NIC counsels funding changes

A “fundamental shift in funding to local level” is needed to help level up English towns, according to a report by the National Infrastructure Commission.

The NIC document, published on September 23, says the Government’s current approach must change from announcing multiple ring-fenced pots of money over which councils must compete to handing power to local areas, so they can provide their own infrastructure strategies.

NIC is recommending that local officials have five-year devolved budgets to help them achieve their tasks, and that the current group of some 15 funding streams is cut to two.