Stratford District Council leader calls on government to deliver greater financial certainty to support new vision

The leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council has called on the government to deliver greater financial certainty to support the authority’s new vision.

Councillor Susan Juned (Alcester East) leads the Liberal Democrat group that took charge of the council after May’s local elections with its new plan for the council rubber stamped this week.

It sets out principles to guide the council’s decision making between now and 2027, pledging to “act in the best interest of our communities”, “use your money responsibly in delivering the best services possible”, “lead the fight against climate change”, to keep health and wellbeing “at the heart of the decisions we make”, “strive to deliver affordable, well built and maintained homes” and “create a resilient, larger, greener and more inclusive economy”.

Cllr Juned said she had been “very heartened” by the response to a public consultation but that short-term financial settlements from central government are “hindering” medium-term plans.

“This (consultation) helps us because it gives us a thorough understanding of the priorities of the local area, not only our priorities but those of who have responded, particularly during a time of financial restraint," she said.

“This council continues to be in a strong financial position but with evermore scarce resources, it is important to maintain continued attention to where those resources are allocated.

“I was very heartened by some of the responses that came back, showing that we were on the right track as far as local people were concerned.”

“When it comes to finance, we really ought to make the point that this authority – like all local authorities – has only been given a one-year settlement so far.

“The lack of certainty about the finances coming from government is hindering financial planning for all authorities and hindering the way that we plan things here. I hope that message gets through to government at some point.”

She later called on her fellow councillors to keep in mind the data that informed the new plan and the consultation when they take decisions.

“A number of our residents are at risk of being pushed into poverty, partly due to fuel poverty but also due to income pressures. I think we need to understand and bear that in mind."