Motion Tabled by Councillor J. Peck, Lead Member Resources and Performance

Resolved:

1.         That the financial outlook and draft medium term projection set out in the body of the report (CAB 033/089), be noted;

2.         That it be agreed that revenue budget inflation should be funded at the levels set out in the body of the report (CAB 033/089), and that any inflation in excess of this should be met from within the budgets for the Services affected (paragraph 4.3.5);

3.         That it be noted that £1.5million is available for ongoing service improvement growth from 2009-10, and that there is scope to identify further resources by zero-basing Area Based Grant;

4.         That the Cabinet’s five priorities for this budget round will be;

·                    Reducing over-crowding

·                    Raising GCSE results to be the best in the country

·                    Reducing levels of youth unemployment

·                    Tackling anti-social behaviour and crime

·                    Improving cleanliness and quality of the public realm;

5.         That it be noted that Agenda Item 6.4 “Housing Priority Areas 2008/2010” (CAB 021/089) brings forward costed proposals that accord with the priorities of the Authority to deliver early improvements in frontline Housing services;

6.         That it be noted that Agenda Item 10.2 “Working Neighbourhoods Fund” (CAB 031/089) directly addresses the Cabinet’s priority for tackling youth unemployment and raising educational performance at GCSE level.

7.         That Corporate Directors be requested to prepare budget proposals for 2009/10 -2010/11 in accordance with the following parameters.

(a)       A review of the allocation of Area-Based Grants to identify efficiencies to add to the £1.5m available for service improvement growth

(b)       In principle agreement of the earmarking of £2.4million for £300,000 for each Local Area Partnership (LAP) that can be allocated for General Fund service improvements in the identified priority areas, through a process of participatory budgeting, and to request Directorates to bring forward scalable proposals that can be implemented at different levels in each Local Area Partnership (LAP)

(c)        Bringing forward proposals for capital projects that will deliver improvements in youth provision, community safety and public realm;

8.         That £5.6million of General Fund balances be earmarked for budget risks as set out in the body of the report (CAB 033/089);

9.         That £1.0m of General Fund balances be earmarked towards one-off investments in in-year service improvement (CAB 033/089);

10.       That the previous Cabinet decision that in the first year of the new parking permit charging structure, 2008/09, based on emissions/engine size, net additional receipts accruing to the Authority as a result of the introduction of this structure, be allocated to road safety and environmental improvement schemes.  (Minutes of Cabinet 6^th February 2008, Item 6.1 “Review of Parking Services Fees & Charges” refers), be noted; and it be agreed that a sum equivalent to the additional income within the Parking Control Account, being the estimated additional proceeds in 2008/09 resulting from the introduction of Emissions-Based Car Parking Charges, be earmarked to a fund for public realm and road safety improvements;

11.       That Corporate Directors be requested to bring forward proposals that will deliver in-year step change improvement in youth services, tacking anti-social behaviour and crime, and improving the cleanliness and quality of the public realm;

12.       That the Corporate Director Communities, Localities and Culture be requested to bring forward proposals for in-year one-off measures in respect of the fund for public realm and road safety improvements;

13.       That Corporate Directors prepare service and financial planning submissions in accordance with the outline process and timetable set out in section 9 of the report (CAB 033/089); and

14.       That carry forwards of budget from 2007/08 to 2008/09 in respect of National Non Domestic Rate savings on school properties (£134,000) and the replacement programme for desktop PCs (£224,000) be agreed; and the ring fencing of Local Authority Business Growth Incentives (LABGI) funding, as set out in paragraph 4.11.3 of the report (CAB 033/089), be noted.

Action by

CORPORATE DIRECTOR RESOURCES (C. NAYLOR)

Service Head of Corporate Finance Corporate Finance, Resources (A. Finch)

ALL CORPORATE DIRECTORS [Resolutions 7, 11 and 13]

CORPORATE DIRECTOR COMMUNITIES, LOCALITIES AND CULTURE (S. HALSEY) [Resolution 12]

The Chair informed members of the Cabinet that Councillor Peck, Lead Member: Resources and Performance, had Tabled a Motion in relation to the recommendations set out in the report, a copy of which would be interleaved with the minutes.

Councillor Peck, Lead Member Resources and Performance, in introducing the report and proposing the tabled motion: -

·                    Commented that the Authority was currently in a strong financial position because of prudent budgetary decisions made over the past few years. However it now faced a more challenging period and consequently there was a need for the organisation to achieve more significant savings in order to balance the budget over the next 3 years and further into the future. The next item of business on the agenda addressed the longer term and the report currently before members of the Cabinet the shorter term.

·                    Highlighted five areas comprising the Administration’s priorities for achievement of transformational change, to be delivered through the General Fund Budget, Housing Revenue Account and Working Neighbourhoods Fund, and set out for agreement at paragraph 2.4 of the motion [Resolution 4. below].

·                    Commented that the premise for setting a three year Budget was to drive up performance. Balanced budgets in Years 2 and 3 of the period allowed attention to focus on significantly improving service delivery in key areas through the freeing up of efficiencies.

