Investing in Redbridge in tough times

On Thursday (23 February), at a Full Council meeting, Redbridge Council passed its 2023/2024 budget, protecting vital services and investing in key local infrastructure.

The budget follows a decade of Government austerity, reducing grant settlement funding to London councils by an average of 63% since 2010. Redbridge continues to be short-changed compared to other boroughs, receiving £182.31 less government funding per person than the London average.

If Redbridge received fair Government funding, the Council could provide an additional £57m worth of services for local people.

The Government decide councils' (grant) settlement funding assessment based on the assumption that councils will raise council tax and the adult social care precept, effectively forcing councils to do so. However, everyone in Redbridge, in receipt of local council tax reduction as of 1 March 2023, will be shielded in full from these increases for 2023/24.

Despite the challenges of reduced budgets and increased inflation, Redbridge Council is continuing to deliver over 400 vital services, support local people through the cost of living crisis, and invest in key infrastructure. 

To determine where to focus limited funding, Redbridge Council launched a Budget Survey in December 2022, asking local people to share what services matter most to them. 

More than 400 local people completed the survey, sharing their views with the Council and helping to shape the 2023/24 budget. 

As part of the 2023/24 budget, Redbridge Council is investing:

• £21m in school maintenance, expansion, and improvements 
• £900k on flood prevention 
• £900k on highways maintenance
• £29m to improve existing council homes 
• £90k to provide a winter emergency fund, keeping Redbridge safe during extreme weather
• £150k to repair potholes 
• £100k on a business incentive scheme 
• A further £250k investment into crime reduction measures 
• £14.4m for a Lido in Valentines Park, a world-class Rock-Climbing Centre, Wanstead Swimming pool and fantastic improvements to Fairlop Waters and Hainault Forest Country Park 

The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, said: "Redbridge deserves a fair deal from Government, and we're continuing to fight for funding for our local area.

"The triple challenge of unfair funding, a decade of Government austerity, and the cost of living crisis has meant we've had to make tough choices to balance our budget and protect the services that matter most to local people.

"We've listened to our neighbours and invested in the services and infrastructure local people value while continuing to support those struggling with the rising cost of living, but the Government must play their part and properly fund councils like Redbridge so we can keep delivering for our borough."

Cllr Kam Rai, Deputy Leader of Redbridge Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Leisure & Culture, said:

"Redbridge is one of the lowest funded boroughs in London, and while we have been forced to make £236m of savings because of Government austerity, we always rise to the challenge of keeping vital services running and investing in our borough. 

"We've listened to local people and protected key services like weekly bin collections, libraries and building high-quality council homes while innovating to become one of the most cost-effective councils in the country. 

"We are also continuing to invest in keeping Redbridge safe, expanding our network of Enforcement Hubs, continuing Park Guard patrols through our parks, and improving our CCTV coverage, night time and noise enforcement, and our domestic violence support service." 

Redbridge is proud to provide some of the best council services in the country, including:

• Children's Services rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted
• Nine parks awarded 'Green Flag' status
• Superb Library service, which lends the most children's books in London 
• Boroughwide CCTV monitored 24/7
• 95% of local schools ranked 'Good' or 'Outstanding' by Ofsted
• Adult Social Care services rated 'Excellent'