Rutland County Council has welcomed the 2019 Spending Round announced by the Chancellor earlier this month and its promise of additional funding for local government, schools and police.

But, until funding allocations are announced, the county councils says it is 'too early to assess the full impact for Rutland'.

Councillor Gordon Brown, Deputy Leader of Rutland County Council and portfolio holder for Finance, comments: "After years of lobbying and Government funding reductions (Rutland has seen its core funding reduce by 46 percent since 2015/16), Rutland County Council is pleased to note this Spending Round brings with it no further cuts and we welcome any announcement of additional funding.

"We are pleased that the Government recognises that extra funding is needed if we are to keep providing high quality services to all residents and if we are to continue to support vulnerable people in our community.

"Working with schools, we know the pressure they have been under so more funding for education is also welcome.

"It is important that residents understand that we are yet to receive detailed funding allocations, so it is too early to assess the full impact for Rutland.

"However, what is absolutely clear is that the latest Spending Round does not reverse the cuts in funding we have experienced over the last few years, nor does it address the inequality in local government funding – something we are lobbying hard for as part of our work with other rural councils through the Britain's Leading Edge campaign.

"Rutland receives £117 less funding per head than other unitary councils and our residents pay more in Council Tax than other authorities who spend more per head than we do.

"Nothing we have heard is likely to change this and therefore we will continue to lobby for a fair deal for Rutland."

Rutland County Council is continuing with its budget preparations for 2020/21 and aims to publish a draft budget in December for consultation. The final budget will be set in February 2020.

Coun Brown adds: "It is a key priority for the council to not only protect but improve local services and we hope that the Spending Round will help us do this for 2020/21.

"Beyond 2020/21 the Government has delayed the longer-term reforms, including business rates retention and fairer funding (Review of Relative Needs and Resources), that are underway.

"This is regrettable as a lack of certainty around future funding does make decisions about services difficult but the council will deal with this as it always has."