You can now have your say on how as a council we plan to spend our money next year, the services we will invest in and the proposed level of Council Tax.
In Harrow we are heavily reliant on Council Tax – almost 80% of our day-to-day budget is funded by you in this way. We estimate this year (2024/25) it will cost us £203m to deliver public services.
Some services are essential – these are services we must legally provide. This includes supporting vulnerable adults and children with complex needs and disabilities to live better lives and providing temporary accommodation to families and people in need.
Other services are important to restore pride in Harrow - the things you tell us are important to you and make the biggest difference to your safety and quality of life, and the local economy. Things like cleaning streets, fining the fly-tippers, fixing roads, days and nights of action and one hour free parking. In 2024/25 we:
- Filled more than 1,200 potholes this year having invested £16million in road and resurfacing over the last two years.
- Issued more than 1,100 fines to illegal dumpers this year and have recently upped the maximum fine to £1,000 having invested £270,000 in street cleaning and Fly-tipping enforcement.
- Targeted anti-social behaviour hotspots across Harrow with 6 days and nights of action, working with the Metropolitan Police and partners.
- Saw a significant rise in the number of residents shopping locally, with more than 6 million free parking hours used since 2023.
Cllr David Ashton, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Highways, said:
“Like councils across London and the country we are facing rapidly rising demand for services. Continued high inflation has made it more expensive to deliver these services. These two pressures together mean that what we expect to spend over the next three years will be £8.7 million greater than the council’s likely income.
“The draft budget for next year (2025/26) has been put together to ensure every pound is spent on delivering services that matter most to our residents, services that put residents first, deliver a clean and safe borough and support those in need. We would now like your views on these proposals.”
Cllr David Ashton talks more in this video about the draft budget and the challenges we face
The consultation on Harrow’s Draft Budget for 2025/26 will run until 11.59pm on 29 January 2025. The quickest and easiest way to share your views is online at MyHarrow Talk. Alternatively, you can call us on 020 8863 5611 to request an easy read leaflet and a consultation questionnaire.