Islington Council budget proposals include £57 million for new council homes and scrapping council tax for foster carers

Islington Council is proposing to invest £57 million to build new council homes and to scrap council tax for all foster carers in its budget proposals for 2018/19.The council yesterday (Tuesday) published its budget proposals, which focus on Islington’s key priorities for 2018/19. The new budget proposals commit to:Investing £57million into building badly needed new council homes. This is the council’s biggest investment into new build homes to date. Schemes that will benefit from the funding include Kings Square, Dover Court, Elthorne and Park ViewMeeting the demand for primary school places and providing good quality schools for Islington’s young people, by investing almost £14 million into Tufnell Park Primary School, to provide a modern, new school, that will enable expansion of the school from the current one and a half form entry to three form entryScrapping council tax for all Islington foster carers, including those who foster adults on the council’s Shared Lives scheme. Any registered foster carers in Islington will not have to pay council tax in Islington, to help them cope with the cost of living and encourage more residents interested in becoming foster carers to take on the role. To fund this, residents that own empty properties in Islington will now be required to pay double council tax on empty properties, subject to the government passing relevant legislation