One of the sad consequences of the Council being forced to issue a S114 notice is that all non-essential expenditure has been cut; this includes even that which was budgeted, such as each councillor's annual £8000 community ward budget.
For the last several years I've made a contribution to the Purley Rotary Swimathon, the Purley Youth Project, the Scouts and several other worthwhile local charities. The Rotary Swimathon has taken place at the leisure centre every year for about the last 30 years, and has raised £100,000s, but this year sadly I won't be able to make a contribution from my ward budget. All Community budget contributions have had to stop because of the Labour Council's reckless expenditure on disastrous property investments and its total inability to manage expenditure to being within budget; it's currently forecast to overspend by some £70M in this year alone, or £175 per resident
This year I was particularly asked by Purley BID to make a contribution to repairing some Christmas lights and I submitted the necessary forms in mid-October, but I've just been told, one month on, that the payment will not go through, so several of the lights in Purley may now remain dark. It's a shameful way to reward struggling Purley shop-keepers who are trying so hard to inject some life into the town centre during these difficult times.
