East London council approves budget including free uniforms, Meals on Wheels, and increased council tax.
They will fund school uniforms and homecare. Meals on Wheels will help vulnerable people. The council voted on the budget. They also voted on a financial plan. It covers the next three years.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman called it “ground-breaking”. He said they are investing in vital services. This totals £184 million from 2022 to 2028. Rahman is from the Aspire Party. He said they will provide uniform grants. This will help families earning less.
The limit is £50,350 per year. About 21,000 students will benefit. They want every child to succeed. The council says it will invest £8 million in safety.
This community safety investment is substantial. It surpasses other London boroughs. Rahman added the budget supports families. It helps residents facing higher costs. The budget aims to improve life in the borough.
The budget also includes funding for special needs. One million pounds will help them. It supports people as they become adults. Eight million goes to an Anti-Crime Task Force. This includes better CCTV and more officers.
The council found £24.3 million in savings by 2026. This includes £6.5 million from last year. The biggest saving is £14 million. It comes from fewer agency staff. Some vacant jobs will not be filled.
Changes to a task force will save money. A contract change saves £800,000 on Freedom Passes. Council tenants will see rent go up by 2.7 percent. This follows a rent increase of 7.7 percent last year.
Council tax will also increase by 4.99 percent. This includes a social care portion. Some households will not pay more tax. Those earning less than £50,350 are exempt. People with the lowest incomes pay nothing.
During the meeting, other parties proposed changes. Labour’s Marc Francis opposed the tax hike. He called it unfair to residents. He wanted to freeze that part of the tax.
Labour wanted to cancel disabled parking fees. They aimed to support food banks too. They planned to use reserve funds. The Green councillor abstained from voting. This applied to both budgets.
The Green councillor proposed higher parking fees. These would depend on land value. She wanted community funds for locals. Women and disabled residents would guide improvements. Ultimately, the budget passed. It had 22 votes for it. Seventeen voted against. There were three abstentions.