·                    Highlighted that the motion asked members of the Cabinet to note that there was £1.5 million available for ongoing service improvement growth (SIG) from 2009/10, as a consequence of efficiencies agreed in 2008/09, and also that there was scope to identify further resources for SIG by zero-basing Area Based Grant.

·                    Drew the attention of members of the Cabinet to the request, set out in the motion for agreement at paragraph 2.7 (c), that Corporate Directors bring forward proposals for capital projects that were congruent with the Administration’s five priorities for transformational change.

·                    Highlighted that the motion proposed for agreement that in to achieve in-year transformational change:

o                    £1million of General Fund Balances be earmarked towards one-off investments in in-year service improvement.

o                    That a sum equivalent to the estimated additional proceeds in 2008/09 resulting from the introduction of Emissions-Based Parking Charges, be earmarked to a fund for public realm and road safety improvements.

·                    Highlighted a typographical error in paragraph 2.10 line 7of the motion which should read agrees rather than agreed.

Mr Finch, Service Head Corporate Finance - Resource, at the request of the Chair, addressed the matters raised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, held on 29^th July 2008, in relation to the report; as set out in the tabled sheet of questions and comments presented on behalf of the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier in the proceedings.

Councillor Hawkins, Lead Member Children’s Services, commented that Area Based Grant contained funding for many sensitive initiatives which also contributed to the priorities of the Administration and and whilst concurring that these should be the subject of a search for efficiency considered that such an examination would need to be undertaken with great tact.

The Chair formally Seconded the motion as tabled, and it was:-

Resolved:

1.         That the financial outlook and draft medium term projection set out in the body of the report (CAB 033/089), be noted;

2.         That it be agreed that revenue budget inflation should be funded at the levels set out in the body of the report (CAB 033/089), and that any inflation in excess of this should be met from within the budgets for the Services affected (paragraph 4.3.5);

3.         That it be noted that £1.5million is available for ongoing service improvement growth from 2009-10, and that there is scope to identify further resources by zero-basing Area Based Grant;

4.         That the Cabinet’s five priorities for this budget round will be;

·                    Reducing over-crowding

·                    Raising GCSE results to be the best in the country

·                    Reducing levels of youth unemployment

·                    Tackling anti-social behaviour and crime

·                    Improving cleanliness and quality of the public realm;

5.         That it be noted that Agenda Item 6.4 “Housing Priority Areas 2008/2010” (CAB 021/089) brings forward costed proposals that accord with the priorities of the Authority to deliver early improvements in frontline Housing services;

6.         That it be noted that Agenda Item 10.2 “Working Neighbourhoods Fund” (CAB 031/089) directly addresses the Cabinet’s priority for tackling youth unemployment and raising educational performance at GCSE level.

7.         That Corporate Directors be requested to prepare budget proposals for 2009/10 -2010/11 in accordance with the following parameters.

(a)       A review of the allocation of Area-Based Grants to identify efficiencies to add to the £1.5m available for service improvement growth

(b)       In principle agreement of the earmarking of £2.4million for £300,000 for each Local Area Partnership (LAP) that can be allocated for General Fund service improvements in the identified priority areas, through a process of participatory budgeting, and to request Directorates to bring forward scalable proposals that can be implemented at different levels in each Local Area Partnership (LAP)

(c)        Bringing forward proposals for capital projects that will deliver improvements in youth provision, community safety and public realm;

8.         That £5.6million of General Fund balances be earmarked for budget risks as set out in the body of the report (CAB 033/089);

9.         That £1.0m of General Fund balances be earmarked towards one-off investments in in-year service improvement (CAB 033/089);

10.       That the previous Cabinet decision that in the first year of the new parking permit charging structure, 2008/09, based on emissions/engine size, net additional receipts accruing to the Authority as a result of the introduction of this structure, be allocated to road safety and environmental improvement schemes.  (Minutes of Cabinet 6^th February 2008, Item 6.1 “Review of Parking Services Fees & Charges” refers), be noted; and it be agreed that a sum equivalent to the additional income within the Parking Control Account, being the estimated additional proceeds in 2008/09 resulting from the introduction of Emissions-Based Car Parking Charges, be earmarked to a fund for public realm and road safety improvements;

11.       That Corporate Directors be requested to bring forward proposals that will deliver in-year step change improvement in youth services, tacking anti-social behaviour and crime, and improving the cleanliness and quality of the public realm;

12.       That the Corporate Director Communities, Localities and Culture be requested to bring forward proposals for in-year one-off measures in respect of the fund for public realm and road safety improvements;

13.       That Corporate Directors prepare service and financial planning submissions in accordance with the outline process and timetable set out in section 9 of the report (CAB 033/089); and

14.       That carry forwards of budget from 2007/08 to 2008/09 in respect of National Non Domestic Rate savings on school properties (£134,000) and the replacement programme for desktop PCs (£224,000) be agreed; and the ring fencing of Local Authority Business Growth Incentives (LABGI) funding, as set out in paragraph 4.11.3 of the report (CAB 033/089), be noted.