Croydon Council Issues Section 114 Notice

~ admin

Croydon Council has today issued a section 114 notice due to the severe ongoing financial challenges facing the authority.

This significant step will mean all new non-essential spending will be stopped while an emergency budget is drawn up to find further savings in this and the coming years.

In a letter to councillors, finance director Lisa Taylor outlined the serious issues facing the council including a potential budget shortfall in the current financial year of around £66m.

Issuing the notice is recognition that despite all efforts to do so the council cannot now balance its budget this year, which it is required to do by law.

The council had previously acknowledged its worsening financial situation, and has set in train a number of improvement and savings programmes to help put it back on a stable financial footing.

It is also in talks with the government about the financial support necessary to balance the budget and transform the council.

What does the S114 notice mean for council services?

It means that no new expenditure is permitted, with the exception of that funding statutory services, including safeguarding vulnerable people, although existing commitments and contracts will continue to be honoured.

Council officers must therefore carry out their duties in line with contractual obligations and to acceptable standards, while being aware of the financial situation. Any spending that is not essential or which can be postponed should not take place and essential spend will be monitored.

The only allowable expenditure permitted under an emergency protocol would include the following categories:

  • existing staff payroll and pension costs
  • expenditure on goods and services which have already been received
  • expenditure required to deliver the council’s provision of statutory services at a minimum possible level
  • urgent expenditure required to safeguard vulnerable citizens
  • expenditure required through existing legal agreements and contracts
  • expenditure funded through ring-fenced grants
  • expenditure necessary to achieve value for money or mitigate additional in-year costs

The council will have 21 days from the issue of a Section 114 notice to discuss the implications at a meeting of full council.

An Update from the Shirley North Safer Neighbourhood Team

~ admin

At the beginning of October Shirley North had many complaints from neighbours on Cottongrass Close. It was believed that an address was being used as a care home and residents were causing problems. The address did not have a license to be anything other than a residential home. With help from Croydon Council and Shirley Oaks Management we was able to  issue the manager of the property a letter asking that they vacate by 21st October, as it is a care facility and the deeds of the land prevent such use. Now that they have vacated we have had no other issues.

On the 4th of November while on mobile patrol up at Shirley hills two people were searched and arrested for Class A controlled drugs. This is a good result, Shirley Hills is known for drug taking and sexual activity.

Recently we have conducted two warrants in Shirley North and South, both have been positive finds for Class B drugs and suspects have been issued cautions.

Due to Christmas fast approaching can we please remind residents that your doors, windows and cars are left locked and secure when you are not in them.

Within the last few days we were sent video footage of two incidents overnight which involved people trying car doors, luckily they were locked but this is not always the case.

As the evenings are now darker much earlier, please consider using timers for lights and lamps inside your house as a dark house is often obvious as an empty one. If we can see that you are out, so can burglars.

Please stay safe during this lockdown.

Report crime by calling 101 or in an emergency call 999.

Remember, you can also report crime online on our website: https://www.met.police.uk/