Havering council has approved a £204 million budget for 2025/26, which includes a 4.99% rise in council tax and a 2.7% increase in rents. The budget also involves borrowing £88 million to bridge a £71 million financial shortfall, ensuring service continuity without drastic tax increases. The budget was narrowly passed, with a focus on housing initiatives and deep spending cuts. Opposition parties proposed alternative budgets to save local libraries, emphasizing community impacts and adjustments to waste policy expenditures to achieve financial balance.
The budget was passed by 25 votes to 24 at a budget-setting meeting on February 26, with mayor and HRA councillor Gerry O'Sullivan casting the tie-breaking vote.
Council leader Ray Morgon called the budget the hardest in Havering's 60 year history. He said the 88m bailout would prevent the council from increasing council tax by sixty-odd percent.
Labour, Conservative and Residents' Group Independent Association councillors all proposed alternative budgets they said would prevent the closure of libraries in South Hornchurch, Gidea Park and Harold Wood.
Both opposition groups said the libraries could be saved by delaying the implementation of a new waste policy, which will cost around 1.5m.
Collection
[
|
...
]