Leading Lines
Croydon Council Leader Mike Fisher's Reflections
Mike Fisher's Leading Lines
Council Tax
I'm launching my commentary at this time because we've reached a critical stage in the annual budget-making and council tax setting process. The level of council tax affects the finances of every household in the borough. It also influences the level of services the council can afford to provide.
The headline news for 2008/09 is that council tax bills will go up by just 3.64 per cent in April - the lowest increase in six years. Croydon's element of the new bills will be rising by 3.99%, in line with our promise to residents not to increase bills by more than 4 per cent.
This is still higher than we'd like and the level of increase is entirely due to the inadequate level of funding the council receives from central government. We will receive an increase of just 2 per cent in 2008/09 - well below the rate of inflation and the lowest increase of any council in the country. I'm pleased to say, though, that all the extra money being raised through council tax will be used to improve services with more being spent on tackling crime, extending recycling facilities, and improving attainment and also attendance and behaviour at schools.
To deliver these improvements while keeping the increase in Band D council tax below £1 a week we have had to become much more efficient. Next year's budget contains a record level of efficiencies amounting to about 5 per cent of the council's budget. I hope you'll be pleased to know that:
- We're collecting more of the money we're owed. Council tax collection rate is now up to 96 per cent compared to 93.9 per cent three years ago.
- We're taking a tough approach to fraud - saving around £1.35 million.
- We're reduced staff sickness levels from an average of 8.7 days to 6.4 days, the lowest rate in London.
We're also planning to save a further £500,000 through streamlining the organisation.
Audit Commission Praise
I hope it won't be overlooked that by giving Croydon top marks for 'use of resources' the public spending watchdog, the Audit Commission, has placed Croydon alongside Wandsworth and Westminster as the most efficiently run councils in London. If we can be so effective with so little income from the Government just think how much more we could achieve if we achieved our goal of a fair deal.
We can be quietly satisfied that we have now got the council's finances on a firm footing with reserves back to a prudent level. However, it's worth repeating that if only we had received a fairer deal in terms of the support Croydon households get from Government then the council tax increase could have been much lower.
Beacon Council Award
Talking of scores, the Beacon Council judges almost had a Torvill and Dean moment when they came down to Croydon to assess our credentials for further acknowledgement of our partnership working. Six 'outstanding' 6s and just a single 'above average' 5.5 was almost a perfect rating with six as the highest possible score. Securing our 3rd beacon award in the last two years would be a fantastic result and a further indication that people who have an intimate knowledge of the business we are in consider we're doing a pretty reasonable job.
Parking Disappointment
Sometimes, things don't turn out as we would like. Let's be honest, failing to seal the car parking deal with APCOA was a big disappointment. We felt we were getting a very good deal for residents. It seems the company that won the tendering process thought it was too good a deal and wanted to renegotiate terms in a way that we couldn't agree - so the contract didn't get signed. What's important here is getting the right deal at the right price - not any price. So we'll be looking again at how best to provide this service to the highest level for users and at the best price for local council taxpayers.
South Norwood Pool
I was far from happy to learn that the pool had suffered two enforced closures. The failures in gas and disinfectant supplies, were untimely coincidences and, as any reasonable person would understand, were in no way related to the upgrading of the centre. Both issues were outside the council's direct control, but strong words have been spoken to the contractors, Fusion, about the availability of pool chemicals. While it would have been irresponsible to allow swimming in a pool didn't have its proper level of disinfectant, I was pretty annoyed that the stock situation meant the pool couldn't be used for a day. I don't expect this to happen again.
What has pleased me is the trend of increasing attendances. There is no doubt that the massively improved pool is proving popular with users. With proposals for new pools in New Addington, Waddon and Coulsdon, residents throughout the borough can look forward to an unprecedented level of investment in healthy enjoyment.
New Addington
A contract that has been signed is the one that commits Tesco to £80 million of improvements in New Addington. On the back of a much needed store and extra housing, the district is set to get an array of new amenities including a brand new pool, library, health centre, and community hall.
We'll be doing our best to make up for the temporary disruption to these facilities while construction on the project goes ahead - but we're aiming for an opening in 2010 so any inconvenience should be minimised. I've heard the complaints of some die hards in the Community Centre. I'm pleased people feel passionately about their community. But there needs to be some recognition that a project of this magnitude cannot go ahead without affecting the status quo.
I'm confident that when New Addington has a brand new centre, people will look back and wonder why there should have been any fuss. In the meantime I'm minded to dwell on the impossibility of making an omelette without cracking a couple of eggs.
Marston Way Fire
Given the devastation caused by the Christmas Night fire at Marston Way, it would be remiss of me not to express my sorrow to all those tenants and leaseholders directly affected and to thank all those who responded to such an unprecedented incident.
Attention has now switched to replacing the block of flats as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing. I am looking forward to finding out what happened so that any lessons can be learned and applied. In the short term all households should take steps to ensure matches are kept safely, cigarettes are extinguished properly, and electrical sockets are not overloaded. Having adequate contents insurance is not a bad idea either; the council is considering how it might go about introducing automatic coverage for tenants and oblige them to 'opt-out' if they don't want to pay for insurance. Such a step would prevent the trauma of losing everything - including any chance of replacing possessions through insurance.
And finally
Those of you who have read this far may now have a slightly wider impression of some of the matters that come to my notice as leader of the council. I could go on - but I hope that this is the start of a process to generate some interest and genuinely try to add to the council's overall efforts to communicate with residents - so I'll stop for now.
I would be interested in your views. But this is not one of those columns that is updated several times a day and aims to provoke and generate instant comments and feedback. Perhaps my first dabble in cyber space may eventually head that way. For now, though, I would prefer it to be what I said at the start, a periodic commentary on just a few of the things that have caught my attention in the Town Hall.
Thank you for letting me share some of my thoughts with you.
