| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Greenford council 'tip'. | |
| Posted by: | Simon Hayes | |
| Date/Time: | 09/02/24 15:53:00 |
| The Stirling Road site was on the long list of council assets that could be sold off, ostensibly to make up the shortfall for central government funding. I’m not defending the Tories lack of interest in providing sufficient resources for local authorities, but it did give plenty of local politicians a green light to flog off land to developers at very favourable rates. Many of these sites still remain undeveloped, as evidenced in West Ealing. There’s no doubt that Ealing mismanaged its finances under Julian Bell. He froze coucil tax for years as a vote buying ploy, but of course the chickens came home to roost eventually and bills have subsequently skyrocketed. People would have accepted a small percentage increase each year (it’s done with most things in life), but Bell’s mantra that it was a regressive tax ignored the fact that it is a large contributor to funding local services. The biggest mistake Bell made was exposing Ealing taxpayers to the risk of the £400m loan he sanctioned to fund the council’s development business Broadway Living. Ealing is in the top 25 most at risk local authorities for bankruptcy. Of course, the funding cuts didn’t stop the Ealing Labour councillors voting themselves a whopping increase in allowances after the last local election in 2022. Peter Mason pocketed a massive 70 percent increase in his allowance, taking around £70,000 a year. Would it not have been better to put this money back into services? This hasn’t improved engagement with residents not aligned to its policies but I’m sure they must think they are worth it. |