Wokingham Borough will be able to spend more in cash terms next year than this, following the local government settlement. The education budget will show a small real increase, whilst the rest of the revenue spending shows minus 0.6% in “estimated revenue spending power” 2011-12 in today’s figures released by the government. The figure for non educational spending for next year is £117.19 million.
This is a much more generous settlement than the Council expected and should mean the Council can avoid any damaging cuts to core services.
The figures for total government revenue grant (excluding education) are £35.9 million for 2011-12 compared to £36.6 million in 2011-11. This should mean the Council could keep good services in all the important areas and avoid a Council Tax increase.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College, and has a DPhil from All Souls, Oxford. A businessman by background, he has been a director of NM Rothschild merchant bank and chairman of a quoted industrial PLC.
3 Comments
I’d be interested in knowing how this compares to some of the larger metropolitan authorities in the north, the early signs appearto indicate that smaller authorities in the south appear have a much more favourable settlement. Surely we aren’t seeing the signs of a Conservative administration widening the gap between north and south (again)?
Will
Probably not widening the gap, just making a realignment back to sensible percentages of support.
Correct me if I am wrong, but for the last 13 years did not the last Labour Government favour Labour controlled Councils with larger support grants than Conservative ones, and was not Wokingham one of the lowest supported Councils in the Country.
Just out of interest John, how does Wokingham fair on the National league table of support grants now.
Reply: Yes, very low relative support.
Will Wokingham continue to take the overspill of pupils from Reading into its schools? I would be interested to know the financial arrangements for this situation.
Reply: The Borough is currently reviewign catchment areas. Reading pupil numbers are down n ow Reading has a new Academy. Financial trasfers are made.