Councillor David Dean’s letter of January 13 is nonsense from start to finish. The council’s budget documents actually show general fund reserves usable for contingencies, of less than £19m not £115m.
The council has a current overspend of £5m, mainly because some of last year's savings necessitated by reduced Government grant have been so difficult to deliver. That will leave us with less than £14m, which will be an absolute minimum acceptable level given the council's responsibility for hundreds of millions expenditure. The other money in the council’s accounts is earmarked for specific purposes like school's expansion, apprenticeships and community care.
The council has received external funding for a small ‘wheeled bin’ pilot in Mitcham. There are no plans to roll out wheeled bins to the rest of the borough and given our financial position, we could not afford to do so if we wanted to.
Parks maintenance is not to be managed by the South London Waste Partnership and Coun Dean has been told so repeatedly. He also opposes the fact that Merton Council has received money from TfL for a cycle scheme in Wimbledon town centre and lobbied against the borough’s application despite the Conservative group and MP having signed to support it. It cannot fairly be described simply as a ‘bus lane’ and the money could not be spent on social care budgets as claimed, because it will be provided for a specific purpose. The intention is to make cycling as safe and convenient as the Netherlands. It will be designed over the next year in close consultation with residents and businesses and we are looking at different options.
The car park next to the theatre was put on the disposals list by the last Conservative administration and will be sold for a development that will make a positive contribution to The Broadway. Surveys have shown that there is substantial spare car parking capacity in Wimbledon at all times. The money from the sale will help the council’s financial position: not hinder it.
Councillor Andrew Judge
Cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration
- Send your letters to: letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk
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