New council priorities and level of need to determine ward funding allocation

York has a new system for allocating ward funding which will include an allocation per ward based on levels of need in the city.

These levels of need will be assessed against the national Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) measures which include elements relating to health and disability, income, living environment, and education and skills levels, amongst others. Funding spending proposals will be guided by the four emerging Council Plan priorities of:

• Health and wellbeing
• Tackling the cost-of-living crisis
• Environment and climate emergency
• Equality of opportunity.

In addition to a fixed amount of funding per councillor in each ward, another element of the funding is for initiatives that span multiple wards.

This now means only one application will be needed instead of several. This will simplify the process and reduce bureaucracy for applicants, which can include the community and voluntary sector.

Councillor Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities, said:

“We have been quite clear that a proportion of ward funding will be allocated based on need.  We want to do all we can to ensure all residents are living healthy lives, with access to the same opportunities that residents in other parts of the city already benefit from.

“Residents should really feel the benefits of this ward funding and see the difference it can make to their lives. During a cost-of-living crisis this feels absolutely the right thing to do to support those residents struggling most of all.

“We look forward to seeing the positive outcomes of this new system of ward funding over the months and years ahead across all of our communities”.

Applications for this financial year (2023/24) can be made at www.york.gov.uk/wards