We Stuck to our Pledge to Cut the Council Tax

Council Press Release - Council tax cut is a little extra help for residents in difficult times

Tue, 29 January 2013

Hounslow Council has announced it intends to cut council tax in 2013/14 by half a per cent, following a six-year freeze.
Hounslow is the only outer-London borough to announce a proposed cut in council tax, which Council Leader Jagdish Sharma has said will provide a little extra help to make ends meet for hard-pressed residents.

The borough also proposes to invest over £2 million in services, on top of the extra £2 million invested in 2012/13 in services such as child protection (£250,000) and improving Hounslow town centre.
The investment is balanced by a commitment to save £12.5 million in the next financial year through working more efficiently through new contracts, partnership working and a continued war on waste.
The council has over-delivered on its savings targets by £500,000, which enables the reduction of half a per cent off council tax bills.
For a band D household, the decrease is worth £5.45 a year (£9.17 including  the GLA’s proposed  decrease).
When the council tax freeze over the past six years is taken into account, and inflation is added into the equation, Hounslow residents are over £200 better off.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Jagdish Sharma, said every little extra piece of help would be important for those on low incomes.
He said: "This proposal is a small but welcome boost to individuals and families.
"We have managed to keep our pledge to reduce council tax by working hard to reduce our costs and be more efficient – but we are also protecting front-line services.
"Local government finances remain extremely uncertain but we are the highest performing part of the public sector – I hope that the government gets its own house in order before it takes any more money from efficient local authorities."
The council’s proposals for the coming financial year include savings of £12.5 million alongside investment plans.
Cllr Colin Ellar, the council’s deputy leader, highlighted the fact that while many councils were cutting and reducing, Hounslow was continuing to invest.
He said: "We are already putting investment where it is needed most, in services like child protection and also in securing the future of and improving important local amenities like Hounslow and Brentford Town Centre and Feltham Arenas.
"New contracts like Hounslow Highways will deliver better services and a better borough. Our libraries and leisure centres are safe from the axe.
"But the challenges remain – huge pressures on social housing, the impacts of welfare reform, and keeping our local economy as buoyant as possible."
Hounslow’s 2013/14 budget will be set at the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday 26 February.

Brentford Football Club on the Move

Brentford is acknowledged as being one of the friendliest league clubs, and Griffin Park as a ground with a real family atmosphere.  For the community immediately around the ground, the club is seen a wonderful community asset.  The irritation of not being able to park easily on match days is outweighed by the buzz of welcoming home and away supporters to the area - even for those of us who are not football fans and seldom attend a match.  Living on a road that takes people from the station to the stadium, we've never had trouble, and of course local shops pubs and restaurants benefit from the regular extra trade. 

But the club cannot stay - the ground is so tightly squeezed into its site that there is no space for decent catering outlets for the fans, let alone the conference and other income-generating space that a league club needs to keep its head above water financially.  We have known for years that they needed to move to a modern stadium and the Council, led by local Councillors, has been determined that the club stays local if at all possible.  The club secured a stake in the triangular site on Lionel Road, between the A4 and Kew Bridge Station, some years ago - but are only now in a position to move forward on a development scheme.  It's currently a mix of uses including a waste transfer station.

Their initial plans - not yet submitted as a planning application, are now available.  You can see them on-line at www.brenfordcommunitystadium.com - or visit the exhibition at Griffin Park (Braemar Road entrance) on the 17th 18th and 19th January (more details below).  Their intention is to provide, not only a home for the club and maybe a rugby team, but also a home for the Community Sports Trust which delivers so many activities for young people across west London.  There will of course have to be "enabling" development  which is needed to pay for the cost of a new 20,000 seater stadium.

People have asked me what is happening to Griffin Park.  The club already have planning permission (the application number is p/2012/0026) to redevelop the site for housing and public open space - and this will help fund the new development. 

Many in Brentford will be sad to see the club move from Griffin Park, right in the heart of the community - but we know that if it's to survive, it has to move to a modern stadium. If it can do this on the edge of the town, that will be the best thing for the survival of our local club.

The Pre-Planning Submission Consultation Exhibition, where the plans will be on show and members of the development team on hand to discuss the plans and answer local residents’ questions will be taking place at the following times and dates, all at Griffin Park, (Braemar Road entrance)   Thursday 17th January, 5:30pm - 8:30pm;  Friday 18th, 1 - 5pm

    Saturday 19th, 9:30am - 12noon