Harlow Council leader upbeat on financial report
News / Tue 31st Jul 2018 am31 08:35am
A report which reviews how Harlow Council performed in the last financial year – 2017/18 – has been published.
THE Joint Financial and Performance year-end 2017/18 report can be read at www.harlow.gov.uk/performance-reports. It looks at how the everyday services like grass cutting, bin collections, street cleaning, benefit claims, planning services provided by the Council have performed, how it has met its priorities and how budgets have been managed during the period April 2017 to March 2018.
The Council’s careful financial management has resulted in an underspend of £1,276,000 which will be used to provide new opportunities for residents including a major upgrade of the paddling pools, new community and wellbeing initiatives as well as allocating money to support the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town project.
At the last Cabinet meeting the Leader of Harlow Council, Councillor Mark Ingall, presented the upbeat report, he said, “Despite this being a time of great economic uncertainty and in the face of year-on-year cuts to the funding we receive from the Government, we have performed on or above target for 49 out of 53 performance indicators and completed 202 out of 238 corporate milestones showing that the services we provide are improving. But we are not complacent, there is certainly room to get even better at providing the services our residents deserve.
“Thanks to sound financial management, delivering efficiency savings a year early and the contribution made to Harlow from our new property and environment company, HTS, Harlow Council has not only balanced the books, but once again we have achieved an underspend, which can be reinvested to improve and provide new opportunities for local residents.
“Harlow stands on the brink of an exciting future, we are well placed geographically to benefit from hi-tech economic growth, our plans for the provision of new housing and infrastructure that benefits Harlow are progressing well, and we are determined that our existing residents benefit from these exciting developments”.
The Council’s five priorities for Harlow are set in its Corporate Plan 2018/19 – 2020/21.
The Council’s priorities for Harlow are:
More and better housing
Regeneration and a thriving economy
Wellbeing & social inclusion
A clean and green environment
Successful children and young people
MickyB77
2018-07-31 13:03:50
Amazing set of figures ? Of course Harlow is well placed, look at the work Robert Halfon has done behind the scenes to bring major investment, from, some massive companies, into the area, for the benefit of the town and people. Even the most dedicated advocate of the Corbinski methods can see this.
Brett Hawksbee
2018-08-01 10:19:37
The town is truly on the cusp of major and very positive changes. Of course all of the five priorities identified by the council are important, but for the town's residents, they all resolve to one thing. The lived experience. Prudent financial management, and the HTS 'rebate', have created the possibility of transformative investments in areas which are visible, and directly affect many people in the town. The 'Splash Pools' will bring a great deal of fun to many children in the town, at no cost to parents. Summer holiday days which might include time in a splash pool, then a family journey via the cycle path network to safely get to 'Pets Corner', and the Town Park 'Adventure Playground', or the Parndon Wood Nature Reserve, are all excellent possibilities. But for older children and young adults, the picture is a little more mixed. I hope that prudent financial management will create possibilities to improve resources for these groups. Harlow Town Park is a world class facility, but a world class resource for young people, based around active and healthy pursuits, in the Town Centre 'Market Square' could only help raise the external perceptions of the town. We need to take this opportunity to become a trailblazing, innovative town; I'd suggest that the plans for the regeneration of the market square be reconsidered. I would only keep the flower pots on the basis that they be adapted for use to display 'public art' in the manner of the Trafalgar Square plinths. The square needs a Parkour area, outdoor gym equipment, ramps, rails and halfpipe for BMX, Scoots, skateboarders etc. An open air stage which can be used by local bands as a no-cost performance space. These things would make possible the provision of 'street food' stands. (They would also provide a context for the table tennis tables!). An active busy area where on any given day/evening, live music and great 'spectator sports' mix with world food vendors ... a sociable ambience and free entertainment for all residents. Something which demonstrates just what can be achieved by a council committed to providing free access to the arts, to sports; free entertainment, in the heart of the town. This more than anything will transform the town, and perception of it, in a positive and lasting way. It would be far more effective in discouraging anti-social activity such as drug dealing, than any number of additional police officers.
MickyB77
2018-08-01 10:43:36
Must be frustrated council employee by the length of the.............................. Can you begin to imagine the din that will emanate from the area, when a collective group of youngsters congregate. I don't suppose you ever passed by Occasia House when it was in it's pomp, the screaming and roaring from the residents, and their mates was totally un-reasonable. Bands playing, what about the soon to be residents ?
Brett Hawksbee
2018-08-01 14:00:42
Mucky I generally see no purpose in engaging with you, but for your own education. (Every day's a school-day, as they say.) A row of full stops is simply illiterate, and meaningless. An ellipsis, which is three dots, thus ... is a grammatical device to permit the omission of superfluous words, or to suggest an extended comment not actually made, can be inferred from contextual clues. You may not get around Europe much, or even many of our fine towns and cities. But there are countless examples of such squares. They are a matter of civic pride in Madrid, Barcelona, or Rome, or many other places. You could find similar civic resources in towns and cities from Scandinavia, to Asia. Residential properties in those areas, and in any city or town centre, tend to be occupied by young people who have an expectation of bustle, activity, and yes, noise. No-one is suggesting these activities are not within timeframes, and managed. P.S. Have you ever had a positive thought Mucky?
MickyB77
2018-08-01 18:46:03
Lots of them, actually, but never as pompous as you and your lackey. Champagne Socialism doesn't work in Harlow. Afraid to see, that you come across as a Mother Theresa substitute.
MickyB77
2018-08-01 18:48:16
How's the throat after swallowing so much propaganda?
Brett Hawksbee
2018-08-02 07:49:31
As I said, generally, no purpose served by engaging with you. 'Don't feed the Trolls' and all that.
MickyB77
2018-08-02 10:38:52
Great news. The less we have to put up with, all your down loaded propaganda,relief at last.
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