Protecting and supporting children and young people and tackling the environmental crisis is at the heart of the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s new budget proposals for 2024 to 2025 *subject to approval.

If agreed, the Council will spend its budget on opening eight new mental health hubs that will give children in primary and secondary schools across the borough a safe space to go.

Supporting children and reducing health inequalities are some of the top priorities set out in Our Greenwich, the Council’s corporate plan for the next four years. To work towards these goals, the Council is also proposing an increase in the number of School Streets, to help tackle air pollution and make it easier and cleaner to travel.

Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “Our proposed budget for the next financial year will protect front line services and our most vulnerable residents, who are still battling the ongoing cost of living and homelessness crises.

“We will continue to fight for fair funding through our campaigns to save cost of living support, and we’re delivering to ensure our residents can live happier, longer and more fulfilling lives.

“Local councils across London are all faced with the same impossible decisions, with some even facing effective bankruptcy. Due to relentless government cuts we have been forced to review all our services, but it is our promise to deliver greater value for money without compromising our vision or values. We must act now to close the gap created by government and balance our books.”

Key proposals included in the Council’s draft Budget for 2024 to 2025 are:

Protecting and supporting children and young people and tackling the environmental crisis is at the heart of the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s new budget proposals for 2024 to 2025 *subject to approval.

If agreed, the Council will spend its budget on opening eight new mental health hubs that will give children in primary and secondary schools across the borough a safe space to go.

Supporting children and reducing health inequalities are some of the top priorities set out in Our Greenwich, the Council’s corporate plan for the next four years. To work towards these goals, the Council is also proposing an increase in the number of School Streets, to help tackle air pollution and make it easier and cleaner to travel.

Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “Our proposed budget for the next financial year will protect front line services and our most vulnerable residents, who are still battling the ongoing cost of living and homelessness crises.

“We will continue to fight for fair funding through our campaigns to save cost of living support, and we’re delivering to ensure our residents can live happier, longer and more fulfilling lives.

“Local councils across London are all faced with the same impossible decisions, with some even facing effective bankruptcy.

“Due to relentless government cuts we have been forced to review all our services, but it is our promise to deliver greater value for money without compromising our vision or values. We must act now to close the gap created by government and balance our books.”

Key proposals included in the Council’s draft Budget for 2024 to 2025 are:

Opening eight new mental health hubs for our schools, to support children’s development and mental wellbeing
Starting a green investment scheme, allowing residents to invest in projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions and improving communities
Investing £7.6m into our Sustainable Transport Fund to make it easier and cleaner to move around the borough
Tackling food poverty by funding local organisations to support families and communities experiencing food poverty
Helping adults in our care live independently by investing in new technology
Building our network of foster families and supporting children in care by keeping them safely within other family members
Combating rogue landlords by asking the Secretary of State to allow us to implement tougher licensing
Clamping down on empty homes – Council Tax will double for long-term empty properties, with stricter premiums if they stay empty.
Taxing second homes – this means individuals with second homes would a 100% premium – double council tax for the year starting in 2025/2026.
Supporting Council Tenants with £180,000 investment into our Hardship Fund
Protecting frontline services with new channels and better accessibility
While the Council works to finalise the budget for the year ahead, we need you to join our campaign to stop the government from scrapping vital funding used to support people with the cost of living crisis.

Let’s save the #SaveTheHouseholdSupportFund – sign our petition: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/cost-of-living-funding