A campaign to get “fairer” central government funding for Enfield has been backed by the borough’s major party leaders.

The Enfield Over 50s forum want the government to provide more money to Enfield Council to help prevent closures of youth and disabled services in the borough.

Monty Meth, president of the Enfield Over 50s Forum, said: “There has never been a better moment for Enfield people to make their voices heard.

“We now have a new government, a new Prime Minister, new Chancellor of the Exchequer. So this is the most opportune time to seek your support, to end once and for all the many years of underfunding which Enfield has suffered.”

The council has been forced to make savings of £118million between 2010 and 2015, and the authority is facing a further £56 million of cuts by 2020.

Currently, Enfield gets £496.10 per head in government cash, while Westminster gets £917.59, and Hammersmith and Fulham receives £900.

There is also a disparity in NHS grants – this year Enfield gets £362m for a popultation of 320,000, but Camden gets £372m for 260,000, and Islington £339m for 233,000.

Cllr Terry Neville, leader of the Enfield Conservative group, backed the petition, saying he had recently raised the issue personally with Sajid Javid , the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

He said: “The present arrangements are indeed iniquitous, the more so because the formula, if it was ever right, is now at least fourteen years out of date, and much has happened to Enfield in terms of increasing population and demands on services since then."

The petition has also been backed by council leader and Labour group chief Doug Taylor, who said Enfield gets less funding because the government uses population data which is up to 15 years old to determine where the money goes.

He said: “Enfield Council has suffered over many years and successive governments from underfunding partly because relatively old population data is used to calculate funding arrangements for local authorities, that means Enfield with its rapidly growing population is getting less of the national funding than it should.

“Politicians of all parties in Enfield back this campaign, but we need the support of residents to make our voice heard and try to encourage the government to do something about our lack of funding. It is in everyone’s interests for the borough to be funded according to need. We are not being greedy, we just want our fair share.”

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said ·         their planned funding package for Enfield would increase the amount the council can spend by two per cent, rather than reduce it.

They said: “The Government has provided a long-term funding settlement which will give the London Borough of Enfield more than £900 million to spend between now and 2020.

“This will allow them to deliver high quality services whilst keeping council tax bills down.”

The petition can be found by clicking here.