On 19 January 2023, Alicia Kearns MP welcomed the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Local Government and Building Safety, Lee Rowley MP, to visit Rutland and discuss local funding needs.

Alicia Kearns MP and the Leader of Rutland County Council, Councillor Lucy Stephenson, met with the Minister to discuss local government, social care and how our unitary rural council can provide for the needs of our communities.

The Minister also visited Rutland County Museum to speak to local press as Rutland and Melton's £23 million Levelling Up Bid was officially announced.

Read more about this here.  

Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton said: "It was a pleasure to welcome the Local Government and Building Safety Minister to Rutland to discuss our local funding priorities. Rurality is often overlooked when allocating local funding, so it was great to have the opportunity to discuss our funding priorities and needs locally with our Minister. This was a brilliant day to also celebrate as Rutland and Melton's Levelling Up Bid was successful and for the local press to discuss the Government's Levelling Up Funds more generally with the Minister."

 Councillor Lucy Stephenson, Leader of Rutland County Council, added: "Rutland is facing the same pressures as other Unitary Authorities, but with added disadvantages caused by historic inequalities in the current local government funding model. We very much welcome this visit and the opportunity to discuss the prospect of fairer funding. Local government has many strengths and there is ample opportunity for central government to make changes that could have a significant positive impact for councils."

Read more about the visit here.

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