London,
09
March
2008
|
23:00
Europe/London

Frozen Council Tax and further services investment: Hackney s 2008/09 Budget

Investment in a whole range of services, for residents of all ages, has been laid out in the Mayor’s spending plans for the coming financial year.

This is being done without increasing Hackney’s part of Council Tax bills.

In this year’s budget, which comes into effect from April, schools are set to receive £157.6million, an increase of 7.2 per cent on last year.

There will also be money for extra youth activities on more of the borough’s
estates.

This will provide two additional youth sessions a week in a further five estates.

This is on top of a £1.6million increase in youth services funding over the past three years.

A total of £395,000 has been set aside to double the number of graffiti-busting teams, boost fly-poster removal services, and increase the number of street cleaners.

They will be focused on town centre areas and sweeping up to 200 of the borough’s roads more regularly.

A further £1million is being earmarked to provide care for adults with learning disabilities, and £528,000 to support families with a child with a disability.

A half million will go towards helping fostering and adoption services.

Mayor Jules Pipe said: “This is the third year in a row we have frozen Hackney’s element of the Council Tax, and the sixth year without any cuts to frontline services – instead we have again expanded services.

“This year we are again investing in the services that residents tell us are the most important, including engaging more young people through youth activities, extra funding to tackle graffiti and fly- posting, and increasing the frequency of street cleaning in our town centres.

“We are also putting additional money into services that help support and care for those in our community who need it most, such as disabled children and foster families.”

Residents will see the Band D Council Tax rate going up by approximately 11p a week, following a rise in the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) part of the tax.

London-wide services such as the Metropolitan Police, public transport, and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are paid for by the GLA’s share of the Council Tax.