….and £300million will help quite a lot! That is the size of the “relief fund” established by the Government to cover the transitional phase of a new deal for councils which will enable them, eventually, to hold on to far more of the money raised by business rates. The problem is that the way grants have been distributed in the past is very unfair to rural areas. I have been campaigning about this with the Rural Services Network for several years. Now, at last, the Government seems to be recognising the problem. The latest announcements will give Somerset County Council an extra £2.89 million in the next year and West Somerset is in line to receive additional funding of £159,655.
MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset
