Ilford Town Hall EL24036-4. Redbridge Council has agreed its full budget for next year, despite criticism from opposition councillors that it is slashing support for arts and leisure. The general budget was agreed by a majority of councillors at a full council meeting on February 25, with councillors approving next year’s housing budget the same night. In December last year, council leader Cllr Jas Athwal confirmed his vision for the borough’s public services is that they should fund themselves through “commercialisation”. The council thus plans to cut more than £200,000 of subsidies for facilities like the Redbridge Drama and Music Centres and Fairlop Sailing Centre in the next financial year.
Conservative group leader Cllr Linda Huggett (Monkhams) said her members supported the proposed housing budget but feared the council was not building fast enough.
She said: “We are concerned that the council is failing at the current time to deliver. I urge the new cabinet member to start delivering on your housing promises.
“We received £20million in funding from the Greater London Authority to help with our housing shortage, which has still not been used and, if not used soon, will have to be returned.”
In January, Redbridge Council failed the government’s “housing delivery test” after building 1,929 homes in the past three years, less than two thirds of the amount needed according to the London Plan.
Ilford Town Hall and Ilford High Street 21/5/14 EL77212 1. Redbridge Council’s budget for housing after failing the Government’s “delivery test” passed unanimously but not without heated argument. The new cabinet member for housing, announced in January this year, said the council “is going above and beyond” and plans to deliver 1,000 affordable homes by 2022. The Conservative group, despite supporting the budget, argued the council was “failing to deliver” and was “one of the worst performing councils in the country”. This year, a council-owned company Roding Homes, set up in 2019, is expected to become “fully operational” and start letting homes to hundreds of homeless residents.
Published:
12:21 PM March 2, 2021
Updated:
9:47 AM March 5, 2021
An energy efficiency amendment proposed by the Conservative Group at last week s Council Budget meeting was unsuccessful following a debate on the issue.
- Credit: Ken Mears
An amendment for a Green Business scheme in Redbridge was voted down at last week s council budget meeting.
Put forward by the Redbridge Conservative Group, the proposal sought to invest £1million in grants for businesses to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.
The amendment sought to change the scope of Labour s prepared budget, described by Cllr Kam Rai (cabinet member for finance, leisure and culture) as “prudent, transparent and considered .
Closure of Fairlop Outdoor Activity Centre only temporary ilfordrecorder.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ilfordrecorder.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.