The Green Party in Newham has accused the ruling Labour Party of hoarding millions of pounds that should be spent on improving homes and tackling poverty in the Borough.

Newham Greens say that £30 million is sitting in bank accounts with no specific plans to spend it while “the council is cutting £12 million from its budget, including £1.5m from children and young people’s services”.

The Greens say that recent reports show there is up to £80 million in unspent ‘developer contributions’, which is money that is set aside for improving infrastructure, supporting affordable housing, job creation, and expanding community facilities.

The Green candidate for Stratford Olympic Park in this May’s council elections Nate Higgins, said: “It’s shocking that Labour councillors don’t seem to have a plan for this £30 million ‘unallocated’ funding.”

Newham Council is due to take on direct responsibility for planning and infrastructure spending in Stratford Olympic Park in 2024.

“It is far from clear that our neighbourhood will get the investment we deserve if left to Labour councillors,” said Higgins. “Residents are repeatedly told we must accept development in return for increased investment in infrastructure and services,
but the council is not keeping its side of the deal.

“In a borough with the worst air pollution in London and some of the worst poverty rates there are so many things this money could and should be spent on immediately”.

The annual report on this funding outlines council plans for the moneys collected, and lists what it has been allocated for spending. Since 2014, says the Green Party, the amount of ‘unallocated’ has been steadily growing, with councillors not acting to ensure this funding was allocated.

The Greens also criticised a similar underspending problem, of around £52 million of infrastructure funding, including almost £23 million of ‘unallocated’ cash, for spending in and around the Olympic Park collected by the London Legacy Development Corporation.

The Greens say this hoarding of development cash compares badly with neighbouring boroughs such as Barking and Dagenham and Waltham Forest, which have respectively amounts of £7 million and £8.6 million of ‘unallocated’ development funds.

Nate Higgins, who is also co-chair of the Newham Green Party, said: “Councillors should be standing up for their community and demanding that available money is
spent.

“It looks like the Labour councillors of Newham have dropped the ball here, or are just not paying attention.”

The Greens say this issue will figure strongly in the upcoming May council election battles.

“Labour have 100 per cent control of the council, with no opposition, as well as a Labour mayor,” said Higgins. “There is nobody scrutinising council deals, and nobody to challenge their decisions.”

https://www.newham.gov.uk/downloads/file/4052/lbn-annual-infrastructure-funding-stmt-part-cil-and-s106-reports-2020-21-1-

Correction: Last month’s report on the MSG Sphere plan incorrectly reported that the Olympic Park area would return to Newham Council control this year. In fact, it will be handed back in 2024.

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