PEOPLE across Worcestershire are being urged to send the Government a message over council funding - amid claims the county is being unfairly hit.

Politicians say local authorities in Worcestershire are being “underfunded” and want your help in trying to turn it around.

A county Tory MP and the Labour leader of Worcester City Council are among those calling for a better cash deal in 2014/15 and beyond.

The Government is consulting over what money to give local authorities, with people able to get involved until Wednesday October 2.

Wychavon District Council is drawing up proposals to cut around £4m from spending by 2017/18, and in Worcester the figure is likely to be around £3m.

The picture is being mirrored in Malvern, where around £1m is expected to be chopped off spending by 2015 and more after.

The Government is expected to announce its funding settlements for 2014/15 in December, which is when the first year of those cuts can be firmed up.

Against that backdrop, politicians say they want people worried about the bleak outlook to have their say before time runs out.

Mr Luff said: “Rural areas suffer underfunding for basic services. “There is an ongoing fight to close the gap between the funding given to rural and urban communities. “

At the moment councils in rural areas are allocated less money to pay for the costs of services, although often they are more expensive.

“It is not right that rural populations should receive less than their counterparts in urban areas, just because they live in Wychavon.

“It’s important we keep up the pressure on the Government to make sure the voices of rural communities are heard, so I urge you all and especially parish councils to contribute to the consultation.”

Councillor Adrian Gregson, city council leader, said Worcester’s funding suffers due to being part of a rural county.

“It’s not just traditional ‘rural’ areas but the big towns that sit within those rural areas - like Worcester,” he said.

“Such district councils do not tend to get treated as ‘urban’ and therefore are not always funded sufficiently to resolve the urban problems you get in larger cities, but which are also problems here.

“Plus we attract more local people from the rural areas for their main services such as shopping and culture, and therefore need an infrastructure that supports that aspect too.

“Worcester sits in that gap and anything local people can do to help highlight the difficulty to Government is welcome.”

The consultation seeks views on funding for 2014/15 and 2015/16.

To get involved log onto www.gov.uk/dclg and click on consultations.