Fair funding review consultation: CCN, SCT and ACCE response

This joint response from the County Councils Network (CCN), the Society of County Treasurers (SCT) and the Association of County Chief Executives (ACCE) sets out the sector’s views on the government’s proposals for local authority funding reform.  

The CCN argues that the current system is outdated, lacks transparency and is inconsistent in its treatment of need and local resources.

The network supports many of the principles outlined in the consultation but stresses that reforms must be evidence‑based, balanced and designed to ensure long‑term financial sustainability—particularly for county and rural authorities. It finds that the funding system urgently needs updating to reflect demand, unit costs and councils’ differing ability to raise council tax, and that CCN broadly supports the continuation of the 2018 reform principles—simplicity, transparency and robustness.

However, it raises concerns that ministers appear to be increasing the weighting of deprivation without sufficient evidence; CCN warns deprivation is only one of several key cost drivers. The CCN calls for evidence‑based formulas exist for adult and children’s social care and should be implemented in full and urges the creation of a dedicated formula for Home‑to‑School Transport due to rapidly rising SEND‑related costs.  

CCN supports partial, not full, council tax equalisation to avoid destabilising individual authorities.