This is a web page preview of a Microsoft Word document from the West Berkshire Council Liberal Democrats site. It is generated by a computer and is not manually edited. Formatting and content may be displayed differently to the original document, and should not be regarded as definitive.
West Berkshire Council Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats Proposed Budget 2006/7
01/03/06
(updated to include car parking income)
Liberal Democrats will propose:
Reducing the Council Tax rise to 2.45% whilst scrapping many of the mean cuts proposed by the Conservatives.
An overall budget requirement of £172,442,000 rather than £172,720,000
Headline Details
Proposed tax 0.45% lower than Conservative administration of 2.9% - whilst also reversing many of their proposed mean and unnecessary cuts
Increasing the Community Care budget by £82,000 including the addition of £25k to fund a home visiting scheme by the voluntary sector (e.g. Age Concern)
Reducing cuts in social care teams and respite care and restoring the funding to the local arts
Funding Wardens for Thatcham for a whole year, getting the project started without delay. The project is only currently funded for of the year by the Council which will mean delays getting the project off the ground.
Restoring £7k of funding to the Summer Reading Challenge enjoyed by over 4,700 local children last year.
Adding a budget to end the unfair £250 charge on residents needing mobile CCTV installed in their area to tackle antisocial behaviour and crime
Reversing the proposed increased charge on trade waste which would only serve to encourage fly tipping and penalise responsible small business owners.
Keeping the £10k Parents as First Teachers Pilot project in Mrs Bland's School, Burghfield. The project is a long term project which will reduce antisocial behaviour - its success must be evaluated before it is scrapped.
Opposing the mean £20,000 cut to the meals on wheels service which will affect the elderly and vulnerable given them frozen instead of cooked meals
Looking harder for savings to keep tax down
Recognising the reality that the Waste PFI will now not start until January 2007 at the earliest - using money set aside for priority investments and a lower council tax.
Inserting a £40,000 savings target in the Children & Young People's service. This is affordable for a service already benefiting from £366,000 of funding originally allocated to schools (Council savings strategy 2a & 2b)
Raising the cost efficiencies required in Community Care and Housing by £20,000
Historical Context
In control of West Berkshire Council in 2003/4, 2004/5 and 2005/6 Liberal Democrats have consistently reduced the rate of Council Tax rises, despite poor financial settlements and unfunded extra demands from the Government
Table 1 Reductions in the rise in Council Tax since the 2003 local elections (Lib Dem budget plans implemented in between 2003/4 and 2005/6)
Year |
Rise % |
Reduction in rise |
2003/4 |
8.5 |
0 |
2004/5 |
7.9 |
-0.6 |
2005/6 |
3.9 |
-4 |
2006/7* |
2.45* |
-1.45 |
* = (proposed)
Invest to Save
One of the key strategies of the Liberal Democrats In control of West Berkshire Council was investing in “Invest to Save” projects, some of which have started to bear fruit. Some of the savings proposed in this years budget are as a direct result of prudent investments made in previous years.
Savings or Service Cuts?
The Liberal Democrat Group feel that some of these proposed savings run too high a risk for services.
Deleting the whole of the £90,000 budget for agency staff in Community Care and Housing in one go could have devastating effects on the services in care homes and so the Lib Dems will only accept £60k of this proposed £90k saving.
Advice from Officers has been that cutting the purchase of residential care beds to 58 could mean that waiting lists be introduced again for residential care. That is why Liberal Democrats are willing to fund 60 residential beds not the 58 beds proposed by the Conservatives.
Council's Inspection Ratings Falling
West Berkshire Council Liberal Democrats worked hard to improve this Council and its services and last year it was raised to being rated "Good", removing some of the costly government inspections.
Since the Conservatives took control the rating fell from 4/5 under the old ratings, to just 2/4 under the new ratings.
When the Liberal Democrats left office the Council was rated 4/4 for value for money use of resources - the Conservative Council is now branded by the Audit Commission as just 2/4.
Community Care & Housing
Additional Investments
Add £25k Voluntary sector home visits (such as Age Concern) - expanding the existing service to further reduce social isolation and hospital admissions.
