Labour's tenant cash slash (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Labour's tenant cash slash

August 9, 2010 12:00 AM

Labour councillors failed to tell tenants about their plans to slash £3million housing funding.

Residents have been left in the dark over moves by the Labour-controlled council to slash funding for tenant and resident groups across the borough to spend on much needed improvements to their blocks and estates.

The former Liberal Democrat council allocated £4million for residents to use on entryphones, new lighting, improvements to play areas and paving repairs. But without any consultation with residents, Labour councillors have voted to cut this budget to just £500,000 each year. This works out at just £125,000 for each of the borough's four Area Housing Panels.

At the last meeting of the Upper Street Area Housing Panel, residents challenged their Labour councillors to come clean but they denied all knowledge. But the proposals were in the council budget agreed by Labour councillors on 27th July 2010.

Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, councillor Terry Stacy, said:

"Labour's clumsy cuts are a backward step for resident involvement. They failed to consult tenants and already Labour are showing a "we know best" attitude.

"Liberal Democrat councillors voted against Labour 's £7million cuts to services in Islington. But with nearly £3million slashed from children's services and now £3million snatched from tenants, is Labour getting its priorities right?

"Liberal Democrats proposed savings to cut costs rather than frontline services, such as pulping the council's resident magazine, sharing the council Chief Executive with another borough and developing other shared services. But Labour voted instead to cut tenant funding."