strongly committed to eliminating waste wherever it exists.”
