Agenda item

a)     Cabinet – Report 10 – 2008/9

Councillor Kober introduced the Cabinet Report 10- 2008/09 – Financial Planning 2009/10 to 2011/12 and moved the following two alterations to the report:

 

1. We wish to continue investing in the Child Poverty Strategy and are proposing to spend another £100k in 2009/10 in addition to the £100k we have already committed this year.  This will include:

 

• funding a benefits campaign manager, based with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, to identify the best methods of increasing benefit take in the borough and targeting those families most in need;
• providing additional support to the Reaping the Benefits campaign, in the form of running evening advice sessions, in eight different venues in some of our most deprived areas
• organising further ‘Claim It’ events through out the year and additional on-going publicity to raise the profile of this;
• production leaflets and publicity materials for residents on how to claim benefits including in work credit, out of work benefits and free school meals. These will be distributed to target families at schools, children’s centres, GP and health centres and libraries.

 

2. The quality of the street environment remains a vital issue for residents in the borough, who tell us that crime and clean streets should be priorities for improvement.

 

We are proposing an investment of £160k per year in the Environmental Crime Service which will improve outcomes for residents, by directing resources towards the areas of greatest need, and enabling a proactive approach to tackling environmental problems.

 

By reshaping the service we will increase its effectiveness and visibility. Every ward will have a named warden, giving us the flexibility to respond to priorities in a local area. The warden will work with local residents and councillors, and with partner agencies, to coordinate service interventions and to address key issues using a problem-solving approach which will deliver sustained improvements.

 

Councillor Gorrie MOVED 2 amendments to the report as follows:

 

Amendment 1

 

Proposal to Devolve Planning Decisions and Advice paid for by reducing the number of issues of Haringey People

 

We propose dividing the Borough into four “Planning Areas”.

 

Planning Committee

The existing Planning Committee System has one committee covering the whole Borough and considering approximately 100 major applications a year. The Committee and support costs approximately £18k pa. The new proposal is to establish a Planning Committee for each of the four “Planning Areas” while maintaining a Borough wide committee for key strategic applications with Borough wide impact. Initial costings indicate a revised annual cost of £102k.

 

Planning Advice

The four “Planning Areas” and their Planning Committees will be supported by weekly planning advice surgeries in each area. These will likely operate from 3-7pm in convenient and central local community facilities such as libraries and other Council facilities. Annual Planning department costs are forecast to increase by £27k with a possible requirement for £8k in one off capital equipment costs. The proposed surgeries would cover all planning applications, including major applications, and provide a 1 to 1 advice service for residents on applications and enforcement.

 

Revenue Cost increase:

Planning Committee £  84k

Planning Advice                    £  27k

 

Total                                        £111K

 

The above increase in budgeted revenue costs would be offset by a saving from reducing the number of issues of “Haringey People” from ten a year to four a year. The current costs of Haringey People are shown as £372k with £114k of notional income giving a net cost of £258k. The 2009/10 budget includes a proposal to increase advertising revenue by £42k making net costs £216k for the ten issues. Four issues a year would therefore cost £86k which would represent a saving of £130k.

 

The £19k surplus savings are assumed to be contingency for either additional costs in operating the devolved planning scheme or increases in “Haringey People” costs as a result of any lost economies of scale.

 

This amendment would make planning advice, enforcement and decision making more accessible to residents while reducing the unnecessary excess of “Haringey People”.

 

Amendment  2 :

 

Proposal to operate without a central Council Chamber and moving all Civic Centre users out of the Civic to be paid for by reducing the number of Cabinet Members.

 

It is proposed:

 

1. That all the 200+ meetings currently held each year in the Civic Centre Council Chamber are held in alternative suitable locations around the Borough. More than 15 possible venues have been identified ranging from the Bernie Grant Centre to Bruce Castle to Hornsey Town Hall to Alexandra Palace.
2. That alternative accommodation is identified for the approximately 250 Committee Meetings held in the Civic Centre each year. Potentially a third of these could likely be accommodated in River Park House with the limited balance being relocated to other locations such as Woodside House.
3. A suitable alternative location is identified for the Registrars Services.

 

This proposal is estimated to result in a £93k per year increase in revenue costs. The mobile Council Chamber approach is forecast to require capital expenditure of £200k.

 

The original plans for Woodside House as the Civic Centre replacement required an estimated £12m capital spend on Woodside House to refurbish the facility and build a new Council Chamber. This plan was put on hold in late 2008.

