Council campaign launches manifesto arguing for fairer funding ahead of Sheffield elections

Campaign group SIGOMA, whose local member authorities also include Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham councils, says the government could achieve significant success with its Levelling Up agenda by making simple changes like ending councils pitching against each other for funds, business rates reforms and implementing social care reforms.

The campaigning network representing 47 councils with 14 million residents said the government can do much more to support councils and ensure quality public services and fair distribution of resources, setting out the key changes to ensure funding is better used and distributed.The manifesto is being launched for the local elections in England, with voters heading to the polls on Thursday (May 4). In Sheffield, one-third of council seats are being contested as each ward has three councillors.

The campaign says that changes in funding since 2013 that have moved away from government grants to councils to increased local taxes has benefited the wealthiest areas, who rely less on government grant funding and raise more from council tax and business rates.

It is calling for funding that better recognises the needs of local areas and wants to see an end to competitive bidding between councils for Levelling Up funding “that risks distributing funds to councils with the slickest bids, rather than to councils that need support the most”.

The manifesto argues for long-term funding for bus services to avoid route cuts and investment of £10bn to help support the most deprived households in creating more energy-efficient homes including in private rented accommodation.

Right to buy

Councils should also be allowed to re-invest the proceeds of council home right-to-buy schemes to allow more new social housing to be built, the campaign argues.

The document also argues for implementing all the recommendations from the MacAlister Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, including investing £2.6bn to make reforms.

The campaign wants to see developers forced to use land for house building or other developments within a certain time frame, expansion of local devolution deals and powers and more powers for authorities to support residents in greatest need with a move to long-term poverty prevention measures.

Chair of SIGOMA, Coun Sir Stephen Houghton of Barnsley Council, said: “As political parties step up their canvassing ahead of the local elections this week, households on every street are crying out for a Government and local representatives that can provide a promising vision for the future.“Today’s announcement lays out a clear manifesto that will help support councils across the country that are on their knees after 13 years of continuous cuts and provide them with the financial support to invest in their local communities and help generate long-term prosperity. This manifesto is truly Levelling Up in action.”

To read the full SIGOMA manifesto, called For a Sustainable and Fairer Future, go online at https://www.sigoma.gov.uk/manifesto

Voters are now required to bring photographic identification to the polling station. To find out more about that, visit https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need

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