COUNCIL OVERESTIMATE £1m ON FREEDOM PASS

The ongoing uncertainly over funding for the Freedom Pass entered a new phase last week when it emerged that Havering Council overestimated the cost of the scheme by £1m for 2010/11.

In February, the forecast budget for the scheme was set at £7.8m, however the actual cost of the scheme for 2010/11 will be £6.8m, giving a surplus in 2010/11 of £1m. This will now go towards the councils transformation programme and meeting any grants shortfall.

Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Clarence Barrett (RA, Cranham), said: "The Freedom Pass is a valued and important provision for our eligible residents and, while I understand that the funding of the scheme has an element of uncertainty and we need to meet future funding requirements, this £1m surplus for next year is a huge overestimate which represents an extra 1 per cent on the council tax. 

"It appears that this money will now go largely towards the council's 'transformation' programme, but there would be a greater and more welcome ‘transformation' for the residents of Havering if this surplus were used to repair our roads which are full of pot holes and in an appalling state of disrepair”.

12.3.10