Greenwich councillors handed themselves a 2% pay rise last night amid shambolic scenes at Woolwich Town Hall – before their own civic mayor scolded them for acting like “schoolchildren”. While the increase to their allowances was the first in seven years, a disagreement between councillors erupted into a full-blown row after the motion to give […]
matt hartley
Leaders squabble as Greenwich Council backs 2.99% tax rise
Greenwich Council raised its council tax by 2.99% last night – but the meeting descended into a bad-tempered spat after council leader Danny Thorpe accused Tory leader Matt Hartley wanting “to set up a little army of bailiffs” to target poorer residents. Overall bills will go up by 4.2% after London mayor Sadiq Khan increased […]
Council meeting ends in shambles as Greenwich Info debate talked out
Last night’s Greenwich Council meeting ended in shambolic fashion as a motion on council freesheet Greenwich Info, which is due to cost the council £300,000 next year, was effectively talked out by Labour councillors. The fortnightly paper was criticised by a cross-party scrutiny panel in December, with all three rejecting a £1.3m contract to print […]
Greenwich Council asks residents to help with its budget – as leader warns it is at ‘end of line’ with cuts
Greenwich Council leader Danny Thorpe has launched a consultation into how the council should spend its money next year – warning the council is now “at the end of the line” in protecting vital services. The consultation is the first time since the government’s austerity policies began that the council has asked residents what its […]
Greenwich Labour accused of breaking promise on council tax support
Greenwich Conservative leader Matt Hartley has accused the Labour council of backtracking on a promise to exempt 15,000 low-income residents from council tax – but council leader Danny Thorpe has called on his opposite number to fight for more cash for councils from central government. Thorpe’s predecessor, Denise Hyland, told a council meeting in February […]
You were wrong, Greenwich councillors told as Thorpe overrules them on ‘undelivered’ freesheet
Greenwich Council leader Danny Thorpe has opted to continue publishing its fortnightly freesheet Greenwich Info – even though a scrutiny panel of councillors threw out a £1.3m deal for its printing and distribution at the end of last year. The three councillors have even been told they were wrong to say they did not receive […]
Greenwich councillors decide £1.3m of cuts to voluntary groups in secret
Greenwich Council has held a series of behind-closed-doors meetings to discuss cuts to voluntary sector. Members of the press were asked to leave the second of three Overview and Scrutiny sessions on Tuesday as volunteer organisations would ask the council for cash. The council said the meetings were being held in secret as they dealt […]
Councillors reject £1.3m Greenwich Info contract after admitting they don’t get council freesheet
Greenwich councillors have rejected a £1.3m contract to print and distribute the council’s fortnightly magazine Greenwich Info – with all three councillors on the panel declaring it was not delivered to their homes. Council officers had planned to spend the money renewing a joint three-year deal alongside other boroughs for printing and delivery services, but […]
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