EXCLUSIVE: Major shortfall in Government Support for Havering as council told to make £70m savings.
Since taking control of the council in May this year the new administration have had one challenge after another to deal with.
The Wennington fires, dirty streets, Launders Lane, high council tax, over development and many other important issues impacting Havering residents.
Now they face their biggest challenge- making savings of £70 million in four years.
Councillor Graham Williamson, cabinet member for strategic planning today tells the Havering Daily:
When the Havering Residents Association took over the reins of Council after May of this year, we knew there might be some surprises in store for a new Administration.
Firstly, instead of a note saying there was ‘no money left’, we were told we had to make savings of £70m+ over the next four years (this is nearly half of the Council’s yearly budget)!
Secondly, although the shortfall in our income to maintain our services is reaching new heights, the Council has already made significant cuts over the last few years, whether in service budgets or reduced numbers of staff.
SHORT-CHANGED
Quite simply, successive Governments have short-changed Havering, progressively reducing its general grant since the 1980s while Government austerity policies accelerated this unfairness. For example, in 2010 the then Government gave the Council just short of £70m but in 2022 only gave around £1.5m!
Perversely, the Government have also transferred over the last few years more responsibilities to Councils without giving sufficient funds with it.
This is the reason Havering has the fourth highest Council tax in London and why many staff have had to take voluntary redundancy leaving some Departments to deliver services with fewer human and financial resources.
BALANCE THE BOOKS
We are not the only Council to suffer but our poorer funding has been for longer and deeper than most. This will mean that cuts and disposal of assets are inevitable as Councils are obliged by law to ‘balance their books’. If not carried out the Government will put in Commissioners, and they really will slash and burn everything!
As the Council mulls over its limited choices for next year’s budget, we will highlight the facts over the next few weeks that up to now have largely been kept from the public. Watch this space.
Havering Residents Association
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Whilst I understand your report. Why when in the year we only received £1.5 was this not challenged! Obviously our ‘allowance’ from Government needs a review compared to others London Boroughs. Those in High places look on Havering as a ‘comfortable’ borough without looking at the lower end of the scale. We have many residents we are supported financially.
Surely all London boroughs should be treated the same? Regards
Totally agree with you Barbara. This discrimination against Havering has been going on since the 1980’s and got worse in the last few years due to austerity. Any challenge would be down to the last Administration(s). I would suggest the public were not advised by the Council last year because they wore the same colour rosette as the Government!