Councillor hits out over 'unfair' rural funding

A council boss has criticised the government over its funding and said authorities in rural areas suffer due to an "ingrained unfairness".

Herefordshire Council's deputy leader Elissa Swinglehurst said the authority was "not being sustainably funded" despite the challenges it faced in trying to provide services in a large, sparsely-populated county.

It is battling with a budget gap of up to £30m for 2026-27 and is having to deliver a large savings plan to balance its books.

The government said it had made £78 billion available to councils across the country under its "fair funding settlement".

Conservative member Swinglehurst said the Rural Services Network found government-funded spending power for rural councils will have risen by 2% by 2028-29 compared to 20% for urban councils.

"Delivering services in a rural setting is far more costly than in an urban setting - like... if you're delivering care to an older person in a rural location, and you've got to factor in the driving time," she said.

"There's an ingrained unfairness in the way areas like ours are being funded - the government does seriously need to consider the specific challenges we face."

The council described its last funding deal as "deeply disappointing" and revealed it had to make more than £40m of cuts over the last five years.

It has been deleting jobs when they become vacant in various departments, as well as drawing up a raft of savings.

Swinglehurst said members were having "a constant conversation" about more job reductions due to the pressures.

"Every year is a challenge because we're not being sustainably funded by the government," she added.

A ministry of housing, communities and local government spokesperson said: "The government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities which is why our funding reforms include suitable adjustments for remote areas.

"By the end of 2028-29, Herefordshire Council will see an increase of £20 million from last year and, thanks to our changes, nine in ten councils in England will receive funding that matches their relative need."

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