There will be a discussion at the meeting which will focus on the prepared budget proposals in relation to a Well Run Council/Corporate Services.

Appendix C of the PROPOSED FINANCIAL PLAN 2017/18-2020/2 budget (Document “AJ”) considered by Executive at its meeting held on 6 December 2016 is being circulated to aid the discussion.

                                                                        (Stuart McKinnon – 01274 432800)

There was a discussion at the meeting which focused on the prepared budget proposals in relation to a Well Run Council/Corporate Services.

Appendix C of the Proposed Financial Plan 2017/18-2020/21 Budget (Executive Document “AJ”) considered by Executive at its meeting held on 6 December 2016 had been circulated to aid the discussion.

The Chair commented that in the absence of a detailed report, it was difficult for Members to understand the information that had been presented by way of appendix c.  In response the Strategic Director Corporate Services explained that the appendix set out the budget context for the Corporate Services area, and formed part of the larger Executive budget document that had been presented in early December.

He went onto explain the proposed budget savings proposals for each of the service areas that fell under the Corporate Services umbrella, with a £0.6m overall savings proposal for 2017/18 and £2.7m for 2018/19.

Financial Services – That the proposed savings of £162,000 would be achieved through reduced staffing, primarily via voluntary redundancies and retirement. He stressed that that the Service was already a low cost functioning service compared to other local authorities of a similar size.

In response to a question regarding the level of staffing in the last 5 years, it was pointed out that the number of staff currently stood at 58, compared to 95 in 2010.

Insurance Services – The proposed saving of £500,000 would be achieved by reducing the level of the premiums and departments reducing the number of claims.  In addition explore the possibility of selling on insurance to generate income.

In response to a question on how deliverable this ambition was in the context of reduced local government funding, its impact on service delivery and the possibility of more potential claims, the Strategic Director acknowledged that the savings target was ambitious and that sometimes significant claims can be made, which were difficult to predict, particularly in relation to claims pertaining to defects in the highway.

In relation to a question regarding shopping around in order to get a lower premium,  the Strategic Director explained that although this was possible and Local Authorities were exploring the possibility of mutual cover on a joint basis, there were risks associated with this arrangement, and in any case the level of cover offered by the current provider was second to none and an excellent relationship had been forged over the years.

Revenues and Benefits – That the proposed saving of £160,000 would be achieved by reducing the amount of cash circulating within the organisation and the transportation of it, by moving to a more cashless system.

A Member suggested that replacing the current cash only parking meters to a cashless system would significantly reduce the amount of cash that needed collecting.

Contribution of West Yorkshire Joint Committee -  That the proposed £110,000 saving would be achieved by capping Bradford’s contribution, becoming more financially viable in the process through the selling of services.

Information Technology Services  - That the proposed saving of £500,000 would be achieved by re-sizing of the service and using more cost effective software solutions.

Human Resources – The proposal to save £204,000 and £400,000 relating to Terms and Conditions would be achieved by reducing transactional HR support and other HR functions. In addition removing anomalies in relation to the payment of car allowances.

Legal and Democratic Services – The proposal to save £75,000 through reconfiguration of services, however details had not been agreed at this stage. 

A Member stated that it was important to look at the Council’s decision making structure and have a debate on how Committee meetings can be rationalised.

A Member suggested the idea of moving towards paperless agendas as a way of saving money, as well as being more politically savvy on how matters are dealt with across the Committee structure.

Officer of the Chief Executive  - The proposal to save £479,000 through a restructure of the Chief Executive’s Office.

Regeneration – Asset management – The proposal to save £510,000 by changes in the management of the Council’s operational and investment estate and other changes including investment ambitions.

In relation to the investment options, a Member expressed a word of caution, particularly in terms of the tax liability arising from investments.  In response the Strategic Director stressed in order to exploit any income streams, the income potential would have to be guaranteed. 

In relation to the Community Asset Transfer process, a Member highlighted the need to simplify  the CAT process and make it more viable, otherwise there was a danger of the process becoming unworkable.  In response the Strategic Director stated that efforts were on going  to work with organisations to ensure deliverability.  The Leader of Council was also present at the meeting and stated that there were some financial barriers and hence the Council had to be patient with community organisations in order to make Community Asset Transfer a viable process.

The Chair thanked the Strategic Director Corporate Services for attending the meeting and responding to Member’s questions.

No resolution was passed on this item.