By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
The Government has been blasted for its “extreme” cuts and use of “smoke and mirrors” in a bid to “distort” the funding figures allocated to Gloucestershire County Council.
The Fair Funding Review has delivered an “unfair” blow to the county, according to Shire Hall chiefs.
Finance officers are currently working through the figures they received last week to give an accurate picture, but councillors claim the scale and severity of the funding cuts is already undeniable.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Colin Hay (All Saints and Oakley), the cabinet member responsible for finance at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “The Government has amalgamated grants, burying vital details under complexities to try and hide the extreme reduction in our funds.
“This is a blatant use of smoke and mirrors to attempt to distort figures.”
This major decrease in funding has come at a time when councils are already incredibly stretched and expected to manage significant and costly local government reorganisation, the Lib Dems say.
And Council leader Lisa Spivey (LD, South Cerney) believes this shows a complete lack of understanding and respect of the hard work local councils do.
“We are the front line of delivering care and safety measures and we need suitable funding to do this. Stripping away essential support undermines our ability to protect the most vulnerable.’
‘I am appalled and angered that the Government has made this decision and will continue to work hard to do all we can for our residents. Gloucestershire deserves better than this short-sighted and irresponsible approach to local funding.’
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) says this year the provisional settlement for 2026/27 will make available almost £78 billion in core spending power for local authorities in England, a 5.7 per cent cash-terms increase compared to the current financial year.
By the end of the multi-year period, they claim they will have provided a 15.1 per cent cash-terms increase for local authorities in England, worth over £11bn, compared to 2025-26.
And they believe the reforms will ensure that this funding is allocated fairly, and that the places and services which need it most are supported.
This includes £3.4bn of grant funding, confirmed at the spending review 2025, which will be delivered through the settlement.
An MHCLG spokesperson said: “We will make almost £78bn available for council finances next year and will fix the outdated and unfair funding system we inherited, so funding finally matches people’s needs.
“This includes £657 million for Gloucestershire County Council next year so they can deliver the high-quality public services local people need.”