Supporting Newham to recover from Covid-19; building high quality, genuinely affordable homes; investing in school places; bolstering opportunities for young people, and helping residents to lead healthier, happier lives are at the heart of Newham Council’s budget proposals.
The 2021/22 budget proposals agreed tonight (Tuesday 1 December) by Newham Council’s Cabinet show how the council will be investing in making Newham a better place for local people to live, grow and thrive.
Cabinet heard that long-term Government funding cuts, increasing costs and demand for essential services, and the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have caused Newham to have to make savings of £250,000,000 since 2010.
The Government has stripped Newham’s budget by millions each year, and has failed to fulfil its commitment to ensuring local authorities would not be left out of pocket as a result of their efforts to help local communities during the Covid-19 crisis.
The unprecedented cuts leave the council facing invidious decisions as it seeks to balance the books. However, the Mayor and councillors remain focused on a positive budget with the best interests of local people at its heart – with a commitment to delivering the priorities of the council’s Towards a Better Newham Recovery and Reorientation action plan. Highlights of the 2021/22 budget proposals include:
- £169m investment in new council homes, with the first properties available soon
- £70m to improve existing council homes
- £36m to create new school places for Newham’s children
- £11milion for Brighter Futures, including youth empowerment and early help
- Maintaining weekly bin collections
- Keeping each one of Newham’s 10 libraries open
- Protecting the Council Tax Support Scheme, which guarantees support for low income households who are unable to pay the charge
- Continuing to pay all council staff at least the London Living Wage, and insisting that all contractors do the same
- Investing in the environment, including sustainable transport, clean air schemes and parks maintenance
- Supporting better public health
Cabinet is considering proposing a council tax increase of up to 5% and some changes to services, including introducing an annual green waste collection fee; changing the current cap on adult social care fees, and adapting the Eat for Free scheme.
Cllr Terrence Paul, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, said:
“The reality is that the government’s repeated failure to adequately fund local authorities has seen us have to make savings of around a quarter of a billion from our budget during the past decade. Wherever possible, we are making back-office cuts but it is simply not possible to lose that level of funding and still continue to provide the same level of services.
“However, unprecedented times call for bold answers. That’s why our budget proposals show how we will invest the income we do have in projects that will make a real difference to our residents’ quality of life – from new housing to exceptional education. I am proud that, in the face of such adversity, we are proposing a budget that shows how Newham can continue to improve and thrive in the future.”
Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, said:
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have spent tens of millions of pounds protecting and supporting our communities – from bringing homeless people off the streets, to offering grants to individuals and businesses impacted by the virus.
“I am so proud of the work we have done to help Newham’s people. We have supported residents through these hard times, and our budget shows how we will continue to support them in hard times to come.
“With the impact of the pandemic and the effect of a decade of government cuts, there’s no doubt that we’ve had to make some difficult decisions. But I hope that local people will see in our proposals a budget with their best interests at its heart, with ambitious investment that shows how we will work together with communities to create a better Newham for everybody.”
The budget proposals will be subject to public consultation before coming before Full Council for a final decision in February 2021.
Local residents, traders and business owners, community, voluntary and faith groups will be invited to view the budget proposals and share their views online and online engagement sessions will be held during January to enable people to learn more, ask questions and offer feedback. Further information and links to take part in the engagement will be published shortly.
