Well of course we would like help from central government in any form, but it is most likely to happen.In the end it is down to the council to decide how we are using what resources we have to provide the services we choose to. In the 7 1/2 years I've been a councillor we have not closed any services, though we have cut financial support to some services. It seems likely that we will have to make some new difficult choices and we will do that over the next weeks.Hounslow have relatively healthy funds in reserve provisions etc because we resist the opposition saying every year we should spend it. I would hate to be looking at the future if we'd done that, Having reasonable reserves will enable our choices to be less painful than most. Some councils will likely go bust or make draconian cuts in services, or both.We started this year with all the Lampton companies budget to reach break even this year and we are confident of achieving that in most of the companies. But Leisure, rather already being rescued after the Pandemic and management by an external provider, is in a particularly vulnerable sector due to enormous inflation affecting energy costs in particular, Also, our customers are also being affected by the living cost disaster so many not prioritising leisure centre visits, preferring to eat or warm their homes.Accounting is sometimes an ass. Bear in mind we have about 400+ houses, bought over the last few years at a few percent below what the going cost for houses and flats across Hounslow. I can't prove it but my guess on 400 dwellings which we have improved on purchasing (some were dire) have gone up in value during our ownership, but we can only recognise this under very strict conditions in our accounts. Meanwhile the council has saved the money we once spent supporting 400+ families in expensive and often inadequate temporary homes. The Government (no surprise) LHA rates - what they use to settle benefit rates for those that need it (most people in social housing) will continued to be frozen from before the pandemic, at a time when private rents are soaring. Flat LHA means flat income in most cases for Lampton. Fortunately our funding costs are also fixed so we will not make losses but rents will diverge even further from market rents.Actually, there are a number of places where I think Lampton companies will make a bit more surplus than we are currently saying so, mainly because there are still scary risks out there.I agree should do more to publicise, directly and via Hounslow Matters etc. I am pressing them to do that soon.
Guy Lambert ● 860d