AM in new call for more cash for Powys

Mid Wales Assembly Member Russell George has again called for a fair funding settlement for Powys after successive years of under-funding.

And the AM has called on people to sign his on-line petition to put pressure for change on the Welsh Government.

Contributing to a Welsh Conservative debate in the Senedd on local public services in the National Assembly for Wales, Mr George said Powys was being underfunded.

“For eight years in a row, Powys County Council has received one of the worst local government funding settlements from the Welsh Government of all 22 local authorities in Wales,” he said.

“It is now essential that the Welsh Government reforms the formula which it uses to decide how much each council receives. The current system is fundamentally flawed as it doesn’t properly take into account the challenges of delivering vital public services over large rural areas of Mid Wales."

A recent special budget seminar held by Powys County Council has confirmed that the under-funding of Powys has left the authority facing a £27m funding shortfall over the next three years and that the Powys budget would have been £16m higher if the county had received the Welsh average.

Mr George added: “The current system provides councils in urban south Wales with far more attractive financial settlements while the largest, most rural councils of Powys, Ceredigion, Monmouthshire and Pembrokeshire are among those with the worst cash settlements.

“Over the last nine years, Powys has received a 0.5% increase in funding compared with the Welsh average of 9.8%. Cardiff has had a funding increase of almost 19% during the same period.

“We in Powys deserve much better and I would urge all people to sign a petition on my website atrussellgeorge.com/fair-funding so that we can present a united voice and exert pressure on the Welsh Government to address this inequitable funding settlement.”