Our Priority: To protect Frontline Services, Say Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich In New Year message

* RBG Leader: Cllr Denise Hyland

by our RBG Correspondent | Woolwich

Creating job opportunities for local residents, expanding leisure and library facilities and revamping some of the borough’s high streets will be among the priorities for 2016, says Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Denise Hyland (right).

In her New Year message to local residents Cllr Hyland says: “This year is certain to be a challenging one for the council, with the Government continuing to impose deep and sustained cuts to our funding.

“There was limited relief in the news last month that the Government had finally listened to concerns from councils up and down the country about the need for additional support with adult social care which is facing unprecedented demands.

“However, pressures still remain in areas such as children’s social services, and the financial situation is still challenging.

“With the Government’s benefit regime and with housing benefit failing to keep pace with rent rises, there is a real danger that the people hardest hit by cuts will be the poorest and most disadvantaged.

“We will have some difficult decisions to make, in deciding how to implement the savings required – but our key priority will be to protect frontline services that serve local communities, while promoting and developing projects that provide jobs, training and support for local people.

“Despite the difficult climate there is so much to celebrate in Greenwich – not least the performance of our primary schools, which were confirmed recently as the equal third-best in the country. I would like to pay tribute to everyone involved in this success.

“I have been heartened that over a hundred local businesses have embraced the concept of the London Living Wage and so many are working towards it.

“In 2016 we can look forward to some major schemes that will change the shape of the borough while providing work and training for hundreds of local people.

“Work will start very soon on a new cinema in Eltham, a facility that will provide a major boost to the town centre. Alongside this, major improvements to the High Street will improve traffic and create a brighter and safer environment.

“There are improvements planned for Plumstead which is set to see work start on a new library and leisure centre.

“Abbey Wood is undergoing a massive transformation, with Crossrail getting closer and hundreds of new homes underway. Construction of a new library alongside the new Crossrail station marks further investment in our library services.

“Tourism provides thousands of jobs for local people, and the latest new hotel is due to open at Greenwich Peninsula this month - while the Peninsula project itself is making rapid progress, with thousands of new homes helping transform the area close to The O2.

“I’d like to pay tribute to all of the volunteers who play such an important role in the life of the borough and look forward in 2016 to continuing to work in partnership with community groups. We’ll be revamping the arrangements for community engagement so I look forward to hearing from many of you with your views, comments and suggestions for how to make Greenwich an even better place in which to live, work and study.”