Economy and Infrastructure

Welsh Government announces a further £260m of Coronavirus support

Welsh Ministers have announced a further £260m of funding to help local councils cope with the extra pressures brought on by Covid-19.

This takes the overall figure to over £1bn of extra funding being invested into local councils.

The extra funding, not only hopes to ease pressures of the frist wave of Covid-19, but also a potential second wave.

The funding is intended for councils to deal with increased costs, manage loss of income due to Covid-19.

Last month the Welsh Minister for Education announced plans for schools to reopen starting September 1, putting excess pressure on cleaning services in schools.

Part of this money will be used to pay for extra cleaning services within schools as well as £29m in order for schools to recruit extra staff upon their return.

Minister for Housing and Local Government Julie James said:

“Our local authorities have done a fantastic job of rising to the challenges of Covid-19, but we recognise the financial impact this has had on them.

“We have been working closely with the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and local authority leaders to understand the pressures and challenges they are facing, and the support needed to continue delivering good quality, integrated public services to communities across Wales.”

Cllr Anthony Hunt, WLGA Finance and Resources added:

“Councils, and the vital local services we provide, are at the forefront of tackling this pandemic and have been under extreme financial pressure. This funding guarantee will give them the confidence to plan with greater certainty for the remainder of the financial year.

“I want to thank Welsh Government for working closely with local government on this funding package, and for taking the time to understand the pressures facing local services.”