Revealed: Gulf in Government funding between Hull and East Riding
THE funding gap between what neighbouring local councils receive from Whitehall has been revealed in a new report.
Politicians in the East Riding have long complained about being under-funded in comparison with other local authorities.
New figures presented to East Riding scrutiny councillors have confirmed their beliefs.
They show government funding received by the East Riding equates to £374 per head of population.
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That is lower than the average for councils classed as predominantly rural authorities, in which more than half of the population live in rural areas.
The East Riding falls into the same category, with 71 per cent of its population classed as rural.
The £374-per-head figure also compares unfavourably with Hull, which receives just over £700 per head from the Government. The city council's higher direct funding is primarily attributable to Hull having higher levels of deprivation.
But the figures show the East Riding is also lagging behind its other Humber neighbours, with both North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire also receiving more funding per head.
Local MPs have recently backed campaigns led by the Sparsity Partnership for Authorities Delivering Rural Services and the so-called F4 Group of the 40 lowest-funded education authorities.
Councillor Brian Skow, chairman of the East Riding's corporate and communities scrutiny committee, said: "We get far less than Hull but cover a much bigger geographical area."
Councillor Paul Hogan said: "This report does highlight a huge issue for councils like ours."
Council chief accountant Jim Wright said the higher cost of delivering services such as education, social care and household waste collections across a large rural area like the East Riding was not factored into the formula used by the government to decide on local council funding.
As a result, he said it usually meant people living in rural areas faced higher council tax bills than their urban neighbours.
Council tax bills in the East Riding currently cost residents £440 per head – £42 higher than the average for predominantly urban local authorities.
It is also higher than comparative figures for both South Bank councils.
The campaigns hope to prompt a government rethink of next year's funding settlement for local councils.
But Councillor Mary Rose Hardy said: "We were asking for this 18 years ago when I was part of a delegation to lobby ministers. I will not be holding my breath."
Comments
by arntdullinul
Saturday, November 03 2012, 11:45AM
“I seem to recall that in 1995 when the Local Government Commission considered Local Government reorganisation and the established the current 4 Unitary Councils the good Tory folk of Willerby, Anlaby, Cottingham and Hessle all campaigned strongly to be in the new East Riding Council. It now appears they would have been far better off staying in Humberside or at least opting to join Kingston upon Hull. I wonder if they will now at last admit Cllr Terry Geraghty was right all along.”
by Mysby
Friday, November 02 2012, 11:33AM
“I think this figure points the stoplight more on Hull's inadequacies at delivering a creditable service for its inhabitants than the East Riding being under funded.
Like wife-swap why don't we have a council-swap, it might open the eyes of Hull councillors and their staff as to how to provide an absolutely outstanding service given the fact they have nearly twice as much to spend per head than in the East Riding.”
by Robin4Life
Thursday, November 01 2012, 12:12PM
“David Nivea
"Hull recieves more funding than the affluent east Riding, because it is a skint, non-aspirational, benefit-harvesting, socialist dump, full of illiterate, uneducatable people ."
That is a bit of a sweeping generalisation and to a lot of hard working people, very insulting. Are you a disgruntled Tory voter stuck in a Labour controlled city? Or are you just a miserable old g i t?”
by David_Nivea
Thursday, November 01 2012, 11:59AM
“"The city council's higher direct funding is primarily attributable to Hull having higher levels of deprivation."
There is the reason for the "...gulf..."', right there.
Hull recieves more funding than the affluent east Riding, because it is a skint, non-aspirational, benefit-harvesting, socialist dump, full of illiterate, uneducatable people .”
by Donna_Kebab1
Thursday, November 01 2012, 11:46AM
“Well the problem is simples the East Riding has more tax payers than Hull far more Band B and above roughly 20 times more the answer is have a County Council, Yes thats the answer! Lets call it Humberside 2, its been done before well OKAY then put up and shut up.”
by Posativus
Thursday, November 01 2012, 7:20AM
“Well my mates in the ER feel they get a good service for that lower amount what the hell are Hull doing!”
by AstynomiaKats
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 6:35PM
“Councillor Mary Rose Hardy said: "We were asking for this 18 years ago when I was part of a delegation to lobby ministers.
Exactly every year they moan about it but they don't want to rock the boat with the government so they play along 'winning awards' and getting paid for keeping the population quiet rather than looking out for our interests and shouting and making a fuss as Hull has done with Schools and extra services.
The wheel that squeeks the loudest gets the most oil.”
by HullKid
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 1:35PM
“Worker - those Follies that spring up all over the city don't pay for themselves you know”
by Worker111
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 9:30AM
“"The £374-per-head figure also compares unfavourably with Hull, which receives just over £700 per head from the Government."
So Hull recieves nearly twice as much as East Riding, yet seems to be in constant crisis, and constantly laying people off.
What exactly do they do with the extra money?”