Funding our public services
The big news from me this week is we launched our 2020/21 budget proposals and have opened a public consultation to secure your feedback.
Securing sufficient funding is a big challenge for all Councils and it’s impossible to emphasise enough the devastating effect a decade of austerity has had on people in our borough and our community as a whole.
In real terms, the prolonged and sustained cuts means we have around £1,000 less per household to spend on your essential public services compared to a decade ago. We’re also facing real pressures on both our children’s and adult’s services, with nearly two thirds of all the money we spend going to those services.
As the Leader of our Council, and on a daily basis, I see growing inequality. Whether it’s families facing eviction or talking to teachers about the increasing numbers of children arriving to school hungry – the challenges are vast.
Our budget proposals are built on the principles of building a fairer, greener Greenwich.
Unfortunately, the financial situation in which we find ourselves also means we have no choice but to propose an increase in council tax. We are proposing to increase the ‘adult social care precept’, part of your Council Tax payment, to cover the growing costs of providing adult social care services.
A fairer Greenwich
Our budget proposals contain plans to help the most vulnerable people in our borough by changing our local council tax support scheme. If the proposals are agreed, we would ensure that those facing severe hardship will receive more money.
A greener Greenwich
No doubt we’ve all seen the harrowing images and heard about the global climate crisis – it’s real, happening now and needs all of us to change the way in which we live. Our budget proposals include money to support the changes required and we’re also arranging a full Council debate to set out the measures needed for the Royal Borough of Greenwich to become carbon neutral.
Have your say
The more people that share your thoughts and feedback about the 2020/21 budget proposals the better so please have your say online.
A ground-breaking event
It’s always a pleasure to see something finally come to fruition so I was delighted to join other Cabinet colleagues at the ground breaking for the new Kidbrooke Park Primary School, SE3.
The old building is in dire need of replacement and the new building will not only provide a brilliant learning environment but also a range of new community facilities. A big thanks to everyone who has helped get this project off the ground and special thanks to Mohamed and Bobbie from Kidbrooke Park Primary who joined us on site!
Thank you
One of the meetings I chair is our Health & Wellbeing Board which brings people together from the Clinical Commissioning Group, Public Health, GP’s and representatives from the Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust to discuss key issues.
I’d asked the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice to join us and give an overview of their work. The hospice is a much-loved organisation that gets fantastic support from across the community. We had a really good discussion about their work. They really are an outstanding organisation and we are very lucky to have them here in the borough.
Finally, I hope you are enjoying my new blog – feedback welcome via Twitter @danLthorpe – and hope you’ll join me online next time!