Tonight (Wednesday 28th February) Councillors across Havering will meet to decide the council's priorities for spending. The Havering Conservative group have worked with the East Havering Residents Group to bring proposals that will work for the WHOLE of Havering.
The Conservatives and the East Havering Residents Group are proposing that:
That the planned feasibility work on the Romford masterplan is stopped which would release a reserve of £0.200m which could be re-directed.
That the following amendments are made to the Capital Programme for 2024/25:
- Deferral of the £2.934m Capital budget for Hornchurch Police Station to 2025/26
- Deletion of the £1.000m Capital budget for the Romford Ring Road
These two items would reduce the financing costs of the Capital programme in 2024/25 by £0.098m
It is recognised that the Romford ring road budget is funded by CIL so it is proposed to redirect the released CIL to fund Highways schemes currently funded by borrowing thereby releasing the financing saving.
It is also proposed to increase the target of houses to be purchased within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) by 10 in order to help manage the general fund temporary accommodation pressure.
This would reduce the budget pressure set aside for temporary accommodation by £0.150m in 2024/25.
This will release £0.448m of revenue budget for 2024/25 and it is proposed to use this to reverse the following savings proposals:
- Place 13 - Cease Trading on Sunday at Romford Market (0.125m)
- Place 13 - Increase Market stall fees by 10% (0.030m)
- Reduce pitch fees on Romford Market by 15% (0.045m)
- Freeze pitch fees for football pitches (0.007m)
- Place 9 - Freeze cost of residents permits (0.040m)
- Reverse Home to school transport saving (0.200m)
It is recognised that reversing the Home to School transport saving will have an impact rising to £1.3m by 2026/27 and that utilising the feasibility reserve is for one year only. It is proposed that the ongoing pressure is offset by purchasing further homes and modular units which will be ready from 2025/26 onwards and will therefore reduce the ongoing temporary accommodation pressure built into the budget.
You can see proposals by all groups on Havering Council by following this link: www.democracy.havering.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=34023#mgDocuments
