Cuts will be made to the SEND taxi budget and investment planned for housing
The conscientious green waste collection fee – which was ruled out by the Conservatives in the 2022 election – is to increase a further 10 per cent. (Image: inyourArea)
A West London council is to make £21 million in cuts and savings and increase rent and service charges for council tenants in this year’s budget. Increases to fees and charges are an attempt to avoid needing to make deeper service cuts.
Hillingdon Council stares down the barrel of bankruptcy as it awaits a decision from the government on a potential bailout – something that they require to avert the crisis of a Section 114 Notice. With the council in such a tight fiscal spot, tax and rent is being raised and cuts and savings are being made to steady the finances.
Anyone living in a council home in Hillingdon will experience a rent increase of 4.8 per cent from April 1, and tenant service charges will increase by 3.8 per cent. This is alongside the already announced 4.99 per cent increase in council tax – the highest amount a council can legally increase it.
There will also be an increase to fees and charges for local residents, with most fees increasing by ten per cent. The council also expects to generate £1.23 million from changes to parking tariffs across the borough.
At Ruislip Lido, Willow Lawn, and Breakspear Crematorium overflow car parks, a £3.80 parking charge has been introduced for up to 3 hours between September and April. Residents will also lose the “Multiple Daily Free HFC Parking Sessions” for residents with a Hillingdon First Card, meaning residents will have to pay to park more often.
The conscientious green waste collection fee – which was ruled out by the Conservatives in the 2022 election – is to increase a further 10 per cent. This will bring it up from £70 per month to £77 per month.
With the new HMO licensing rules agreed by Cabinet on Thursday, February 19, landlords will face additional fees for HMOs of £1,401. However, the renewal fee for a HMO licence is being reduced from £1,577 to £725.
Hillingdon Civic Centre(Image: Philip James Lynch/LDRS)
The biggest single saving is a plan to allocate 400 council homes to households currently living in expensive Bed & Breakfasts. This will save the council £2.76 million.
Hillingdon Council will also target several specific changes to the costs of transporting children and adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Instead of the council commissioning expensive private taxis or minibuses, they will offer individuals a “Personal Transport Budget.”
This is expected to be significantly more cost effective for the council, saving £387,000. This will only affect individuals over the age of 16.
The council’s equality impact assessments acknowledge that the budget proposals – specifically the increase in costs and the ongoing shift to digital services – will negatively impact older residents, disabled adults and women. To mitigate this, the council plans to provide extra support to help residents adapt to digital technology, and will invest in preventative, early intervention support through the third sector.
There will also be huge investment into the council’s housing stock, with over £194.5 million invested over five years in a programme to renew people’s kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, windows and boilers. An extra £34.9 million has been set aside to improve the energy efficiency of council homes and tackle fuel poverty for tenants.
The Burroughs Care Home scheme will receive a further £20 million investment over the next two years. The budget also funds a £2 million boost for highways, £462,000 fir work in the Beck Theatre, and £50,000 for parking service improvements.
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