York’s Lib Dem Councillors Raise Alarm Over Blocked Ward Funding and Estate Neglect

Liberal Democrat Councillors in York have raised serious concerns after being told that there is currently no capacity within the City of York Council to administer the central pot of ward funding money, effectively freezing access to vital local funding for community support. 

Under the previous system, ward funding was allocated directly to wards, giving them the ability to support local projects, match-fund improvements, and respond directly to community needs. 

However, the new centralised approach imposed by the council’s Labour administration siphoned off £100,000 from ward budgets into a ‘central pot’ with the aim being that this could be used to support city-wide projects. But in the 2024/25 financial year this ‘central pot’ did not function – apparently due to a lack of officer capacity - leaving community organisations without access to critical funding. 

The lack of funding is felt most keenly in York’s most disadvantaged areas, which have already had to cope with underinvestment through the Council’s decision not to operate the Housing Estate Improvement Programme for the past two years – this is a fund which prior to May 2023 enabled improvements to be made to neighbourhoods which benefited council tenants. 

This double blow has left many of York’s neighbourhoods behind, with fewer options available for local representatives to secure funding for much-needed improvements to communities. 

Lib Dem Housing spokesperson Councillor Andrew Hollyer said: 

“This is a huge setback for our communities. In particular, it means that ward councillors cannot match-fund park and playground improvements, an issue which was discussed at the Place Scrutiny Committee last week, despite the funding technically existing in a central pot. 

“This is not just an administrative problem, it is a political choice that’s hitting the most deprived communities hardest. The centralisation of ward funding without adequate resourcing to manage it, combined with a lack of estate investment, means our residents are being let down on two fronts.

“We are calling on Labour’s council bosses to urgently address this issue by restoring the ability for councillors to directly access ward funds and by quickly getting the new Housing Estate Improvement Programme up and running to ensure no community is left behind.”