The last two years have presented us all with challenges and, for some, it has been incredibly difficult just to get by. While there is optimistic news of COVID cases slowly falling, it is clear that other challenges, compounded by the pandemic, now face us, including the unprecedented increase in fuel prices that we are seeing across the globe. For some consumers, this will lead to rises in excess of 50% or more in the coming months.
I believe that for most, our shared experience of COVID has recentred our attention on what is important to us – most immediately, our loved ones, but also what we can do as individuals and communities to assist those who need a helping hand. That is why we at Wandsworth LBC have further supported voluntary sector and community initiatives and sought to help small businesses where we can with advice and financial assistance. We have also strengthened our support through our public health and social services programme.
We are well-known for having one of the lowest council taxes in the country while still delivering excellent services. Low council tax is a benefit to all residents, but this is only possible by diligent financial management, meaning that we remain in a strong position to protect and improve our key services.
A similar approach has been taken in respect to the management of our housing resources, including our 17,000 tenanted and 16,000 leasehold properties. Our fiscal management has meant that we have been able to maintain all our stock to the decent homes standard for the last 15 years, deliver a Decent Homes Plus programme of works and support our Hidden Homes programme of council build over the same period.
Our recent Housing and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee was proud to put forward a recommendation to freeze rents for council tenants for the forthcoming year and welcomed unanimous support for the proposal.
In addition, we also gained support to continue freezing fuel charges and to use credits held in our heating and hot water account to help our residents with costs for the second year running. So, once again, both tenants and leaseholders will be paying nothing for their fuel charges.
As a result of prudent financial management over a long period of time, we are able to offer some relief to over 3,000 households that rely on the council for their heating and hot water fuel and around 17,000 council tenants through the rent freeze for 2022-23.
We have a track record for cutting energy bills for our tenants and leaseholders. In 2021, the council assisted residents by applying credits to heating and hot water accounts equivalent to the weekly fuel charge. In 2020, the council cut bills for homes on estates served by communal heating and hot water systems on average by a further 30% following reductions in the preceding years.
Our ability to purchase gas supplies in advance at very competitive rates is a key factor in being able to offer this freeze.
However, the fix that must be found in the coming years for fuel charges is much more challenging. The buying power and influence of local authorities collectively should not be underestimated in negotiating price and crucially we should not lose our focus and commitment to invest to meet our objectives and goals for carbon reduction including for social housing stock. This is an investment in retrofitting existing stock that we are well placed to make.
As a council, we are still committed to build 1,000 new council homes by 2027 through our Housing for All programme and working with our residents to take forward plans to regenerate our Alton and Winstanley and York Road estates.
Providing decent homes for all, advancing our plans to retrofit our social housing stock, developing new council homes and prudent fiscal management all play a part in reducing the financial burden for Wandsworth citizens.
Wandsworth LBC is an ambitious and resourceful authority, but we have never lost sight of the most important thing to us – our residents and the communities we serve. That is why we seek to do everything we can, especially in difficult times, to protect and support them.
Cllr Ravi Govindia is leader of Wandsworth LBC
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