Croydon Community Services Funding Policy Requires Candidate Impact Statements Ahead of Local Elections

The Croydon Council’s Community Services Funding Policy, adopted in June 2026, now obliges all candidates in the 2027 local elections to submit formal statements outlining projected effects on local programmes. The rule applies to contests for the 70 council seats and covers allocations for centres in Waddon, Broad Green and New Addington.

National changes to local government grants have reduced Croydon’s core funding by 8 per cent since 2024, according to the council’s medium-term financial strategy published in March. The new policy requires candidates to address how they would maintain services such as after-school clubs and home-care visits if grant levels stay flat or fall further.

Residents who rely on the council’s 14 family hubs would see changes first. A candidate statement must specify whether they would protect the £2.1 million annual contract for hub staffing or redirect portions to street-cleaning contracts. Similar detail is required for the meals-on-wheels service that delivers 1,800 meals each weekday.

Budget Figures and Service Volumes

The 2026-27 budget papers list £47 million for adult social care and £9 million for children’s community services. Policy analysts note that these lines represent 19 per cent of the council’s controllable expenditure. Candidates must state whether they would seek to increase, freeze or reduce each line and name the offsetting savings or council-tax rises they would propose.

Timeline for Candidate Submissions

Statements must be lodged with the returning officer by 31 March 2027 and will be published on the council website within 14 days. The council’s elections team has confirmed that statements will be limited to 1,200 words and must cite the specific budget lines they affect. Local advocates note that this format will allow residents to compare positions on concrete service levels before postal ballots open in early May.