Redbridge has a short survey on their website inviting residents to have their say on the 2026/7 budget.  Here’s the link

Planning ahead for next year’s budget: Your chance to shape our future | Let’s Talk Redbridge

If enough of us ask the Council to spend more on cycle infrastructure it’s possible that it might – especially as improving the provision for cyclists is an essential to implementing the Council’s Sustainable Transport Strategy:

 “We have adopted a sustainable transport “road user hierarchy “which simply states that in our future decision-making, whether that be investments, how we designer scheme or our policies, we will consider the needs of certain people, ways of travelling and vehicle types before others.”

So, allocating more money to cycling will be the Council putting its money where its mouth is …

If we don’t ask for what we want, we will lose out to others who do.  The survey is quick and easy.  The two key questions are 3 and 4.  Here are my answers to those two questions. 

Q3. An independent nationwide survey carried out by IMPOWER saw Redbridge ranked as the most efficient and best value for money council in London and 2nd best in England. Though proud of this we’re not at all complacent and know there’s always room to improve. With that in mind, what could the council be doing that would make a positive difference for you?

A: Investing more, both in terms of money and staff, in cycling.  The Borough should have a network of safe cycling routes so that residents can use bicycles to go about their daily lives – going shopping, taking their children to school, going to the railway station, the GP etc.  This needs investment and council officers with suitable skills and in sufficient numbers to carry out the work.  

Q4.  When it comes to setting a budget, much of what councils do today focuses on the things that we have to provide – essential services like making sure we’ve got enough social workers to help our most vulnerable children and young people and collecting your waste and recycling. Where we do have more flexibility, it would be helpful to know what your local priorities are.

Of the following, please tick up to three areas you’d want us to prioritise in the future

þHighways – maintaining roads and pavements, fixing potholes, managing water gritting, and improving road safety and walking/cycling routes.

Amusingly, the CAPTCHA image was of a bike …

Time to have your say.