Funding boost for Devon services

More than £8 million extra will be spent on services in Devon next year.

County councillors have won an extra £8.4 million in rural support and other grants from Local Government Secretary Greg Clarke.

It made Devon County Council the fourth highest beneficiary in the country after robust lobbying from council leader John Hart and the county’s MPs.

At the authority’s annual budget meeting it was confirmed how the extra money will be allocated.

An extra £5 million will go into strengthening resilience in social care for elderly and vulnerable people as Devon’s population continues to age and meeting new burdens on spending.

A further £1.5 million will be set aside to fund the county’s response to severe storms with an extra £1 million spent on highways drainage and safety defects.

And £1 million will be set aside to fund public health and more efficient and cost-effective working using new technology. In addition £40,000 extra will go to support the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

Devon County Council leader, John Hart, said: “We still face a very tough budget settlement with some very difficult decisions. But this extra, one-off money will mean we can better support the people of Devon.

”We will use the additional money to support our growing population of elderly and vulnerable residents and to boost the resilience of our road network after the repeated soakings we have suffered over the past months."