Newham's credit crunching measures

Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales has announced steps to help residents and businesses through the recession.

Sir Robin was in Stratford visiting Workplace, the borough's ground-breaking employment service, to introduce of a package of proposals to support the borough through the economic downturn.

He said: "Everyone is having to tighten their belt during these tough times and we are no exception. We cannot solve the wider economic problems facing the country, but we need to cushion the blow so that local people and businesses are in the best position possible to withstand the pressures and recover quickly."

The proposed measures included in Newham's recession recovery package for residents are:

• A freeze on Council Tax
  
• Greater access to money advice and debt counselling through the borough's network of Local Service Centres
• Greater promotion to residents of the welfare benefits to which they are entitled
  
• Increased activities through the Workplace scheme to help the newly unemployed back into work as soon as possible
  
• Support for residents in danger of eviction or homelessness to keep them in their homes
  
• Promotion of employment opportunities at Newham Council
  
• Promotion of adult training and learning opportunities to residents
  
• Major investment in making the borough cleaner and safer to encourage people to visit and shop in Newham - this amounts to £40 million over the next three years.

For local businesses the measures include:

• Cutting the time it takes the council to pay invoices to businesses to help improve cash flow
  
• Extension of Business Rate payment terms from ten months to 12 months by agreement between the council and businesses
  
• Increase in opportunities for local businesses to win contracts from the council's procurement systems and from developments in the borough such as the 2012 Games, Stratford City and Crossrail
  
• Promotion of the borough's shopping districts such as Stratford and Green Street to residents, employees, fellow Londoners and international visitors to the capital
  
• A signposting service for Newham firms to sources of business support and finance available in the borough and the wider public sector.

Added the Mayor: "As a council we too are working hard to make our finances stretch that bit further. We have gone through a major savings programme to make sure every penny counts and we are investing in the services residents tell us are most important such as cleaner streets and making people feel safer."

Full details of the measures will be available shortly. For information on Council Tax ring 020 8430 2000 or email counciltax@newham.gov.uk. For information on employment opportunities please call Workplace on 020 8430 4331.