Local Weather

Partly Cloudy

Partly Cloudy

max temp: 20°C

min temp: 8°C

Five-day forecast

Redbridge Council’s budget approved during heated meeting

Friday, March 1, 2013
9:33 AM

The council’s 2013/14 budget was approved during a heated meeting last night in Redbridge Town Hall.

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

Councillors gathered to finalise and approve the budget detailing spending and cuts over the next financial year.

The Labour group – the opposition party – was criticised for not proposing amendments to the budget.

Instead, 21 Labour councillors abstained from the vote to approve the revenue budget.

But support from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats – who run the council as part of a coalition – was enough to see it and other parts of the budget through.

Defending the abstentions, Labour deputy leader Cllr Wes Streeting said is was hard to vote for something tabled in a “hugely complimentary and self congratulatory way”.

His party leader Cllr Jas Athwal earlier warned of “storm clouds” brewing after the 2014 election and urged the leadership to “think beyond” 2014.

But Conservative Cllr Nick Hayes, addressing Labour’s decision not to propose any budget amendments, said: “Yet again they have nothing to say and nothing to contribute”.

Budget proposals approved include increased charges for some parking in the borough and a merger of social work teams.

Council tax will be frozen for the fourth consecutive year.

Share this article

0 comments

   Local advertisers

More news articles

Image
Click here to read the Digital Edition of the Ilford Recorder on screen
Use our Wedding site to help you plan your big day!
At WeddingSite we know how much you have to organise for your wedding day, that's why we have designed a set of FREE, simple-to-use tools to make the planning process easy & hassle-free. FIND OUT MORE
Find a date using our online dating and friend finder
You can meet new friends, find romance or simply meet up online with people sharing similar interests and hobbies. FIND OUT MORE
Find a local business using our online directory search
Need a plumber? Or a florist? Or anything else? Search our business directory to find Ilford businesses in just a few seconds. FIND OUT MORE
Family notices from the Ilford Recorder, with readers' tributes
In memoriam, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, best wishes & special days. FIND OUT MORE

Celebrity / Showbiz See all

Actress Kate Winslet and Clive Anderson (left) co-host a fund raising dinner for the charity Cardboard Citizens at the Drapers Hall in the City of London. Picture: Sean Dempsey/PA Wire

Kate Winslet hosts fundraiser for homeless charity

A-lister Kate Winslet ramped up the glitz and glam to address the “heartbreaking” situation of youngsters living rough.

Read full story »