Islington Tribune - News: Call to spend on needy

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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 4 January 2008

Call to ‘spend on needy’

ISLINGTON’S opposition leader is calling on the council to stop giving bureaucrats and highly paid professionals the power to decide where council money should be spent.
Labour leader Catherine West wants to make sure elected members have a say in where a £21 million grant destined for the most deprived neighbourhoods should go. The grant, from the government’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund, will be paid over three years.
But Cllr West says council officers and professionals who sit on the Islington Strategic Partnership (ISP) board, should not be trusted with deciding who should benefit from the extra cash.
She called for a meeting with chief executive Helen Bailey to ensure the money is spent on the areas with the strongest need.
Cllr West said: “Before any schemes are devised by council officers, the opinions of the councillors representing these most deprived areas should be sought.
“They know what’s happening in their neighbourhoods, and we need to spend the money in the best way for hard-working people.
“The priorities need to be set by local people, not council bureaucrats. We need action directed at young people who leave school without the ambition, abilities or qualifications to get on in life. And we need help for families who have endured two or more generations of unemployment.”
She added: “The ISP is chaired by the leader of the council and is made up of highly paid professionals including the chief executive, the head of the primary care trust and the head of the police. You can get rid of your local councillor after four years if you don’t agree with their priorities but you can’t get rid of the head of the police or the head of the PCT.”
Housing chief Councillor Terry Stacy said: “The way in which this money will be spent will be the decision of the Islington Strategic Partnership, not the council.
“It will follow the priorities set in the Sustainable Community Strategy which was debated and approved at the last council meeting.
“The ISP is negotiating a Local Area Agreement with government and this will determine the focus of resources and the aspirations of Islington residents.”
At the same time, Islington’s London Assembly Member, Jennette Arnold, is calling on the council to ensure £2.9 million grant promised by mayor Ken Livingstone and the government is ring-fenced for youth services.
Ms Arnold wants to make sure the money is used in addition to youth budgets and not used to supplement funding.
She said: “This is potentially great news for Islington residents, young and old.
“But I will keep a close eye on the local council to ensure that the investment is spent on youth services and not used by the council as an opportunity to reduce existing spending commitments. It is extra money and must be treated as such.
“I am extremely concerned that the funds should get to those hard to reach projects who need the most assistance.”
Children and young person chief Councillor Ursula Woolley said: “We’re running a big review on existing youth services and we’ll be talking to a lot of young people.
“We’re not making any cuts to council youth funding, it will be great to have extra funds because that will mean more services.”

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