Monday, December 21, 2020

Newham Council Budget Consultation for 2021

 

Check out the wider budget consultation here and the Eat For Free here

Share your views on our 2021/22 budget proposals 

We have written up our proposed budget for 2021/22, and we want to hear what you think about our proposals and our budget priorities.

Our budget report includes:

  • The financial background to the budget 
  • How the  budget supports the council’s Towards a Better Newham recovery and reorientation strategy 
  • Our spending commitments 
  • Our savings proposals 
  • The funding we receive from central Government 
  • Emerging pressures and risks that could affect our future spending 
  • Council tax setting 
  • Our balances and reserves

You can view the Budget report, which was approved by Cabinet on December 1, 2020.  

The proposals 

Our budget proposals aim to support the priorities outlined in our Towards a Better Newham recovery and reorientation strategy – helping the borough to recover from the worst impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, and investing in long-term strategies that will enable Newham’s communities to thrive in the future.

The proposals include: 

  • Investing in education – including £36m for school expansions to create additional spaces for pupils 
  • More than 1,000 new council homes, and improvements to existing homes 
  • £1.5m investment in leisure services 
  • A commitment to keeping each of Newham’s 10 libraries open
  • £11.5m for Brighter Futures, including youth empowerment and early help 
  • £11m to Keep Newham Moving through long-term investment in roads, footpaths and street lighting 
  • Protecting the Council Tax Support Scheme, which helps low income households who are unable to pay 
  • Maintaining weekly waste collections, but introducing an annual charge for garden waste collections 
  • Continuing to pay all staff at least the London Living Wage, and maintaining an ongoing commitment to national terms and conditions 
  • Maintaining our enforcement partnership with the Met Police 
  • Considering raising council tax by up to 5% 
  • Making back-office savings to functions such as council IT and admin 
  • Introducing emissions-based parking permits, with an increase in fees for households with the most polluting vehicles, or additional vehicles 
  • Savings to the Eat for Free primary school meals scheme 
  • Removing the £200 per week cap on adult social care fees

Share your views 

We want to know what you think about our priorities and proposals. How might they impact you, and your community? Are there any residents you think might be more affected by the proposals?

You can share your views by email to newham.budget@newham.gov.uk and we will be holding three public engagement sessions in January 2021 – further details including times, dates and how to register to attend will be published here shortly.

If you are a local business or trader, you can join the Newham Chamber of Commerce briefing on December 16. Further details will be available shortly.

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