Lambeth publishes 2017/18 budget proposals

18 November 2016

Written by: Communications team

Council statements and updates - News and announcements

Lambeth council has set out plans for the latest budget savings, following further cuts from central government funding.

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Between 2010 and 2018/19, the money given from central government to Lambeth council will have been cut by an estimated 56%.  During that same period, as a result of this reduction, the council has made or identified £238m of savings.

That includes £55m over the next three years, as set out in the council’s budget papers.

The 2017/18 budget is based on delivering Lambeth council’s clear priorities of caring for those most in need, preventing long-term issues, driving growth that benefits everyone and building strong & sustainable neighbourhoods.

Word from the Leader

Cllr Lib Peck, Leader of Lambeth Council, said: “Every difficult decision we have to make is framed by our priorities for Lambeth, and our drive to reduce inequality and support our residents who are most in need.

“We are helping vulnerable people stay in their homes rather than residential care, and inspiring and training a new wave of foster carers to help young people in need get a better start in life.

“We are investing in regeneration and enterprise to develop skills and jobs for local people and support our rapidly growing, successful business community.

“Our staff are working smarter and more efficiently, at less cost to the council and we are working with community partners to find new ways of maintaining services, like libraries and Adventure Playgrounds.”

Borough Plan

Lambeth’s priorities are set out in the Borough Plan, developed in partnership with over 40 local organisations, looking to harness the success the borough has already enjoyed and ensure that the ongoing benefits are felt as widely as possible.

Priorities are also shaped by the latest Residents’ Survey, which shows rising resident satisfaction for the fourth year in a row, and that clean streets, parks and transport rank as the most important things for the majority of Lambeth residents.

Savings proposals

The proposals outlined will save around £20 million through efficiency savings, including renegotiating contracts, merging back-office services and moving all postal services online.  They also include £11 million of savings from transforming the way council works for residents, moving more services online and streamlining internal processes. These savings will mean the council has less staff than in 2010 (falling from around 4,000 in 2010 to an expected 2,100 in 2020).

Services like children’s centres and playgrounds are benefiting from years of work with community partners to keep them open, despite the savings.  The tough budget choices also reflect Lambeth residents’ key priorities, like street cleaning, housing and parks, and the council’s values to protect those facing welfare cuts, protect council tenants and maintain the vital service for women and girls that are victims of violence.

There are plans to raise an additional £7 million income, bringing fees and charges in line with neighbouring boroughs and using the council’s borrowing powers to invest to ensure an income to the council that can fund services.

Some services will see significant changes due to the savings that have to be found, but the council has worked hard to identify and protect services that are used by the most vulnerable and high-risk individuals.

 

The full Cabinet Paper on Budget Savings Proposals.

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12 Thoughts on “Lambeth publishes 2017/18 budget proposals

  1. kerry hope says:

    Lambeth Children’s Centre at Effra Nursery is being run into the ground despite the large and diverse needs of the local community. Take a walk to Brockwell Park One o’Clock Club and you can see from the outside how the lack of investment is affecting the provision. Revenue from the weekend hire of the venue for parties appears not to be being reinvested in the setting. Staff are being effectively laid off and services cut by a further 50% for 2017, (this following a similar reduction last year) and the future looks grim for this Children’s Centre, despite Lambeth\s Partners in the Community and their ‘hard work’.

  2. Sue says:

    hi there, Can you advise on where adult social care in Lambeth sits within these cuts?
    Thanks

    • Communications team says:

      Hi Sue
      Adult and children’s social care together take up over half of our budget, and we are determined to protect services to vulnerable people such as this as a priority. We are working hard to reduce demand on care services, and supporting people to remain in their homes rather than be admitted to residential care. The council also proposes to take up the Government’s 3% precept on Council Tax to ease the financial pressure on Adult Social Care.
      Regards

      • Martin says:

        Dear communications Team, on the basis of your response to the above question, can explain why you have slashed the costs you are willing to pay so low that people are effectively prohibited from using deferred payments for residential care. Effectively this system is effectively punishing lower incomes and rewarding the wealthy.

  3. HELEN F says:

    To allow Joint Tenants the same rights as any other couple in a relationship. When it breaks down they can be seen as a single person and have there own rights.Not be liable for the other person or persons.
    My connection…. Relationship has Broken down after 30 years we were not married the council advised me to have a Joint Tenancy ,
    Ex – Partner does not work or sign on or contribute to any house hold bills and because we are Joint Tenants the Council will not help in any way, i am left to pay for everything and he can live in the house FREE. My only option is to come off the tenancy and make myself homeless and the council will not rehouse me as i made myself homeless voluntary.

  4. Hannah says:

    Please can you tell me why you have cut out your 24 hour noise response unit? Surveys consistently show that noise and anti-social behaviour is very high on the list of priorities for all residents and yet you no longer have the resources to deal effectively with this issue. This is making many residents lives a misery.

    • Communications team says:

      Hi Hannah
      Many services are being affected by the 56% cut in our government funding, which means tough choices about what we can afford. We have spoken with some of our residents who have been badly affected by noise nuisance and they are supportive of finding a new way of tackling the issue. We are putting in place teams that will be better equipped to understand and tackle the root cause of the most severe problems, whether that’s persistent noise nuisance, environmental crime or trading standards violations.
      Regards
      Communications team

      • Zak says:

        That’s not really answering Hannah’s question though is it, surely it can’t cost that much to have a couple of people in a car going round three nights a week telling people to keep the noise down with threats of fines. I’m sure the cuts on traffic wardens weren’t nearly as substantial. Constant and excessive noise, even in one’s own house can really damage quality of life.

  5. Bridget says:

    We understand that the government have had to make cut backs, but will we now ever get our local streets off the Brixton Hill, swept and cleaned properly?
    We have had filthy unswept streets for 2 years now, and we are still unable to persuade Lambeth Council to send a street machine out to clean the kerb sides of grime, and thick piles of muddy leaves, amongst other things.

  6. Patrick Griffiths says:

    Are Lambeth going to make anymore cut in the parks

    • Communications team says:

      Hi,
      We have no plans for further cuts to the Parks in this budget, in fact we are planning to invest more capital in our parks and open spaces.
      Regards
      Communications team.

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