Across England, local councils have faced years of difficulty in terms of keeping up with austerity.

Funding from the Government has dwindled, meaning that many councils have had huge strains on resources.

Today voters in Bexley head to the polls to vote for the councillor they want to represent them for the next four years.

The Conservatives have been in power in Bexley since 2006, and since 2014 have had a  48 per cent majority.

In the next four years, here are some of the issues the council will have to face

Funding

It has been reported that in the last seven years council’s have had their funding and grants cut by 50 per cent. By 2020, Bexley Council has to be self sufficient.

This means all the money it has needs to be raised through council tax, business rates or other fees and charges.

The council raised council tax by 3.99 per cent in March, including a 2 per cent precept for adult social care.

According to a council report, the council’s spending power will reduce by over £14m by 2020/21 – so raising funds will be vital for the council to provide services and implement its plans for growth.

Growth and housing

Earlier this year the council announced ambitious plans for jobs and housing across the borough.

The Bexley Growth Strategy set out a vision for 31,000 new homes and 17,500 new jobs,

Focused primarily on the north of the borough, there are plans to redevelop neighbourhoods and shopping districts, and town centres.

In particular, the “growth areas” are Belvedere, Erith, Thamesmead, Slade Green and Crayford.

Ensuring good growth will be key for the council to keep up with an increasing population and help combat the housing crises.

The Council’s Growth Strategy was subject to public consultations, and is based around making the most of the borough’s potential.

The council wholly owns a development company, BexleyCo, which initially plans to build 2,500 homes.

Over the 12-year lifetime of the plan, BexleyCo expects to invest £630m to help the borough grow sustainably and achieve a 7 per cent return to the Council.

Transport

In particular, extending Crossrail through the borough and out to Ebbsfleet has been earmarked as a priority in sustaining the planned growth.

Pressure has already been put on by the council to get an extension, but the next administration will be sitting when a decision is made by the Thames Estuary Growth Commission whether to recommend the project.

Crossrail will help connect Bexley when it opens in December serving Abbey Wood, but other priorities will include pressing for a DLR extension through to Belvedere and helping shape Southeastern Rail Services.

Labour has proposed an Overground extension it its manifesto, should the group get into power.

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Open Spaces

Parks and open spaces have been a talking point in Bexley after controversial plans to develop houses emerged.

Local campaign groups have consistently pressured the council to scrap plans to build on Old Farm Park in Sidcup and areas in Wilde Road in Erith.

Outline planning permission was granted to build on Old Farm Park last year.

The next council will face more opposition when an updated application to develop houses in Wilde Road are heard, with the first attempt being pushed back by councillors.

There are 100 parks and open spaces and playgrounds to be looked after in Bexley, and both Labour and Conservative parties have said open spaces are a priority for them.

Crime

Bexley has a consistently low crime rate compared to neighbouring boroughs and residents and councillors successfully campaigned to keep the police station in Bexleyheath open when it came under threat last year.

Mayor Sadiq Khan proposed scrapping the station to cut costs, but a petition backed by thousands of people was delivered to city hall to keep it open.

However, the progress of a controversial merger of Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham police forces, will be of interest to the next council.

A petition calling for CCTV to be monitored in real time will also be delivered to the next administration when it meets in July. The petition has been backed by more than 2,000 people at the time of writing.

The council made a decision in 2016 to hand over control of CCTV monitoring to the police, but continue to maintain it at a cost of £585,000 a year.

The council said it made the decision to put policing first, and best allocate resources – but the next council will have to deal with the campaign for a U-Turn.