WIGAN Council will receive £25.6 million in extra funding next year.

The funding is part of the government’s £64.7 billion Local Government Finance Settlement which sets out how much councils have to spend on local services each year.

Local authorities in England, including Wigan Council, will receive a share of the £64.7 billion Local Government Finance Settlement next year – up £4.5 billion on this last year.

This additional funding also includes a £15 million increase to the Rural Services Grant worth £110 million of spending to spend on hard-to-reach rural communities. Social care which will see a £1.5 billion increase in funding next year as a result of the announcement.

Residents will also remain protected from council tax meaning councils cannot impose sudden and unexpected rises in council tax on local people without a referendum.

James Grundy MP has welcomed the announcement that the council will see its budget boosted by 7.5 per cent next year.

The Leigh MP said: “Local authorities play a vital role in our communities, providing crucial local services that people rely on, but we know the effect of Covid and the war in Ukraine have increased cost pressures.

“It is great news that Wigan Council will have an additional £25.6 million in funding this year. These additional funds will help our local leaders take long-term decisions to deliver a brighter future for their areas.

“This builds on the significant funding boost the council received last year, showing the Conservative Government’s plan to ensure local authorities have the resources they need is working. Meanwhile, Labour have no plan and would just take us back to square one with their £28 billion unfunded spending spree.”