UNIONS have urged the incoming government to commit to fairly funding local councils after a new study revealed today that they face a funding gap of £6.2 billion.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has determined that the issue is fuelled by increasing costs and demand for adult social care, children’s services, homelessness support and transport for children with special needs and disabilities.

Due to severe financial constraints, two-thirds of councils have already been forced to reduce services like waste collections, road repairs, and library and leisure facilities this year, an LGA survey found.

The LGA is calling on all political parties to commit to a “significant and sustained” increase in funding, as well as reforms to the local government finance system.

Kevin Bentley, senior vice chairman of the LGA, warned that otherwise a “chasm will continue to grow between what people and their communities need and want from their councils and what councils can deliver.”

Unite national officer Clare Keogh said that local government has been “decimated” over the last 14 years, and called on the next government to “commit to properly and fairly funding the sector.”

She said: “Services are already stretched far too thin. The situation is at breaking point and further job losses cannot be the answer.”

Sharon Wilde, national officer for GMB, said that for years its members working for councils have suffered real-terms pay cuts and been forced to prop up “creaking councils with huge amounts of unpaid overtime.”

She said: “Hopefully the nightmarish austerity experiment will soon be over after 14 long years – but whoever is in charge next year, GMB will demand all local government pay offers are fully funded by central government.”