20/01/07 - Cllr Tomlinson Backs Council Pledge To Top Up Spending

 
 
Incresaed funding for frontline services.
 
 
Article from Swindon Advertiser. Friday 19th January 2007.
 
"Council Pledge To Top Up Spending"

"Swindon residents will see the benifit of increased spending on frontline services despite being awarded the joint lowest unitary authority finding increase for the next financial year."

"It was confirmed yesterday that Swindon Council has been awarded a 2.7 percent increase in its formula grant, compared with the national average of 3.8 percent. That will see the council recieving £45.411m next year compared with the £44.217m for this financial year - a difference of £1.194m."

"Ministers calculate each council's funding by using a formula that takes into account population and other factors such as depravation and prosperity. Swindon has been awarded the same increase as Portsmouth, Reading, Bournemouth and Southampton, but is some way behind neighbouring Bristol and Bath which have been awarded formula grant rises of 4.9 per cent respectively. Cllr Nick Martin (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms), the council's cabinet member for resources, said the formula grant and inflation-level council tax increase and would only generate an extra £5m for the council's coffers. But he said the council would still be spending an extra £13m on frontline services.
 
"Swindon Borough Council cabinet member for recreation, leisure and culture, Cllr Justin Tomlinson, said:
 
“It is fantastic that the spending on the frontline is increasing, this is an excellent turn around by the Conservative held Council to deliver in areas that Labour failed so terribly in the past. Although the average for the area is lower than the national average, we will embrace every penny and invest where it matters."
 
 
 
 
 
 
Swindon Borough Council leader Cllr Roderick Bluh says:

"This additional investment will be of great benifit to the people of Swindon. We will now be able to directly target areas of the community which are in need of an increased cash injection."

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