Two Greater Manchester councils have been overlooked as the government dished out £600m to town halls across the country.

Stockport and Trafford have received no share of the Recovery Grant fund – cash which is handed to areas with 'greater need and demand for services.'

The money was distributed based on deprivation levels and council tax income, but council chiefs in Greater Manchester say the snub has left them struggling to balance the books.

Stockport council leader Mark Hunter said: "Stockport is one of only three metropolitan councils across the country to get no money from the £600m national funding of the recovery grant, the only other two councils are Trafford and Solihull.

"Whilst it's reasonable to take an assessment of need and tax-based strength into account when distributing funding, it is unfair and disappointing that those councils only just below that threshold such as Stockport, which I can tell you is 0.01% below that funding threshold, receives absolutely nothing.

"Insufficient funding of course makes managing the council's financial position in the months and years ahead extremely difficult."

(Image - Alasdair Perry)

A Trafford council spokesperson said: "The distribution of this funding has failed to take account of the acute difficulty low funded councils like Trafford are facing in balancing their budgets.

"We continue to lobby government for a fairer funding settlement that reflects our position."

Stockport is a highly polarised borough, with stark differences in deprivation and affluence between its towns and villages.

A council report published last year revealed that people born in Brinnington can expect to have a decade cut off their lives due to poverty when compared to more affluent areas.

The Brinnington and Central ward has also been ranked as one of the most deprived nationally.

Stockport council has a major black hole in its budget to plug this year to the tune of £25m according to latest figures, a number which is set to rise to more than £60m by 2028/29.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was approached for comment.

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