The future of Seven Kings Business Partnership is hanging in the balance after Redbridge Council confirmed last month it would no longer supply help.

Chairman Satdev Kumar, who works at Hanson Estates in High Road, Seven Kings, said it was too early to decide the fate of the partnership. “We’ve achieved a lot over the past two years, but without the help we got with funding from Redbridge Council, who gave us assistance through a contracted helper who organised meetings and paper work, I don’t think the work load will be realistic for us to continue full steam.” He said it was possible the partnership would continue in a reduced capacity.

“We can’t do what the contracted staff did because all of us work full time.

“But we are meeting at the beginning of May to talk over our options.” He added a lot had been achieved in the two years since the business partnerships had been started by the council.

“We started putting up the Seven Kings Christmas tree in 2009, which was our first year, and we hope to be able to continue giving this to the shoppers and residents of Seven Kings because it cheers the area up so much,” he added.

A Redbridge Council spokesman said: “Business partnerships in the borough have now been running for such a time that they are sufficiently mature and knowledgeable not to rely upon this support in the future.”

There are seven business partnerships across Redbridge, two of which – Hainault and Barkingside, have announced they will close following the council’s announcement.