3 February (Part 2) - Serious cuts have their effect on the budget and services
There was a Cabinet meeting in Bexley earlier this week. As has become the
norm, the Agenda was concerned only with the shaky financial situation.
The Leader said that the future remained “uncertain” and Omicron was given a little of the blame for that.
The
Director of Finance reported the situation continued
to be a forecast of “break even” with an underspend of £1 million “predominantly due to
the housing service”. A number of alleged service efficiency improvements were claimed.
The Capital Programme is currently forecast to underspend by £31·4 million
against the initial budget of £61·5 million.
Cabinet Member David Leaf was uncharacteristically brief so that Members would be able to get home to see
the second half of a football match in Charlton. He said that present trends
“should allow the financial reserves to be bolstered at the end of the financial year”.
He reminded Members that an underspend of £1 million is a very small proportion
(3%) of net expenditure. “there is no scope for complacency”.
Councillor Borella (Labour, Slade Green) said that pressures remained
on Children’s and Adults’ Services and Parking revenues. Despite improvements
there are still 1,000 families in temporary accommodation and they were people not merely numbers.
The Leader was not unsympathetic to his comments.
The Finance Director said that the Local Government Settlement was made in
December 2021 but there are still some unknowns. The Social Care grant is up by
£2·2 million and another £2·5 million is allocated to cover National
Insurance rate rises. (£400,000 for the Council and the remainder in its supply chain).
Councillor Leaf was concerned on behalf of residents of inflation rates in
excess of 5% and more in some areas like fuel and food. “Times are tough.”
He confirmed that that no relief should be expected from Bexley Council. Council
Tax rates will increase by the maximum permitted by law.
Councillor Craske spoke for exactly five minutes without once mentioning the
subject listed on the Agenda.
Cabinet Member Sue Gower said that the temporary housing situation was improving and the
housing team had worked hard to achieve that. Residents were beginning to notice and
express their appreciation of the improvements. Councillor Borella said the
underlying problem would not go away until the Council starts to build houses
for rent but only Labour was prepared to do that.
The Leader said “that is not the way to deal with housing in Bexley.”
Councillor Craske asked the Labour Group the sort of damn fool question for
which he is renowned, “Is it still the policy of the Labour Group to pull down
the affordable housing which has just been built in Sidcup? Yes or No.”
Labour Leader Borella reminded Craske that Public Cabinet is an opportunity for
Councillors to ask questions of Cabinet Members not the other way around and
that any criticism of what was built in Sidcup was solely that there was not enough if it.
Cabinet Member David Leaf told Councillor Borella that if he kept on asking
(answering?) questions he never would see the second half of the Charlton match.
He added that it was rarely possible to build 50% affordable homes as advocated by Bexley Labour.
BexleyCo would end up building almost nothing and he looked forward to “more
sense and maturity coming from Labour. They are a party of slogans and Socialists”.
Councillor Craske complained that Labour had not answered his question and
instead called it “stupid”.
Councillor Nicola Taylor (Labour, Erith) said that the housing team should spend
less time reading letters of appreciation and stop ignoring the pleas from
Bexley residents “who are forced to live in damp, overcrowded and expensive
accommodation and refused help”. The number in temporary accommodation may have
fallen but no one says where they have gone. “If it is a good news story for the
Council why has it not be sung? The answer is because it is not. Those people
are merely pushed off the register and refused help.”
“Funding for affordable rents comes from the Mayor of London and many Members
opposite are private landlords and benefitting from that money.”
The Leader said that the problem in Bexley is largely caused by Labour Councils
sending their homeless to Bexley and causing a shortage here.
Councillor Wendy Perfect (Labour, Northumberland Heath) ) reminded her that
Bexley sends its homeless to Gravesend. The Leader said the difference is that
Labour boroughs dump the homeless in Bexley and then walk away and forgets them
leaving Bexley to pick up the pieces while Bexley continues to support theirs.
Soon after initial publication the written summary (above) of what the Leader said was queried by a Councillor so for the avoidance of all doubt this audio clip is provided. Some microphone fumbling by Councillor Perfect and the interjection (see below) by Cabinet Member Gower have been excluded but what remains is everything stated by Leader Teresa O’Neill.
Cabinet Member Sue Gower objected to the accusation of ignoring emails. “Please come to me and I will make it happen.”