Derbyshire County Council leader Barry Lewis has argued for a fairer funding settlement for rural areas in the Local Government Chronicle this week.

He cites analysis by the Rural Services Network that shows that the current funding regime awards rural authorities £123 less per person than urban authorities, and asks: ‘Rural residents pay more, receive fewer services, and on average earn less than those in urban areas.

Yet they often have the same, or sometimes greater, need for public services. Isn’t that the definition of a postcode lottery?’

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→ Local Government Chronicle - Barry Lewis: Fair funding must recognise rural challenges