Annual Council 22 May 2008
I am delighted to have been re-elected as Leader of the Council. Thank you for your support and guidance.
I want to start by paying tribute to Councillor Keith Rayner.
Keith - you have served as the authority’s Deputy Leader with distinction over the last 4 years and I know you will continue to do important work as a Cabinet Member. It’s been a great honour for me personally to work closely with you and to learn from you. So on behalf of everyone here I would like to say thank you for your outstanding service and commitment.
And of course I would like to welcome our new Deputy Leader Councillor John Macklin. I am looking forward to working with you over the coming year to further unlock the tremendous untapped potential of our Borough and the significant talents of our residents.
We have seen much progress this year - thanks to our hard-working Officers, the commitment of my political colleagues from all parties, our key partners and of course our residents.
Firstly our 2008 Budget - the most transformative set of proposals and spending commitments we have introduced for many years.
We announced the largest injection of extra resources into our area’s priorities for a generation - a total of £12.8 million in growth. Extra resources to improve the lives of those who are most vulnerable; look after local neighbourhoods; deliver a better deal for young people; put more power into the hands of residents; and take the right steps to secure our long-term prosperity and place in London.
Secondly this year we focused on our Sustainable Community Strategy. Working with our partners - and after carrying out the most in depth consultation with residents ever - we have now finalised our ambitions and priorities for the borough for the next 20 years.
Above all else it’s about eliminating worklessness and low aspirations by fully harnessing the unprecedented explosion of economic activity in East London. Jobs, skills for them and access to them, are the priority for improving the lives of residents - helping to tackle poverty, broaden horizons, secure higher incomes.
I continue to be very optimistic about our local economic prospects. The next few years present a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Stratford City and the Olympic Park will lead to the creation of 30,000 new permanent jobs. Canary Wharf is set to double in size - creating 150,000 jobs - as the economic geography of London shifts further to the east. We are uniquely placed to benefit from the regeneration of the Thames Gateway and the Stansted-Cambridge corridor.
It’s about building a prosperous borough where people aspire to live and where everyone works.
And thirdly during the past year we have almost completed our Local Area Agreement between the Council, Central Government and its partners. The Agreement includes targets on educational attainment, skills, obesity and child poverty. It is already being indicated that we have produced the best LAA in London.
All of these areas of work - the 2008 Budget, the Sustainable Community Strategy and our Local Area Agreement - show an ambitious and purposeful direction of travel for the authority and the borough.
But I am under no illusion about the challenges we face or the scale of the task ahead.
In the last few weeks we have seen convictions secured against those who horrifically murdered Paul Erhahon. This whole incident takes my breath away - an unforgiveable act against a young man with so much still to see and do; the unimaginable pain of the family; and now the faces of the perpetrators - children themselves - staring back at us from newspaper covers.
Last year 26 teenagers were murdered in London and already this year 13 young lives have been lost.
18,000 young people in Waltham Forest are growing up in poverty - with its impact on health, attainment, aspiration, well-being and future income. An intolerable figure in a dynamic global city. The cycle of deprivation where background helps determine future prospects is well entrenched in our borough. Children on free school meals - from poorer families - do consistently less well at school than their counterparts.
And too many of our young people are growing up in families struggling to get by - 94% of the borough falls in the poorest half of the country. Tight family budgets, unfulfilled potential - too many people left wondering what might have been rather than what could be.
I want us to make Waltham Forest the best place for young people to grow up.
Where state-of-the-art learning environments, inspirational teaching and high expectations give our young people the space and skills to believe in their hopes and ambitions - and the confidence to keep believing when faced with challenges. Where 50% getting 5 GCSEs is replaced with 100% getting the academic, social and emotional skills they need to thrive and prosper - and where our results set the pace for others to follow.
Where untapped potential and latent ambition is discovered and nurtured. Where quality public services and strong communities ensure that social class or race are no longer predictors of attainment. Where our neighbourhoods feature highly in Government tables for achievement rather than deprivation.
Where the biggest and most revered gang in Waltham Forest is our gang: made up of public agencies, businesses, volunteers, residents and young people all trying to do our best and better our community.
Let’s work together to make Waltham Forest the best place for children to grow up.
