Harrow launches battle for fair funding
Published 6th December 07
A SPECIAL edition of the Harrow Observer newspaper - complete with a picture of Council Leader Chris Mote echoing the famous world war one recruitment poster - is hitting the streets today.
The move comes ahead of the expected Government announcement about council funding over the next three years. Harrow has consistently argued that it is under-funded and wrongly typecast as an affluent, leafy area. The council also believes that there are increasing costs of looking after one of the most diverse populations in the country.
Council Leader Chris Mote said, "In the last year alone, residents in Harrow have each been short changed by £212 compared to the average grant given to our nearest neighbours. Harrow therefore missed out on £45m of funding this year that could have been spent on providing crucial services."
Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance, Councillor David Ashton said: "We already believe that Harrow gets an unfair funding deal and have real worries that this could get even worse over the next three years. We want to be one of the best local authorities in London by 2012 and invest in the key issues that local people have said are their priorities, such as cleaner and safer streets. To achieve this we need to try and get a fairer funding deal from the Government."
Residents wanting to support the council's Fair Deal for Harrow campaign can either sign and return the cut-out letter in the Observer or go online by clicking on to www.harrow.gov.uk/fairdeal
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