Issue - meetings

Options for reduction in Community Engagement functions

 

 

Meeting: 21/01/2014 - Cabinet (Item 74)

74 Options for Service Reduction in a range of Discretionary Areas pdf icon PDF 101 KB

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Blamire, Hanson and Sands)

 

Report of the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Blamire, Hanson and Sands)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning) which provided options for service reductions in discretionary areas to address the potential budget deficits for 2015/16 and enable Cabinet to give direction in advance of the need to remove posts and budgets and any operational closure of service areas to take place before year end 2014/15 in preparation for the challenges of budget setting for 2015/16. 

 

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

 

 

Option 1: Make none of the service reductions suggested in the report.

Option 2: Make all of the reductions suggested in the report

Option 3: Make only some of the reductions suggested in the report

Advantages

Such an option would be popular with the public, visitor and arts community

Provides an opportunity to make significant year on year savings

Enables some functions to remain or partial service provision

Disadvantages

The opportunity to make major savings from discretionary areas would be lost

Removes areas of service provision which are popular, add to the quality of life of citizens and employers, attracts visitors and loses the ability for making  improvements in the arts at this time

The level of savings may not reach those needed to balance the budget and cuts have to be made to other service areas. 

Risks

The need to make compensatory savings from other budget areas may affect statutory areas.

That the opportunity to support economic change in the district will be impeded by removing this area of activity

In areas poorly supported, there would be disappointment about capacity and resources which questions the rationale of continuing to engage in activity, unless properly communicated and accepted by stakeholders

 

The officer preferred option is Option 3.   If a balance can be gained between making savings elsewhere within the Council’s operations and this sector there will remain the ability to support a more limited intervention in the visitor economy and the districts cultural offer.    .

 

Cabinet is asked to give officers a clear indication of the service areas which they have the option to reduce in the service areas outlined in paragraph 1.1 of the report.  This will then enable steps to be taken to work up the detail of those reductions, consult with Trade Unions and the staff affected, and prepare a report for Personnel Committee to implement the changes.  

 

Councillor Sands proposed, seconded by Councillor Hanson:-

 

(1)     “That having considered the options available it is proposed that the status quo is maintained throughout 2014/15 but with the following related efficiency measures:

 

·                Redirect the resources associated with the Heritage Open Days as this falls too close to Vintage By The Sea

 

·                Replace the Sandcastle Festival with involvement in the major outdoor exhibition Profiling Morecambe Bay.  Note:  This would not be a replacement event provided by the City Council, but one delivered in partnership with other organisations around The Bay subject  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74