London Councils have described their confirmed grant settlement as ‘disastrous'. Many of the London boroughs, alongside London Councils, had lobbied ministers for changes to the settlement, highlighting the impact on local services and communities across the capital. Chairman of London Councils, Cllr Merrick Cockell, said failure to change the settlement would have disastrous consequences. ‘The grant floor is substantially below the level of inflation,' he said. ‘London's complex problems arising from ongoing population growth and mobility, social care needs, and waste disposal costs have been totally ignored by ministers. ‘Unless the Government increases the minimum level of funding to a more realistic level, the capital's boroughs will struggle to provide adequate or appropriate services for Londoners for at least the next three years.' From 2008-09, 29 boroughs will be on the grant ‘floor', receiving the minimum increase in grant. For the following two years, 24 boroughs will remain on the grant floor. New analysis has shown that if current trends continue, 15 London boroughs will be on the grant floor for the next 10 years.
