Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake has welcomed the extra £200,000 support for local authorities in his constituency to help provide vital services during the pandemic.

Both Ryedale and Hambleton Councils will receive an extra £100,000 pounds and Scarborough Borough Council, which covers Filey, can expect £640,000 out of the total £900 million made available across the country.

This means that, since the start of the pandemic, Ryedale has received £840,000, Hambleton £1.2m and Scarborough £2.39m in extra direct support from the Government which will help cover its coronavirus-related costs and ensure it has the resources it needs for key services.

Thirsk and Malton also stands to benefit from a further £100 million which will be used to establish a new fund to support council leisure centres that are most in need, in recognition of the ongoing challenges many local authority leisure centres are facing. This means that councils will have a £1 billion extra in funding this winter, with more details of the support for leisure centres to be set out shortly.

Mr Hollinrake said “The £840,000 announced today is hugely welcome and will ease financial pressures on all three authorities and ensure they are able to continue providing the local services people depend on. Just as we said we would stand behind people whose jobs are at risk, with over £200 billion so far to project jobs, incomes and businesses throughout and beyond this pandemic, this Conservative Government is keeping its promise to local authorities and ensuring they have the resources they need to continue supporting people.”

The funding has not been ring-fenced, meaning local leaders will be able to determine how to spend the additional funding in order to best protect public health, local vulnerable people and the running of vital services. In total, over £4.6 billion of the £6.4 billion in additional government funding made available to councils has not been ring-fenced, reflecting the Government’s view that local authorities are best placed to determine local priorities.

Cllr Keane Duncan, Leader of Ryedale District Council said "I am proud of the way Ryedale District Council has responded to the coronavirus pandemic over the past seven months. From the very start we focused on keeping our services open and available to our residents. We were also able to provide extra assistance to those who needed it most, from advice to grants. This, of course, comes at extra cost and at a time when our income is significantly down. That is a tricky combination for any local authority. I welcome the latest announcement from government as it will help us continue to support our residents at this difficult time."