Budget verdict: '˜We'll lobby for our share'

Coun Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Perhaps the most welcome announcement is the extra £650m for adult care.

“The cost to the council in providing this service is enormous, and this additional money will hopefully help relieve some of the immense financial pressure we are under.

“However, we will continue to push the Government for a long-term funding plan, and await the publication of its green paper.

“The £420m for local authority roads is also good news, particularly in light of the damage done by the bad winter and the long, hot summer.

“And we’ll be lobbying the Government to make sure that Lincolnshire gets its fair share.

“Of course, as with any Budget, the devil is in the detail, and we look forward to receiving the specifics over the coming days and weeks.

“We’ll be particularly interested to see whether the Government has taken any significant steps to introduce a fairer approach to local government funding.

“If councils in Lincolnshire received the average funding for council areas in England, the region would benefit from an extra £116 million every year.

“That would make an enormous difference.”

Coun Colin Davie, executive member for economy and place, also praised announcements in Monday’s Budget.

He said: “There’s a lot of good news for the local economy.

“The chancellor clearly recognises that businesses – and particularly High Street retailers – are under pressure, and the reduction in business rates for smaller retailers is welcome.

“By giving businesses this extra breathing room, I’m hopeful that we can avoid, or at least mitigate, the price rises that many firms tell us are on the cards, so this is good news for consumers 
too.”