Council leader says he did 'double take' at Budget announcement
- Published
Council leader James Dawson said no-one in the authority was aware of the announcement beforehand
A council leader said he had to do a "double-take" when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced funding for his area in the Budget.
Councillor James Dawson, of Erewash Borough Council in Derbyshire, said the announcement of £5m for capital spending on cultural projects took him "completely by surprise".
He said no-one in the Labour-run council had any prior warning.
Mr Dawson added they were awaiting more information from government.
The council will be invited to submit an investment plan "focused on supporting cultural activity" in the borough.
The money will be ringfenced to be spent on physical projects and cannot be used to plug funding gaps in the authority's day-to-day finances.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt took the council by surprise at his announcement the area would receive £5m
Speaking to BBC Radio Derby, Mr Dawson said: "We were first made aware of it the minute that Jeremy Hunt went through the list of constituencies that he was giving funds to - I did have to do a double-take.
"Literally, a minute after he had mentioned Erewash, I had a letter drop in my inbox.
"It just says it is capital funding, that's all we know currently, we've got no other indication other than it is for cultural projects.
"We weren't expecting it, we hadn't had any prior warning of it so it did take us all completely by surprise."
Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young said the money was to support "local culture projects in the area".
The provisional funding "recognises the crucial role culture can play in levelling up and supporting pride in place", he added.
A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "We are providing a much-needed £5m boost to Erewash Borough Council, to support local cultural projects that will play a critical role in levelling up this area. We look forward to working closely with the council over the coming months."
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