WALTHAM FOREST: New budget revealed (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAM FOREST: New budget revealed

5:01pm Friday 17th February 2012 in Your Local Areas By Daniel Binns

The Waltham Forest Disability Resource Centre

THE council's new budget has been revealed.

The authority's cabinet will meet this Tuesday (February 21) to review the weighty document before it goes to the full council for approval in time for the start of the next financial year in April.

Many of the measures, such as a programme to save £16million, were already approved last year as part of a strategy to save a total of £45.7million in 24 months.

But the council says an unprecedented cut in its own funding from central Government means that a further £20million of savings are needed in the years 2013/14 and 2014/15, so an extra £11.7 million of cuts for that period has also been sketched out.

The Waltham Forest Disability Resource Centre will have £160,000 wiped from its funding under the proposals, while the meals on wheels service will be trimmed by £90,000.

Other plans include reducing the amount spent on day support for those with learning disabilities by £500,000.

Most of the savings measures are lacking in detail. Last year's budget contained similarly vague proposals such as a cut in £1million from the library budget. That later led to the closure of two branches and a reduction in some opening hours.

Meanwhile the council's basic tax charge will remain frozen, while The Mayor of London has proposed that the Greater London Authority precept is reduced by £3.10 to £306.72.

An additional £1million in funding for school improvement works is proposed for the next two years, while council campaign areas are also allocated extra cash, such as its clean front garden push which gets £165,000.

A further £125,000 is earmarked for tackling unemployment, £350,000 for a pilot of weekly garden and food recycling collections and £100,000 for street parties in every ward during the Olympics.

The report says that freezing council tax is a high priority. It states: "The current economic climate is placing considerable pressure on our residents, and latest forecasts suggest that such pressures are likely to continue.

"In order to demonstrate that the council would wish to continue to support council tax payers and communities through the recession, the budget has been prepared on the basis of no increase in Council Tax."

The budget report also notes that £2.3million of next year's scheduled £16million worth of savings are at risk of not being delivered.

But it states that "the 2012/13 Revenue Budget proposals are, overall, robust and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves are satisfactory."

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