Waltham Forest Council will keep facing tough choices about its money, council leader Paul Perkins told councillors this week.
Speaking at the full council meeting on Thursday 22 October, Cllr Perkins, who leads the Green administration, said the council would be "honest" about its choices. But he said it "won't pretend those choices are all fair, or stop arguing that they should not be necessary".
A review of the council's finances
Waltham Forest is one of several London councils receiving "exceptional financial support". In its case, this is a £16 million loan from central government.
Cllr Perkins said the council has brought in "experienced" local government advisers to review its finances and advise on getting it back on a "firm financial footing".
"Early findings raise questions about the best use of council funds, how quick we've been to recognise the full scale of financial challenges in recent years, and how much complaints are costing," he said.
"We're also reviewing contracts to establish how well they're performing, how they can deliver better for residents and also how they can reflect our own values.
"Making the right decisions for the long-term means fronting up to difficult choices."
Edinburgh Primary School
As an example, he pointed to the council's recently launched consultation on the future of Edinburgh Primary School, which is running at below 20% of its capacity.
No decision has been made yet. Cllr Perkins said the council would put the views of the people affected first. He added: "We have to ask though, how has it been left so late?"
Roads and fly-tipping
Since taking control of the town hall, the Green administration has also focused on road maintenance and fly-tipping. Cllr Perkins said about eight kilometres of road will be resurfaced this financial year, and the highways budget will rise by about £12 million.
In the same speech, he said he was proud that the Greens' first official motion passed in the chamber was a commitment to supporting trans rights.
He also repeated the council's opposition to Home Office immigration raids, saying council resources would not be "put to work making people afraid". A Home Office spokesperson has previously said the department "made no apology" for "fighting criminals who fuel immigration crime".
