Councils across England have been exposed to the twin pressures of financial constraints and increasing service demand since austerity was introduced in 2010/11. The East of England (EoE) faces particular challenges coming from having the largest population increase in England over the last ten years (488,000 more residents, or a growth of 8.3%), and also an increasingly ageing population.
This report discusses how councils in the region manage major sources of funding in order to deliver a wide range of services to their communities. Following reductions in Government funding and councils’ lack of flexibility in raising local tax rates, the report also explores the difficulties councils face in obtaining funding and provides suggestions on opportunities available to make funding accessible to councils and/or grant them the flexibility to spend based on their needs and responsibilities
