New analysis shows that Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council combined, have so far received an extra £86million to support vital services during the Covid-19 pandemic, with further funding confirmed for next year.
The total includes £27million for Swindon Borough Council and £59million for Wiltshire Council. The South West as a whole secured an extra £761million overall.
This money is in addition the Council’s share of the £2billion made available by the government in further grant funding since March 2020 to deliver specific schemes, such as providing emergency support for rough sleepers, preventing children going hungry, setting up local test and trace services and measures to make care homes, high streets and town centres Covid-secure.
A further £3billion is set to be allocated to councils from April onwards.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “From the start of the pandemic, we committed to ensuring that councils had the resources they needed to step up and support their communities.
“That commitment remains undimmed, which is why we have provided councils with more than £7billion of additional funding for Covid-19 expenditure and will continue to ensure they have the resources they need to provide vital local services and held their communities build back better from the pandemic.”
Of the £27million extra funding, over half has not been ringfenced, meaning Swindon Borough Council leaders have been able to decide how to use the additional funds and which local services should benefit.
This could include counselling services, delivering essential supplies to vulnerable families and ensuring cherished green spaces are well maintained and Covid-secure.
