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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
New Year message from Serge Lourie
December 31, 2008 12:34 PM
• "2008 HAS seen some truly seismic and unprecedented financial events. Virtually no individual or organisation is immune from the effects of the global economic downturn and local authorities are no different.
In common with other councils, as the credit crunch bites, we are being squeezed from all sides. Revenue from activities such as parking, planning and building control is down while, at the same time, we are anticipating increases in demands for many for our services including schools as more families opt for state provision over the private sector. In Richmond upon Thames, the challenge will be particularly acute. Traditionally we get a very bad deal from the government when it comes to funding and this year was no exception. In fact, we have just been given the worst grant settlement for many years. We therefore have to balance our books while protecting essential services. The council and our partners face a number of difficult challenges.
I am clear that the council has an important role in helping local people and communities survive the credit crunch. At the end of 2008, we published a 9-point plan to combat the economic downturn and on 21 January we are holding a summit for local businesses to discuss how we can best work together in the months ahead.
People across the borough are being forced to tighten their belts and your council will be no different. We are already the lowest spending council in London and recognised as one of the most efficient. But we are not resting on any laurels. In 2009 we will improve our efficiency still further and hope again to be given the maximum score of four out of four by the Audit Commission when they report on councils' efficiency later in February. We do this to ensure that we can continue to deliver efficient services in the way that we promised we would for local people.
We remain the safest borough in London and intend to keep it that way. We continue to work closely with the police and our local community while at the same time investing in projects like the Safer Neighbourhood Team office that we are due to open in Barnes at Lowther School in September.
This year will see us continue to transform the way we deliver services to older people. Our programme of Self Directed Support is enabling people to have far greater choice about the care they receive and how they receive it allowing them to stay in their own homes and enjoy greater independence.
Despite the economic challenges, we will not forget our pledge to put the environment at the heart of everything we do. In fact, in hard times it is more important that we do things in a more sustainable way. This year will see a number of new initiatives with partners to continue to reduce the Borough's carbon footprint.
2009 is going to be a challenging year. We are clear about our priorities and equally clear that we will only achieve them by working closely with our partners such as the police, health service, voluntary sector, businesses and local residents. We are fortunate to have extremely strong partnerships in the borough. I look forward to working with partners to make 2009 a good year for everyone who lives and works in, or visits Richmond upon Thames."
Serge Lourie, Leader, LB Richmond upon Thames
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