A message from Cllr Sarah Warren, deputy leader of Bath & North East Somerset CouncilYesterday we heard the announcement by the Chancellor about government spending plans for public services. I welcome the extra money for our NHS and for schools. The additional funding for housing will also go some way to meeting the huge housing affordability crisis that the country faces. I also very much welcome the funding allocated to help make our homes warmer. However, we will need to see the details about how the national settlement will translate into impacts on services and council tax for Bath and North East Somerset residents. The devil is always in the detail. While welcoming any investment, until we have more time to review the statement, it’s not certain what is actually new money, and what conditions may be attached to any grant or other funding. I remain particularly concerned that there is no immediate prospect in sight of resolving the urgent challenges in funding social care, which places such huge pressures on councils including our own. We will be working with the West of England Mayor, Helen Godwin, and council leaders across the West of England on the implications of yesterday’s announcement on our region more widely. I am delighted that the West of England received a big boost in central government funding for transport recently and it is vital that we continue to maximise investment from central government and other sources. At the start of this week I was delighted to join school children, the mayor and other council leaders, for the fantastic announcement that children and young people under the age of 16 will travel for free on buses across our region during the school summer holidays. As a mum I know school holidays are an expensive time of year for families and this great initiative will not only help with the cost-of-living but also encourage local families to get out and explore our region’s amazing attractions, like the Roman Baths, which are free for B&NES residents who are Discovery Card holders, as well our historic cities, market towns, free parks, and the nature-rich countryside we are fortunate to have right across the West of England. I hope many families will hop on the bus this summer and explore places that are literally on their own doorstep with the kids going for free. Adults can also make the most of some of the lowest fares in the country following the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council work with First Bus to keep fares for most passengers 20 per cent lower than the government’s £3 cap. It can’t have escaped your notice that Robbie Williams is in Bath tomorrow night and Saturday playing a sell-out show set against the stunning backdrop of the iconic Royal Crescent. A huge thank you to all our residents for their patience when events of this scale happen in particular to the Royal Crescent Society for their work alongside promoter Senbla, which is staging the shows and attracting artists of this calibre to Bath. As well as the show there are lots of other events happening over the weekend and you can find the details on our newsroom which also includes information on the extended hours of our Park & Ride service. Finally, while many local Robbie fans will be in Bath on Saturday thousands of Bath Rugby FC fans will be in Twickenham for the Gallagher Premiership final against Leicester Tigers – we’re cheering the team on and look forward to celebrating a historic win. Have a great weekend. | 
