Norfolk councils are feeling the pinch as funding increases lag behind urban areas, raising concerns about rural support and services.
North Norfolk: Tim Adams, from North Norfolk District Council, is pretty upset about the small bump in funding this year. He thinks the Labour government should be embarrassed by the situation.
They’re only getting an £800,000 increase, which translates to just a penny more per person in the district. That’s a measly 0.32% rise!
Meanwhile, places like Greater Manchester are seeing an 8.37% increase. It’s clear that rural Norfolk is missing out on much-needed investment.
At a recent cabinet meeting, Adams didn’t hold back. He said, “The government should be embarrassed. Rural areas pay more for fewer services compared to urban areas in the North.”
He’s not alone in his frustration. The funding gap is hitting all district councils in Norfolk, which are only getting an average increase of 0.32%. In contrast, county councils are enjoying a 5.86% boost.
This situation has raised alarms among councillors, especially with plans to shake things up by merging councils into multiple unitary authorities. They worry that rural areas might get even less support.
Christopher Cushing, the Conservative group leader at NNDC, echoed these concerns. He pointed out that the government is filled with ministers from urban areas who just don’t get the countryside.
Lucy Shires, the finance portfolio holder, added that the government seems clueless about the needs of rural places like north Norfolk. Still, she mentioned that despite the challenges, they’ve managed to create a balanced budget this year.
She noted that they’ve turned around a projected £9 million deficit over three years thanks to the hard work of the team finding savings and working more efficiently.
Looking ahead, NNDC plans to raise council tax by 2.99% for a Band D property, which means about a £5 increase. They’ve also proposed various cuts to balance the budget.
Some of these cuts include closing the tourist information center in Cromer and restructuring staff, with one redundancy on the table. They’re even considering shutting down some public toilets to save £40,000 a year.
So far, only the temporary toilet at Weybourne car park is confirmed to close. But there’s good news for Hickling, as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust will take over its toilet facility.
As for the public loos in Stalham, Walsingham, and West Runton, they’re still under review. There’s hope that local groups, like parish councils, might step in to help run them.
Parking fees are also set to rise at 30 car parks across the district. The full council will make a final decision on this year’s budget in the coming weeks.
