Published: Friday 13 November 2020
The recovery from the Covid19 pandemic and ongoing recovery from the Grenfell tragedy will remain priorities for Kensington and Chelsea, as the Council consults on next year’s budget.
Residents can have their say on budget proposals from today (13 November) in an online survey until 21 January 2021.
The Grenfell Recovery Fund is protected to support the bereaved, survivors, residents and the wider community, with £50m promised over five years until 2023/24.
An extra £8m has been set aside to help communities recover from the long-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, Leader of the Council, said:
“We were always going to need to make savings this year and coronavirus put extra pressure on our budget.
“Grenfell recovery is always our top priority and we have protected our £50m Grenfell Recovery Fund so we can continue to support communities.
“We have stood with our communities during the pandemic to make sure our unique borough bounces back and we will continue to do just that into next year. We will be investing in things that matter to our residents: new homes, better council housing, excellent education and well maintained streets.”
The Council is preparing for financial pressures of £45.9, with £10m in savings to be made. Savings will come from different areas, including changes to Council staffing structures, a new waste a street cleaning contract and the introduction of cashless parking.
Cllr Mary Weale, Lead Member for Finance, said:
“Extra spending has been necessary this year to support vulnerable residents, back local businesses, provide PPE and make changes to our roads to help social distancing.
“That was the right thing to do but it has meant a £36m funding gap. We have a duty to balance the budget, which means we need to find £10m in savings next year and these proposals intend to do that without compromising vital services. Now we want to hear residents’ views before we make a decision in February.”
The Government has provided £16.3m to date and further funding is expected to help contribute to the total £36m funding gap as a result of the pandemic. The rest will be met through the Council’s reserves and contingency provisions.
A cash injection of £66.4m will be made in capital projects in building new homes, investing in Council housing, supporting education and improving infrastructure and connectivity.
Read the full plans and respond to the consultation on the Council’s website.