The Royal Borough of Greenwich's response to the Autumn Statement

We welcome the government's Autumn Statement during these difficult times, but this is just the start of meeting the support local councils need. 

No council is in a position where they can wait for the government to fix the economy, as the damage to local budgets across London cannot be undone in one announcement, so we will be looking inwards to see how we can invest and balance our budgets, with the money we do have, to fill the gaps in funding. This budget recognises that it is essential that action is taken now to allow local authorities to meet the growing demand for services and rising costs. 

Single-year funding allocation has been disastrous for councils; therefore, the introduction of longer-term settlements next year will positively and tangibly make an impact on our residents' lives.  

Poverty and the rising cost of living continues to affect thousands of our residents, so we welcome the tripled investment into breakfast clubs and £1billion into Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision, ensuring no child goes hungry and every child is able to reach their full potential. We are also delighted about the extension of the Household Support Fund, something we have lobbied passionately for so that we can continue to support our most vulnerable communities.  

We made it our mission to ensure people in Greenwich have access to a safe and secure home. Housing is a fundamental right, and everyone deserves a place to call home. Due to the undeniable housing crisis and the spiralling cost of temporary accommodation, it is putting immense pressure on our budget, mirroring challenges faced by councils nationwide.  

With the promise of £233million investment in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, we hope we will be able to reduce the strain of temporary accommodation costs on our budgets. The Autumn statement also pledged to reform planning to ensure that boroughs across London can build the affordable houses it so desperately needs, furthering our mission to get people into decent homes that meets their needs.  

Lobbying efforts to reduce Right to Buy discounts and enable councils to retain 100% of the proceeds have been heard loud and clear. This is a welcome boost and will allow us to reinvest in new homes and housing stock across Royal Greenwich.   

We are pleased to see the government’s commitment to supporting pensioners by protecting their financial security through raising state pensions. We are also encouraged by measures to better align Carer’s Allowance with the rising cost of living, ensuring carers receive an increase in benefits to help manage expenses. 

We agree that expanded capacity in primary and community care centres will relieve pressure on hospitals and improve access to services. The budget also backs our commitment to improving mental health services, reflected in our own £1.3million investment into pioneering new mental and wellbeing hubs for young people. 

As a council, we want to make sure our communities are supported, while adapting to navigate the increasing number of financial challenges we face. Thanks to some of the positive steps outlined in the Autumn Statement, the first to be delivered by a female chancellor, we can continue to undertake work on a local level to ensure we remain the well-managed council that we are.