 

The 2009/10 to 2011/12 Budget assumes the sale of the first part of the Civic Centre and includes capital expenditure of £1m on the Civic Centre replacement project. The remaining £11m cost of the new Civic Centre would be spent in subsequent years.

 

The new proposal would change the use of the £1m Capital expenditure to cover, first the £200k of equipment and furniture, and secondly the start of the tactical refurbishment, modifications and redesign of existing facilities needed to support Committee meetings that could not be housed in River Park House plus the need for alternative locations for the Registrars Service.

 

Property Services have estimated an additional £4.2m (£5.2m in total) may be required to complete the alternative accommodation for the Registrars Service and committee rooms. This compares to the £11m to complete the Civic Centre rebuild approach.

 

The £93k annual cost increase provides a potential future capital expenditure saving to the Borough of £6.8m.

 

The above increase in budgeted revenue costs would be offset by a saving of £100k from reducing by three the Cabinet posts, thus reducing the SRAs, on-costs and associated Officer Support costs.

 

This amendment would take the Council out into the Borough, be paid for by reducing the cost of Members to residents and potentially avoid £6.8m of unnecessary capital expenditure in the future.

 

A debate ensued and other Members contributed to the discussion. 

 

In respect of amendment 1 - On a vote there being 18 for, and 32 against, the amendment was declared LOST.

 

In respect of amendment 2 - On a VOTE there being 18 for, and 32  against, the amendment was declared LOST.

 

In respect of the report and alterations as MOVED by Councillor Kober - On a vote there being 32 for, and 18 against, it was:

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.      That the Cabinet Report 10- 2008/09 – Financial Planning 2009/10 to 2011/12 be received and adopted and that the following recommendations contained in the appendix to report number 10 be agreed:

i.         To agree the changes and variations set out at paragraph 9.3 and appendix B of the report.

ii.       To note the outcome of the consultation processes set out at paragraph 11 of the report.

iii.     To agree the new investment proposals set out in appendix D of the report.

iv.      To agree the revised and new savings proposals set out in appendix E of the report.

v.        To agree the proposals for the children’s services (DSG) budget set out in appendix F of the report.

vi.      To agree the proposals for the HRA budget set out in appendix G of the report.

vii.    To approve the housing rent increase at an average of £4.78 per week (6.1%).

viii.  To approve the housing tenant service charge increase at an average of £1.94 per week.

ix.      To agree the proposals for the capital programme and funding set out in appendices H and J and the capital resource allocation policy at appendix I of the report.

x.        To agree the treasury management strategy and policy and prudential limits set out in appendix K of the report.

xi.      To agree the proposed general fund budget requirement of £408.834m, subject to the decisions of precepting and levying authorities, and the consequences for council tax levels;

xii.    To agree a way forward in respect of additional resources required for investment in children’s services as set out in paragraphs 12.2  and 12.3 of the report.

xiii.  To note that the final decision on budget and council tax for 2009/10 will be made at the Council meeting on 23 February 2009.

 

2.       That in wishing to continue investing in the Child Poverty Strategy another £100k be spent in 2009/10 in addition to the £100k we have already committed this year. This will include:

 

•         funding a benefits campaign manager, based with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, to identify the best methods of increasing benefit take in the borough and targeting those families most in need;

•         providing additional support to the Reaping the Benefits campaign, in the form of running evening advice sessions, in eight different venues in some of our most deprived areas

•         organising further ‘Claim It’ events through out the year and additional on-going publicity to raise the profile of this;

•         production leaflets and publicity materials for residents on how to claim benefits including in work credit, out of work benefits and free school meals. These will be distributed to target families at schools, children’s centres, GP and health centres and libraries.

 

3.       That, in noting that the quality of the street environment remains a vital issue for residents in the borough who have told the authority that crime and clean streets should be priorities for improvement, an investment of £160k per year in the Environmental Crime Service will be made which will improve outcomes for residents, by directing resources towards the areas of greatest need, and enabling a proactive approach to tackling environmental problems.

 

4.       That by reshaping the service this will increase its effectiveness and visibility and every ward will have a named warden, giving the flexibility to respond to priorities in a local area. The warden will work with local residents and councillors, and with partner agencies, to coordinate service interventions and to address key issues using a problem-solving approach which will deliver sustained improvements.