Double whammy for Barking and Dagenham as council receive less funding but have highest population growth across London.

Barking and Dagenham Council leader Councillor Darren Rodwell is one of London’s hardest working and innovative council leaders. Yet, despite doing everything he can including securing £4 billion worth of foreign investments for his borough, Barking and Dagenham have still faced budget cuts, plus an increase in population.

Councillor Rodwell told the Havering Daily:”We are the poorest and most deprived London borough but have also faced a population increase and are now at nearly 220,000. This is a double whammy for us. Our demand is much greater than many other London boroughs. We have seen the loss of £175 million in a decade taken from us.

“Sadly the government took deprivation out of the equation and the fact that we are the most vulnerable London borough. We are also the cheapest London borough and have many additional placements from other areas coming here.

“It was the Chair of the Local Government Association, Conservative member James Jameson who said that local councils are £8 billion short of the money they need.”

Despite these endless challenges to his borough, Councillor Rodwell being a leader with much vision and foresight, was able to secure £4 billion worth of foreign investments to keep his council going.

“Labour boroughs have faired worse than other boroughs and fortunately here the film studios and data centre and other enterprises have helped secure important funding for our borough.”

Councillor Rodwell is now lobbying the government for more funding like many other London boroughs who find themselves with an increase in demands and a cut in budgets.