The London Assembly today agreed a motion[1] calling on the Mayor to commit to freeze, rather than reduce, the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) share of council tax, in order to deliver new homes for Londoners. A freeze over the next three years would provide a revenue stream to finance the future infrastructure needs of London, in particular the delivery of new affordable homes. Stephen Knight AM, who proposed the motion, said: “The planned reduction in the GLA’s contribution towards the cost of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games presents the Mayor with a once in a generation chance to tackle London’s gravest problem by diverting this revenue stream into new investment. “While the need to finance London’s Olympic Games may have passed, the social and economic imperative to address the current shortage of affordable housing in London remains. A sustained council tax freeze over the next three years would release an additional £100m annually from 2017/18 onwards – providing the long-term revenue stream needed to finance an additional £2 billion programme of affordable home building.” John Biggs AM, who seconded the motion said: “While the Mayor’s promise to cut council tax by a penny a day might sound appealing, it will only save the average household £4 over the whole year. This penny a day cut is little more than a token gesture. “With London’s housing crisis now worse than ever, we desperately need to start putting funding in place to build new affordable homes in the capital. Freezing council tax would allow us to do this, without increasing the burden on London taxpayers.” Read the full text of the motion agreed at today’s meeting. Notes to editors:
The motion was agreed by 16 votes for to 9 against.
Stephen Knight AM, who proposed the motion is available for interview. See contact details below.
As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more details, please contact Lisa Lam in the Assembly Media Office on 020 7983 4067. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit, Greater London Authority, on 020 7983 4100.