The CCP virus pandemic has caused “significant funding gaps” in England’s local authorities, whose financial outlook has become “concerning,” the UK government’s spending watchdog said on Wednesday. During the pandemic, local authorities have reported combined cost pressures and income losses of £9.7 billion ($13.5 billion), equal to 17.6 percent of their total spend in the year before, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in its latest report (pdf). The pandemic is expected to create £6.9 billion ($9.6 billion) of additional costs to councils in the 2020–2021 financial year, as a result of the need to deliver new services and the increased cost of some existing services, the report said. Meanwhile, local councils are forecast to lose £2.8 billion ($3.9 billion) of income during the same period, as a result of a reduction in their commercial and other income streams such as car parking charges. “Government’s support to local authorities during …