Barnet’s budget gap will not be confirmed until after the financial settlement from the Government is received in late December….reports Asian Lite News
Barnet’s residents are being asked to share their views on the council’s future spending plans, including proposals for saving costs and increasing income to close next year’s forecast budget shortfall.
As reported to December’s Cabinet meeting last week (5 December), the council is considering options to achieve financial stability while it contends with a ‘perfect storm’ that has unleashed a projected £52 million funding gap for financial year 2025-26.
Barnet’s budget gap will not be confirmed until after the financial settlement from the Government is received in late December. For the purposes of the budget consultation, we are assuming a budget gap of £52m after savings proposals are delivered but this would be reduced further if the council achieves the maximum uplift from the Government’s financial settlement.
Residents can have their say on proposals to increase income through fees and charges, and for a 4.98% increase in Council Tax for April 2025. Further actions in the council’s plan include proposals for restructuring or reducing some frontline services, while protecting statutory and essential services.
The Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Barry Rawlings, said, “We want to hear from all residents on our spending plans and budget savings proposals for the next year. We want to minimise the impact of any changes to services on the quality of life of our residents, which is why we need their views on what they think we need to prioritise. We are facing tough decisions. We are a well-run council and run a tight ship, but like other councils we find ourselves caught in the perfect storm caused by the legacy of decades of austerity funding cuts that have more than halved our budget, increasing demand for complex services and a financial climate that is driving up the cost of providing them.”
“It will mean reducing some services and delaying some projects. Some of the fees and charges levied for extra services are also likely to increase. We’re faced with extremely difficult choices, and we want to carefully weigh up all options in consultation with residents.”
Cabinet Members and council officers have been working to address and contain the unprecedented pressures on the council’s finances, driven by conditions beyond the council’s control. These include:
A 50 per cent reduction in central government funding since 2010
A rapid increase in residents requesting emergency temporary accommodation and the increase in costs of providing such accommodation
An exponential increase in demand and costs for children’s and adults’ social care
These pressures are driving the council’s finances to breaking point.
Measures to take on the crisis have already been put in place such as cutting back-office functions and freezing non-essential services, while protecting sensitive frontline services to vulnerable residents and universal provision such as road maintenance.
Hendon Hub scheme put on hold ‘indefinitely’
Meanwhile, the Council has received planning approval for Hendon Hub – the proposed multi-million-pound redevelopment of The Burroughs, the historical area of Hendon.
However, this is simply a statutory notice that concludes the formal legal process, and the council has put the scheme on hold indefinitely. This week (beginning December 9) residents and other contributors to last year’s public consultation on the Hendon Hub proposals have been notified that planning approval has been granted for the original plans.
In line with the decision previously taken by the council none of the plans will be acted upon and this is simply a statutory notice, that legally must be sent out.
Barnet Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes and Regeneration, Cllr Ross Houston, said, “We engaged with Middlesex University, the local community and residents in Hendon. A decision has now been made to halt the scheme indefinitely. As the original proposals were made at a Planning Committee meeting prior to the change in administration, a set of statutory actions were set in motion with the Local Planning Authority, and this notice is one part of that. However, I can assure all residents that none of the current proposals will be acted upon. Any plans in the future would only happen following prior engagement with residents and the local community.”
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