Message from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Paul Lorber

Putting young people and the environment first
 
Setting and agreeing a budget is never easy and considering the current recession the decision to raise council tax is difficult. I would like to take this opportunity to explain why we have taken the decision to increase the council tax and what this means for the 2009/10 budget. 
 
When coupled with the GLA element, the overall increase this year will be 1.9 per cent for Brent's residents, well below the rate of inflation. This means that the average Band D level will increase by just under 50p per week.

I am very aware of the financial challenges that families and businesses are facing and the economic situation has also had an impact on public services.
We faced a difficult decision this year - the council tax rise could have been lower. However, given the extra pressure children's services are facing, we decided to improve and invest in the child protection services we provide. The council is not just legally required to provide a certain level of service but, we feel, also morally compelled to provide a professional and well staffed team to work for children who are at risk of abuse or neglect.

We are simply not prepared to compromise the safety of Brent's children.

This increase will allow us to focus on our priorities of young people, safety and environmental sustainability. We will be investing:
 

• over £1 million extra in child protection
• £100,000 extra for libraries to buy new books, bringing our total spending on libraries to over £6 million
• £800,000 to develop sports facilities and positive activities for young people
• £500,000 to further drive the successful recycling campaign
• £90,000 to develop more 'Green Zones'
• £245,000 to cut the council's CO2 emissions.

Part of the increase is also down to one factor - the Government's Landfill Tax. In the coming year Brent will have to pay an extra £1.4 million to the West London Waste Authority, despite successfully increasing recycling rates in the borough.
 
We will continue to drive sustainability at Brent Council. It is our aim to massively reduce the council's impact on the environment. If we truly want to make a difference in the fight against climate change then we each must take responsibility for our own part and we must act now.

This Council cannot ask businesses and residents to change the way they live if it first does not change itself.  We must lead by example and have the courage to make changes for the better.

We are also making the Council more efficient. Across the Council we have instructed every department to investigate ways of improving the services we deliver. We must embrace new and innovative ways of working and delivering services. I am adamant that we will make changes wherever problems of inefficiency, poor performance or customer dissatisfaction are found.

Only through making this council more efficient and more sustainable can we guarantee the best quality services for our residents in the coming years. 

This is a sensible budget, an environmental budget and a budget that delivers.