'Councils continue to work all day and night to support communities through the COVID-19 crisis but have faced extra cost pressures and significant income losses as a result, as this survey highlights.'
Responding to analysis by the AA which has found that councils are set to lose millions of pounds in parking fees and charges, Cllr David Renard, LGA transport spokesman, said:
“Councils continue to work all day and night to support communities through the COVID-19 crisis but have faced extra cost pressures and significant income losses as a result, as this survey highlights.
“The Government’s commitment to fund a portion of councils’ lost income from fees and charges is a step in the right direction. We reiterate our call to the Government to meet all extra cost pressures and income losses from fees and charges and other sources, including commercial activity, if councils are to avoid having to make tough decisions on in-year cuts to services to meet their legal duty to set a balanced budget this year.
“With high streets and town centres reopening, demand for parking spaces will be returning back to normal levels in many places. As before the pandemic, councils will set charges to reflect local circumstances, including supporting high streets and town centre businesses.”
Notes
- The LGA represents more than 330 councils of all types across England. We work on behalf of our members to support, promote and improve local government.
- It is councils who had led communities through the COVID-19 crisis. Our recent polling shows that 71 per cent of residents trust their council and two thirds are satisfied with the way their local council runs things in their area. Our new discussion paper - Re-thinking Local - sets out how councils must now be empowered to locally-lead the COVID-19 recovery and tackle the economic, environmental and community challenges that we will face as a result of the pandemic.