Triple Whammy hits Leeds (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

Leeds Liberal Democrats <info@leedslibdems.org.uk>

Triple Whammy hits Leeds

January 15, 2008 8:00 AM

. Cuts to Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

· Cuts to Business Growth Rate Income

· Restrictions on re-arranging loans

At tomorrows meeting of Leeds City Council, Councillor Richard Brett (Lib Dem, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill), Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Board Member responsible for Finance will explain to Councillors the effects of a "triple whammy" on the Council's Finances for next year.

Councillor Brett will also brief Members on discussions with central government on Leeds Funding settlement for 2008/9. An all party delegation met with Parmjit Dhanda MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Communities and Local Government and senior Civil Servants last week. Since then further contacts have taken place.

Councillor Richard Brett said "It's not Leeds City Council tradition to make a great fuss about our Government Grant Settlement, indeed this is the first time for 12 years that we have been to see Ministers about this specific issue, and the fact that all three major parties went shows how seriously we treat this. We have also had the support of local MPs who recognise the serious issues we face with this settlement.

"The cuts in Neighbourhood Renewal Funding are particularly damaging as the Council misses out on the new criteria by a whisker. The Government has said that Neighbourhood Renewal Funding is being targeted towards combating "worklessness" but it seems perverse that Leeds, which according to the regeneration press is the 4th worst employment deprived Council in England, will miss out because it has one small area which just fails to meet the criteria.