Craig Tracey, local Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, has welcomed North Warwickshire Borough Council benefiting from the Government's latest £1bn injection in additional funding for councils across the country.
Since April, councils have received £6.4bn as part of the Government's coronavirus package for local authorities; with North Warwickshire Borough Council also being awarded £800,000 in the first round of funding, bringing the total un-ringfenced support to £1.05m since March.
Commenting on the announcement, Craig said:
''I am absolutely delighted to see Government funding targeted to where North Warwickshire and Bedworth really needs it, especially in the upcoming winter months where vital public services will be stretched and therefore it is more important than ever that the area receives the correct amount of funding to reflect this demand and therefore reduce the financial burden on our local council.'
On top of this, I really welcomed the further £100m being allocated to support council-run leisure centres - I have been regular contact with Government ministers, public health officials, local businesses and our Council Leader to ensure we received a package that reflected our joint desire to protect local jobs in the area whilst supporting the health and well-being of our community.
Furthermore, as the funding has not been ring-fenced, it means the Council will be able to determine exactly how to spend it, as is the Government’s view that local authorities are best placed to determine local priorities.
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP concluded:
''Since the start of the pandemic, we have backed local councils with the funding they need to support their communities, protect vital services and recover lost income. This extra £1bn funding will ensure the councils have the resources that they need over the winter and continue to play an essential role on the front line of our response to the virus while protecting the most vulnerable and supporting local businesses.''
