COUNTY councillors are calling on the Government to honour its promise to provide the necessary funding to cover the costs of dealing with the implications of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Essex County Council’s Labour group has written a letter to all MPs in Essex along with Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick, with their concerns about funding for the county, district and borough councils in Essex, highlighting the need to plug a £5 billion black hole which may lead to some councils into bankruptcy.

Councillors said over the past ten years councils have faced “the true brunt force of austerity”.

They said this has had “profound effects” on the services councils can offer and how they offer their services.

Ivan Henderson, leader of the Labour group on Essex County Council, said he would like to highlight the funding crisis faced by local government.

He added: “Essex County Council has faced cuts of over £800 million over the last decade. In that time services have been stripped back to basics.

“Meals on wheels has been scrapped, youth centres closed, children centres axed and now respite care slashed in half for disabled children in Essex.

“Things can’t go on like this after the lockdown.”

In the open letter the group said in the past eight weeks of lockdown councils have shown an incredible resilience to dealing with the issues people face as a nation during the Covid-19 crisis.

They said: “Councils across Essex have acted heroically to house all rough sleepers, to build strong volunteer networks to help the most vulnerable, to run the majority of services out of office and to make sure all residents are looked after.

“This is why it is vital all councils in the UK receive, as promised, the necessary funding to cover the costs of dealing with the implications of the lockdown and Covid-19, councils play a vital role in people’s daily lives.”