Agenda item
Budget Review - 2015/16 Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015/16 - 2018/19
Minutes:
The Chair, Cllr John Rowley clarified the order that the budget savings proposals would be considered and welcomed the Cabinet Members and lead officers.
He invited the Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and City Prosperity, Cllr Peter Bilson and Tim Johnson, Strategic Director Education and Enterprise to the table to provide a brief summary of the ‘Economic Regeneration and Prosperity’ savings proposals. The comments of the panel were recorded.
Cllr Peter Bilson introduced the savings proposal for Resources port-folio holder relating to ‘Reduction in West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority Levy’. The comments of the panel were recorded.
The Chair thanked Cllr Bilson and officers for their attendance.
The Chair invited Cllr John Reynolds, Chris Huddart and Steve Woodward to the table to consider the City Services savings proposals. The comments of the panel were recorded.
Cllr John Reynolds invited questions on the Governance and Perfomance saving proposal relating to ‘Occupational Health External Clients’, noe were received and the proposal was noted.
The Chair thanked them for their attendance.
Resolved
That the table of comments be referred to Scrutiny Board for consideration:
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Savings Proposals
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Description of Saving |
Directorate |
Comments |
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City Services |
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Acceleration of saving proposal 0037 (Highways Maintenance) |
Delivery |
Cllr John Reynolds advised that the proposed saving would be achieved by introducing more efficient machinery to repair potholes.
Agreed to note the proposal |
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Efficiency Savings Arising from the Corporate Landlord Model |
Delivery |
Agreed to note the proposal
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Staffing review of the Markets Service |
Delivery |
Cllr John Reynolds confirmed that the savings proposal would be achieved through reduction in staffing resulting from the closure of Heantun House.
Agreed to note the proposal |
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Reduction of the winter service budget |
Delivery |
Cllr John Reynolds confirmed that the savings proposal would be achieved through reducing the amount of salt stock piled and retaining £50,000 reserve to buy in salt if the need arises. In response to further questions Steve Woodward, Head of Public Realm confirmed that if there was a high demand nationally, Wolverhampton has supply contracts in place for supply of salt. The Scrutiny Panel considered if joint procurement of salt was an area that could be explored in the future to make further savings.
Agreed to note the proposal |
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Employee car parking fees |
Delivery |
Cllr John Reynolds confirmed that income would be generated by implementing a sliding scale of car parking fees for employees. He confirmed that essential car users would retain access to car parks free of charge and that disabled employees would have access to disabled parking spaces. In response to a question relating to implementing car parking charges for councillors Cllr John Reynolds advised that this could be taken into consideration and suggested that a study of Local Authorities car parking charges for councillors could be undertaken to feed into the consultation process.
Agreed to note the proposal and that a study of councillors car parking charges in other local authorities be undertaken and considered as part of the consultation process.
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Economic Regeneration and Prosperity |
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Further merged and shared transportation services. |
Education & Enterprise |
In response to questions Cllr Peter Bilson confirmed that the functional base for shared transportation services will be in Wolverhampton, but that not at Heantun House, which will be demolished following the two year relocation process to Civic Centre as part of the Future Space programme. Options for location are under consideration but are not part of this savings proposal. Cllr Peter Bilson confirmed that the Metro will be considered in future transportation services proposals but that they are not part of this proposal.
Tim Johnson advised that there will be further opportunities in time to broaden transportation services to become income generating.
Agreed to note the proposal |
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Highways Maintenance - Reduction in Borrowing for Treasury Management |
Education & Enterprise |
Agreed to note the proposal
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Efficiency savings across the Directorate |
Education & Enterprise |
Agreed to note the proposal
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Capitalisation of staff revenue costs associated with development schemes. |
Education & Enterprise |
Agreed to note the proposal
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Savings from the restructuring of senior management in order to deliver the Council wide target, of a minimum of £350,000, approved by Full Council on 17 September 2014. |
Education & Enterprise |
Agreed to note the proposal
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Resources |
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Reduction in West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority Levy |
Delivery |
Agreed to note the proposal
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Governance and Performance |
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Occupational Health External Clients |
Delivery |
Agreed to note the proposal
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Supporting documents:
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