Minister for Local Government and Building Safety (): Following the Local Government Finance
Settlement statement made on 6 February 2023, I am today
announcing a further £3 million in grant funding for 2023/24 to
support 15 local authorities severely impacted by the increase in
levies from Internal Drainage Boards. This increase is being
driven by the unprecedented rise in energy costs that impact
particularly energy intensive services including Internal
Drainage Boards. As this has been an exceptional year for the
rise in energy costs, this will be an exceptional one-off payment
to help ease this additional financial burden on councils. The
government will not provide additional grant to local authorities
for these levies on an ongoing basis. Councils and Internal
Drainage Boards should continue to take action to deliver
efficient services and good value for money for the public.
The 15 local authorities in scope are those whose Internal
Drainage Board levies account for over 3% of their average Core
Spending Power over 5 years. The allocations listed in the table
below are based on 2023/24 Internal Drainage Board levy
increases.
Allocations of £3 million grant funding for increasing
Internal Drainage Board levies
Local authority
|
Allocation (£)
|
Bassetlaw
|
£181,977
|
Boston
|
£318,890
|
East Cambridgeshire
|
£104,160
|
East Lindsey
|
£927,373
|
Fenland
|
£177,281
|
Folkestone and Hythe
|
£32,043
|
King's Lynn & West Norfolk
|
£205,451
|
Lincoln
|
£141,926
|
Newark & Sherwood
|
£239,690
|
North Kesteven
|
£143,975
|
North Norfolk
|
£35,265
|
South Holland
|
£298,739
|
South Kesteven
|
£87,761
|
Swale
|
£41,388
|
West Lindsey
|
£64,082
|
Total
|
£3,000,000
|