The Dust is Settling

It is now just over a month since the new coalition government took charge. Whilst the initial flurry of novelty is beginning to calm down, the picture for local communities remains a little unclear. True to the manifesto we are seeing the first signs of "empowering local communities" in the decision making, but at the moment the ideology and macro-policy has yet to be translated into hard and fast rules.

The good news is that in planning, government policy appears to be to hand control back to the "grass roots" and to ensure a bottom up system rather than the imposition of targets on Local Planning Authorities. This will hopefully mean the end of the ridiculous South East Plan that required the Councils in the South East to ensure certain housing targets were hit. To suggest the plan is artificial is something of an under-statement. However, there is a real danger that with the changes we will see the rate and nature of the affordable and social housing available in our Borough hit and we will forever be offering significanlty lower amounts than we would like. Perhaps we just have to accept that Elmbridge is an expensive place to live and that we are not going to be able to cater to all. I hope that is not the situation we find ourselves in, because there are so many young and vulnerable families, single and hard-working individuals, and older people who need our help in the form of "assisted housing," to give it a deliberately broad title.

In other ways too the new Government have sought to give control back. The plans for redesignating gardens is unlikely to have a dramatic effect in the short-term, but will at least signal a change of approach to the mass of developers eyeing up back gardens for a fast buck.

Additionally the increased emphasis on infrastructure to match housing demand is to be welcomed. At the moment though, we find ourselves in uncertain times. How will these changes be given effect? When will they occur? What is the reality behind how they will affect the South East? and what real power will we see in the hands of residents?

In taxation and public sector pensions we can only welcome the moves from Central Government towards an emphasis on greater curbs in public spending and review of public sector pensions. To suggest as Labour do, that final salary pensions in the public sector can be retained is to deny the financial reality. We cannot afford either locally of nationally to pump sufficient money into the pension funds of Elmbridge, Surrey or Westminster to make them viable for final salary pensions. What we can do is look at what is realistic and deliver it. What we can also do is embrace the "council tax holiday" offered by Central Government. It was no gimmick that David Cameron promised councils returning a 0 increase that there would be central government funding in the first two years to bring in an equivalent sum to a gross 2.5% increase. This is great news for all tiers of Local Government and most importantly for taxpayers.

Of course, it's not all good news, and the current financial situation has major ramifications for a great many in our community. Pensions are still not yielding sufficient returns for many retirees to live on, unemployment is still on a gradual increase, and people still need the provision offered by Local and Central
Government.

Now is the time to look at how we deliver the best to our community, and I welcome any ideas you may have for doing so. Please do get in touch either through this site or tgrey@elmbridge.gov.uk and we can arrange a time to discuss your ideas.