Darlington’s council welcomes new funding but faces ongoing challenges and uncertainty about the future of services
Darlington: Labour councillor James McGill pointed out that the town is still feeling the impact of significant cuts to council funding over the past decade.
He mentioned that between 2010 and 2019, the council lost about £46 million each year. That’s a staggering amount, nearly half a billion pounds!
McGill emphasized that this loss wasn’t just a fluke; it was a choice made by those in power. He believes that money could have been used to fix potholes, address homelessness, and support people in care.
Next year, councils will see a boost of over £700 million for social care and adjustments to national insurance costs. The provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26 has been updated to include an extra £200 million for social care grants and an additional £515 million to help councils manage their burdens.
However, Cllr McGill expressed that while things are looking up, there’s still uncertainty about how far the funding will go and whether the council will be sustainable in the coming years.
Darlington Borough Council is set to receive up to £130,000 in new grants for social care, but challenges are still looming. The council spends a big chunk of its budget on social care for both adults and children, and demand keeps rising.
Cllr Mary Layton noted that children’s services are in a similar boat, hoping for improvements in the future.
The Labour government is looking to replace the current one-year funding settlements with three-year packages to help stabilize key council services.
Layton added that while they’ve managed to extend some services, they’re always on edge, unsure if the funding will last.
On the other hand, local Conservatives are skeptical about whether the Labour government’s approach will solve ongoing financial issues. Councillor Heather Scott mentioned that while there’s a slight increase from the government, rising national insurance and salary costs could hurt the council.
Scott Durham criticized the current Labour administration for proposing another five percent council tax increase, arguing that the previous Conservative-led council had worked to minimize future increases.
He feels they’ve missed a great opportunity and are just piling more costs onto residents. He believes that while multi-year settlements could bring some certainty, the economic challenges ahead are daunting.
