Redbridge Council listens to local people when tackling difficult budget decisions
Published: 13 February 2024
Councils across the country are in an incredibly difficult financial position and are having to take difficult decisions to balance budgets and retain local services. Having lost 54% Government funding since 2010, Redbridge Council has vowed to protect its most vital services and listen to local people’s views, to invest in the services that matter most to them, while maintaining financial stability.
The budget survey, which closed on 2 February 2024, gave local people a say on the council services they valued most. These responses were analysed and considered as part of the decision-making process for the 2024/25 budget.
A proposed budget, which protects the services vital to the communities most in need, and which invests in the services that mean the most to local people, will go to Full Council on 29 February. Ahead of this, local people are invited to a virtual meeting on MS Teams on 20 February to discuss the proposed budget and ask questions of the Deputy Leader.
Responses from the survey show people value above all, their weekly bin collection, and want their parks and outdoor areas kept clean and attractive. With nine green flag parks in the borough, and a newly-renovated Hainault Forest and farm, Redbridge is a haven of outdoor leisure. Local people are rightly proud of and protective of these open spaces.
Redbridge people are invested in their local area, wanting more prosecutions for fly-tipping, and for continued focus on sweeping residential and town centre streets. The Council recently increased its fly-tipping fines to £1000 on a bid to crack down on this grime crime.
People told us they value the Council bringing NHS health checks, vaccine and diabetes clinics into their local areas. Respondents want an excellent education for their children through our schools, 95% of which have been rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, but don’t mind travelling for higher education.
Safety-wise, people want the Council to continue support children to leave gangs, and above all want to see more enforcement officers patrolling streets, both in the daytime and at night. Having opened engagement hubs and working in partnership with local police, this is something the Council has already been investing in. Supporting survivors of domestic abuse also scored high as a priority.
People want the social care support to be able to continue to live in their own homes as they get older, and good quality housing at social rents.
Respondents are less concerned about verges being cut quite so often, and about initiatives such as school streets and cycle lanes. Although valuable to families and cyclists, they are less impactful for other members of our community.
Councillor Kam Rai, Deputy Leader of Redbridge Council said: “Funding cuts from Government, mean we have over £159m less to spend on public services every year, in real terms. And that’s before the impact of extra demand for social care, increasing homelessness, a growing population, and inflation take their toll.
We are the third-lowest funded borough in London. If we received just the average across the capital we would have £66m more each year to spend in Redbridge. This unfairness for our borough makes the task of setting the budget even more difficult.
“Despite Government cuts to our funding, we continue to deliver our pledges and invest in what matters most to local people.
“We’ve listened and considered your views and have a produced a balanced budget which protects vital services and invests in services you’ve told us we need and want most.”
Meeting
Local people are invited to a virtual meeting with the Deputy Leader, where he will present the budget, and where there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
Tuesday 20 February, 6pm - 7pm, MS Teams
- Find out about the proposed budget
- Have your questions answered
Register (free) at https://engage.redbridge.gov.uk/resident-budget-meeting/surveys/resident-budget-meeting-registration
You will have the opportunity to ask questions to be put to the Deputy Leader of Redbridge Council. You can submit them in advance to: cset@redbridge.gov.uk
