Bexley Council's Leader has expressed dismay over the loss of significant funding from the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority (GLA), stating that the borough has missed out on approximately £10 million in grants since 2017.
Councillor David Leaf, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources & Transformation, made the remarks during a Public Cabinet meeting on Thursday, April 9, 2026. He explained that this loss of funding followed Mayor Khan's decision in 2017 to cease providing grants for principal road network maintenance to London boroughs.
Councillor Leaf noted that the loss of GLA funding has impacted the council's ability to maintain and improve its road network, which according to Department for Transport data, is ranked seventh in the country. He highlighted that while Bexley had spent £899,000 of a £895,000 grant allocated for road improvements, this figure represented less than 15% of the total spent on roads in the borough last year. The total amount spent on roads in Bexley last year is not explicitly broken down, but it is implied to be significantly more than £899,000.
Despite the funding challenges, Councillor Leaf confirmed that approximately 60 road improvement schemes are planned for the next 12 months, in addition to the 70 completed in the past year. He emphasized that the council is committed to delivering a high-quality road network despite resource constraints.
The specific grant programs affected by the Mayor of London and GLA's funding changes were not detailed. The full details of the meeting can be found in the Public reports pack.
