The rising number of people moving in and around the capital is costing borough councils more than £100m a year, according to London Councils. Research by the London School of Economics has revealed the large number of people moving in and out of the capital has not been factored into government funding for local authorities. ‘It is essential that the Government supports London boroughs with these additional costs,' said London Councils' chairman, Merrick Cockell. ‘Without this help, boroughs will struggle to maintain the quality of existing services and provide vital services for new residents when they arrive in London.' Report co-author, Tony Travers, said: ‘Migration provides a major benefit to London's economy. However, the arrival of large numbers of people to the city in a short period, coupled with the mobility with which people can move from borough to borough, has pushed up the cost of some services. ‘Costs which affect London disproportionately from the rest of the country include high costs of temporary accommodation, electoral registration, council tax administration and greater need for language provision. ‘There are also social cohesion-management issues which need to be addressed,' he said. Last month, Westminster City Council leader, Sir Simon Milton, called for more money to deal with the influx of nationals from European Union countries.
