Nottinghamshire County Council leader Councillor Ben Bradley MP has given his reaction to the Budget.
It comes after Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, set out the Government’s financial blueprint for the year ahead during his Autumn Statement in the House of Commons.
Mr Sunak announced that local authorities will receive £4.8bn in grants over the next three years to boost public services as the country continues its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also confirmed funding has been earmarked for two major highways projects in the county; the completion of the Southern Link Road between Farndon and Balderton, near Newark, and the A614 Corridor Scheme.
Other announcements in the Chancellor’s Budget statement included significant plans to invest in education as well as Early Years and Special Educational Needs (SEND) provision.
Cllr Bradley said he and his colleagues at Nottinghamshire County Council will now be analysing the finer details of the Budget and look forward to receiving more information about how the funding will be distributed.
He said: “On the face of it, it does appear to be a Budget which will bring significant benefits to Nottinghamshire – with money being made available to repair potholes and up to £40m to be spent on improving the A614 and completing the Newark southern relief road.
“These are two transport major schemes which will improve journey times for motorists, ease congestion as well as unlock further investment opportunities for Nottinghamshire.
“We also welcome the news about the minimum wage for care workers which brings the private sector wages in line with those who work across the sector in similar roles.
“There are still challenges in recruitment which we, along with other social care commissioners, will need to address so we can continue to sustain the high levels of service we are so proud of whilst managing the budget pressures this may present.
“There are record vacancies across the country in social care and other sectors such as hospitality which makes the market for the right staff even more competitive than ever. We need to rise to that challenge.
“Finally, I welcome the announcement about funding for children and families.
“We want children to have the best start in life. Here in Nottinghamshire, because we have continued to invest in our early years, early help and youth work services, we are well placed to take advantage of the family hub initiative.
“We also wholly welcome additional much-needed investment for schools and colleges.
“This funding will help to provide additional school places as well as update and improve learning environments for young people.
“Being able to fully meet the education needs of all children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, in Nottinghamshire is an absolute priority for this council.
“We look forward to receiving further details about funding for Nottinghamshire but believe this is great news for children and families.”
