THE council has 'exciting but difficult' times ahead, according to the council's leader, Chris Robbins.

Following last week’s local government elections when Waltham Forest shifted from a borough with no overall political control to one with a Labour majority, Cllr Robbins has put celebrations aside to concentrate on getting down to the job of running the borough.

On Thursday, he is set to be announced as the newly created 'strong leader' role, serving a four-year term, after being re-elected as leader of the Waltham Forest Labour party yesterday.

He said: “We have 19 new councillors out of 37. It is really exciting and will refresh the group.

"I think it will be a brilliant four years. There will be problems, of course, but that is what we are here to deal with. I'm deeply concerned about what the Government will do with the budget.”

Cllr Robbins said his main priorities are to implement the pledges in the local Labour party's manifesto; examining the budget set to be allocated from central Government; preparing for the 2012 Games and a "massive drive" for regenerating the borough.

“We want to go forward on the regeneration with added vigour - Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow town centre, Leyton, and want to move forward at a fast pace,” he said.

The two key areas from the manifesto he plans to deal with first are cleaning up the streets and opening up schools in the summer holidays for young people and adults to use for sports and community events.

Following the end of the Lab/Lib Dem coalition, Cllr Robbins said he plans to make changes, including scrapping the paid deputy council leader role, as well as reducing the number of cabinet members from ten to eight – with a total saving of about £50,000.

The new cabinet of Labour councillors will be appointed on Monday, but Cllr Robbins said residents can expect to see different roles, the details of which will be fleshed out over the coming weeks.

The Mayor and cabinet will be formally announced at an annual council meeting on Thursday, May 20, at Walthamstow Town Hall in Forest Road, from 7.30pm.