Responding to the Local Government Finance Settlement announced by the Government, Leader of Derbyshire Dales District Council, Councillor Lewis Rose, said:

“The 3.2% cut in Government grant for Derbyshire Dales District Council, although not unexpected, means local councillors will have to face up to tough budget choices.”

“Since June, the Council has been planning for cutbacks in Government cash for the District. We took some hard decisions in October, including cutting back on employees and scaling back some services.”

The Chairman of the Local Government Association, a cross party organisation which represents councils in England, Sir Simon Milton, said:

"The money councils will receive, when faced with the increased pressure on their services, will make it the worst settlement for a decade. Councils will have to make tough choices between spending cuts and council tax rises above inflation.”

"The Local Government Finance Settlement will chip away at the ability of councils to deliver the services that local people rightly expect and deserve. "

The Local Government Finance Settlement will cover the next three years. The Local Government Association said: “This is particularly hard on Shire Districts. The Government is telling District Councils that they will get a grant increase of 2% in total over the next three years, within a week of the Audit Commission proposing to jack up audit fees by 33% over the same period.”