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Islington Labour is set to deliver the biggest council house building programme in a generation, thanks to a massive new investment in council homes.

Islington’s Labour-run council has announced details of the council budget for the coming year (2018-2019), with a commitment to continue to make a difference on Islington’s top priorities.

The budget includes £57 million of investment in new council homes, which will deliver 200 new council homes over the next year.

The proposals announced today also include scrapping Council Tax for all foster carers by charging people who leave homes empty double on their Council Tax.

A further £500,000 will be invested in targeted support for young people at risk of being drawn into crime, as part of a 4-year £2 million programme. The Council will also save money by switching all streetlamps in the borough to greener and more efficient versions. 

Significantly, the budget will also continue to protect all libraries, children’s centres and youth services for all.

The budget investment come despite continued cuts imposed by the Tory Government, which will mean that, by 2020, the Council will have lost 70 per cent of its central government funding in a decade. This year’s budget brings the total savings the Council has been forced to make to £226 million since 2010.

Cllr Richard Watts, Leader of Islington Council, commented: “We are committed to making a difference for working people in Islington and that’s why this year’s budget makes a massive investment in providing new council homes, prioritised for local people.

“We are determined to help make our borough a fairer place for all, and this budget will help us to do that by scrapping Council Tax for foster carers and investing in early help and support for young people at risk of being involved in crime.”

Cllr Andy Hull, Executive Member for Finance, added: “Once again the Tory Government has imposed more cuts on Islington, which will mean the Council has lost 70 per cent of its core funding in a decade. At the same time, the impact of Tory-austerity is putting more pressure on Council services like children’s social care, which I am proud this budget is protecting.”

This year’s budget will see a further £57 million invested in delivering new council homes, as we work towards building 500 new council homes between 2015 and 2019. The 200 new council homes that will be built this year will be the most built in Islington in a single year for over 30 years.

The final budget will be presented to the Full Council Meeting on 22nd February 2018.

Pictured – Councillors on the site of new council homes at Shearling Way, Holloway

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