Enfield Council leader Nesil Caliskan speaks to Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter, about how the local authority plans to help people cope with the cost of living this winter

Council leader Nesil Caliskan (in blue hat) pictured on a visit to Meridian Water this week where there was a 'topping out' ceremony for the Meridian One development — *Council leader Nesil Caliskan (in blue hat) pictured on a visit to Meridian Water this week where there was a ‘topping out’ ceremony for the first new homes (credit Enfield Council)*

Enfield Council leader Nesil Caliskan has vowed “we are on your side” as she pledged to support families facing a winter of rising costs.

Working with charities and community groups, the Labour council leader pledged to put in place a series of measures to ensure people stay warm, receive hot meals and know where to turn for financial support.

It comes on top of a freeze in core council tax bills during the current financial year to help residents hit by a cost-of-living squeeze caused by soaring inflation and borrowing costs.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week, Cllr Caliskan said years of austerity had been “really tough” but this was the hardest she had ever seen it as people experienced the impact of an economic crisis she said was being made worse by the government.

The council leader said: “The cost-of-living crisis is affecting individuals and families, but also institutions as well. School budgets are really under a huge amount of pressure, and we’re hearing from teachers that kids are going to school not having had a decent meal at home.

“We know from our own hubs at the council that there has been a huge increase in the number of people turning up to us for help.”

Cllr Caliskan said there had been a 44% increase in the number of people turning to the council for financial assistance, a 150% rise in people enquiring about poverty support, and a 90% jump in the number of homelessness enquiries.

She claimed rising interest rates and inflation had been “exacerbated by the government’s steps” over the last month, describing the chaos that led to the prime minister’s resignation “comical” but added: “The damage has been done”.

The council leader said the local authority would help by identifying buildings that can be used to provide warm spaces for people struggling to heat their homes. “We are putting together a map of where that might be,” she explained. “People might want to spend longer hours in libraries, for example, or more local community spaces.”

Recognising that food poverty is a “real issue”, Cllr Caliskan said the council was creating a programme to make additional food available for pupils in low-income households “to get them through the winter”. She added: “We are working with local schools, and there is a programme we are going to roll out, working with local partners. We have in the past used vouchers, which we will do again.”

The leader said the council was also “really worried” about older people who may not have access to hot food. She said there would be a “call for action”, adding: “We want to work with local community groups to make sure that every person over the age of 70 gets hot food at least once a day. We did quite a lot of work during Covid, but that was a baseline. We want to ensure that everyone is getting a hot meal delivered to them.”

Enfield Council has a “longstanding” hardship fund, she added, and the council will do more to promote it. The authority plans to “spruce up” its communications to provide details of the help that people can receive from the council and other sources, including the Mayor of London, on a dedicated cost-of-living support page.

Further support will be provided to council employees – around 70% of whom are Enfield residents, the council leader explained.

Mounting inflation, which this week rose to 10.1%, has blown a hole in the council’s finances, and the authority is now looking to close a £40million budget gap during the next financial year. The council leader admitted it was “really difficult” to find money to provide extra support after having to make savings of more than £190m during a decade of government austerity measures.

While the local authority froze core council tax this year, Cllr Caliskan has not offered to refund the 1% rise in the adult social care levy, as the new Labour administration at Barnet Council has pledged to do. However, she added that a “very generous” support scheme was already in place to help people on low incomes pay council tax.

Cllr Caliskan also claimed the council had “delivered a really robust budget” and made “smart decisions” by borrowing to fund capital projects at low interest rates.

“We are on your side,” the council leader said. “When the government has turned its back on ordinary people in this country, we want residents to know this is a local authority that will stand up and do its best.”

Earlier this month, it was revealed by the Dispatch that the council had submitted a bid for parts of Edmonton to become an ‘investment zone’ – a scheme promoted by the Tory government under Liz Truss as a way to boost growth by reducing planning regulations and introducing tax breaks for businesses operating inside “liberalised” local areas. It is being seen as an attempt to boost construction at the Meridian Water regeneration project.

Senior Labour MPs have criticised the plans, with Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, saying they would “slash standards” and “destroy the environment”. Edmonton MP Kate Osamor has also warned of the zones creating a “wild west” for developers. Cllr Calsikan said the council needed to “wait and see” what would be on offer for investment zones but, in the meantime, had to take “every opportunity” it was given.

Cllr Caliskan said: “As a local authority, it has always been a priority for us to support our communities and deliver services that most matter to them. We must look after our most vulnerable […] and deliver investment in our borough.”

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