Posted on Wednesday 11th March 2020
Staffordshire County Council Leader Philip Atkins, pictured, continues to lobby for a sustainable funding arrangement for social care.
Philip Atkins, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, today welcomed news of investment in infrastructure in the Budget, including a forecast £11 million a year for repairing potholes.
He said:
As well as spending a record £320 million on the care of vulnerable children and adults this coming year, Staffordshire County Council still plans to invest in the economy and create better jobs, therefore I’m pleased to hear the promise of extra investment in key infrastructure such as roads and broadband connectivity.
Over the last 10 years we have invested an extra £65 million in road repairs, with £15 million additional in the last three years and more than 30,000 potholes fixed last year alone. I understand our share of the additional pothole funding is forecast to be around £11 million, so I’m pleased the Chancellor has responded to our calls for help maintaining our roads, which play a vital role in keeping Staffordshire’s economy moving.
Staffordshire is a predominantly rural county and internet connectivity has been at the forefront of our development in recent years. Now more than 96 per cent of the county has access to Superfast Broadband and I welcome news of further funding for more highspeed connections in rural areas.
Clearly we will be looking at the fine detail of the announcement in the coming weeks and continuing to lobby for long term solutions to local government funding and a sustainable funding arrangement for social care, which takes 65 per cent of our budget.”
Philip Atkins added:
The decision to increase the business rate discount for pubs and cancel the planned beer duty increase is good news for Burton’s brewing industry, while suspending fuel duty is welcome for our rural county while green travel alternatives are developed.”
For 2020/21 the county council already plans to invest more than £120 million in capital projects such as schools and business sites; to build nursing homes for older people in areas of need; invest £690,000 in climate change and sustainability projects; and spend an additional £8.1 million in helping to keep more children out of care.