Official statement from Cllr Daniel Cowan, Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, on the Government’s Budget.
The Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council has welcomed the Government's Budget saying the package announced yesterday could begin to tackle longstanding problems confronting local authorities across the country, in social care, SEND, and affordable housing.
Ms Reeves acknowledged the need to work alongside councils "to repair our public services" and promised a "significant real-terms funding increase for local government next year."
She set out a series of proposals to address the financial challenges that councils are facing including an extra £1.3bn of additional grant funding to deliver essential services which includes £600m for social care, £230m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, and £500m to boost road repairs and fill more potholes.
Cllr Daniel Cowan, Leader of the Council, said: "We have been engaging with the Government to make the case for Southend and the financial challenges that local government faces after years of reduced Government funding. This budget demonstrates that we've been heard.
“Whilst we must wait to see what our funding allocation is, this budget shows that government wants to work with us to start to tackle the difficulties our council has had in providing the services our residents depend on. This budget includes positive measures which we have called for, such as Right to Buy reform, funding for potholes, SEND, social care, childcare, and affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and extending the Household Support Fund.
"Pressures in statutory services has left Southend facing a £5.6m projected overspend this year, reduced from £8.1m, and action required to plug projected gaps of a cumulative £70m over the next four years. In Southend-on-Sea, we have seen the effects of ever-growing social services pressures that need national intervention, and we have growing concerns around the cost of temporary housing and school transport costs.
"So, we are heartened by measures to help those key services in adult social care and children's social services. With over 1400 households on our waiting lists we also welcome financial support to tackle homelessness, as well as sensibly allowing us to use all the money from Right to Buy sales to invest in council homes, and new investment in building affordable housing. These announcements will help us make a tangible difference to our residents' quality of life.
"This Budget puts us on the path to a fairer, more prosperous Southend, where investment in essential services, our NHS, infrastructure, and schools will increase resilience and create opportunity for all as we build a city we can be proud of."