Savings
Take only 3/4 of the proposed saving on agency budget meaning saving only £60k to the Tories £90k (additional cost £30k)
Oppose the frozen meals cut before the scrutiny report has reported £20k saving removed (cost £20k)
Take only 3 out of the 4 posts being cut in the Care Management Teams (cost 25k)
Restore £12k of the cut to fund 2 more residential beds (officer advice was that 58 was the bare minimum and the LD's will fund 60)
Add a £30k saving for a target to increase efficiencies from £25k to £55k
The net cost of Liberal Democrat proposed investments in CC&H is £82k
Children & Young People
Savings
Restore £10k to Mrs Blands Parents as First Teachers Scheme to prevent closure. Officer advice is that this invest to save pilot scheme started under the Lib Dems is “successful” and will have significant impact on a small number of families.
Increase the Income target from 16k to 20k (net benefit +4k)
Only take 3 of the 5 cuts in posts in care management schemes (cost £64k). Officer advice is that there is “some risk that supporting fewer children will increase risk of family breakdown and demand for high cost social care”
Oppose all of the 40k cut to respite care. Officer advice is that “risk of family breakdown increases as support packages are reduced in number or size”
Take only £16k of the proposed £32k cut in non staff savings against voluntary organisations (cost £16k). Officer advice is that there is a “potential risk to viability of smaller voluntary organisations providing services commissioned by the Council”
Add an efficiency savings target of £40K (net addition of 40K), manageable when the Council is benefiting from £366,000 of funding originally allocated to schools
Oppose the £9k cut in arts funding.
Total Children and Young People + £95k pressure
Strategy and Resources
Additional Investments
Invest £33k to upgrade the Thatcham Warden scheme from being funded for only funded for 9 months to being funded for a whole year - enabling it to be set up straight away, avoiding delays.
Savings
Oppose the £7k proposed cut to the popular summer reading challenge, enjoyed by 4776 children last year. .
Net cost Strategy & Resources £40k extra investment
Environment & Public Protection
Additional Investments
Invest £20k additional to the Clean & Green initiative to ensure the Council gets a full time officer, rather than a part time marketing exercise.
Invest £2k to abolish the punitive and unfair £250 charges on residents for getting mobile CCTV erected to cut antisocial behaviour and crime in their neighbourhood.
Work to a January `07 start date for the waste PFI investing £240k for the waste strategy provision to start in January, saving £530k for alternative investments and keeping Council Tax down. Alternative provision will be made in the reserves from the Strategic Risk Fund.
Savings
Oppose the £5k trade waste tax being imposed by the Conservatives which will hit local small businesses and will increase fly tipping
Oppose the £8k cut to the contribution to South East Berkshire Emergency Volunteers who gave considerable support to West Berkshire during the Purley floods.
Net cost Environment & Public Protection saving of £495k
Other Changes
Strategic Risk Fund
Transfer £240k of the £1.2m Strategic Risk Fund reserve to the Waste PFI reserve.
Allocate the remainder £0.96m from the Strategic Risk Fund reserve to road resurfacing works resulting in a total of £2.26m invested in Highways.
Fees & Charges - season ticket price rise in the Kennet Centre Car Park
Liberal Democrats also plan to trim back the proposed rises in Season Ticket prices in Newbury of upto 29.6% which will hit workers in the town.
This would be funded by introducing a £1 night time parking charge across Newbury with enforcement patrols. Officers have confirmed that anticipated net revenue from the night time charge would fund this reduction in the rise of season ticket prices.
This charge would be implemented as well as the planned £1 charge at the Kennet Centre multi-storey car park, which remains Council policy to help fund the proposed new cinema, in line with the continued Lib Dem commitment of bringing a cinema to Newbury.
Net additional revenue of a minimum of £14k (officer advice was that the charge could raise upto £30k net profit, but we have been prudent in our assumptions) would be used to lower the punitive rises in Season Tickets down to a maximum of 3.7%.
Description |
Current Fee 2005/6 |
Proposed Fee Con 2006/7 |
Proposed Fee LD 2006/7 |
% Increase Con |
% Increase LD |
Difference % Con/LD |
Season Ticket Prices |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kennet Centre |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per Quarter |
135 |
175 |
140 |
29.6 |
3.7 |
-25.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northbrook MSCP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per Quarter |
135 |
165 |
140 |
22.2 |
3.7 |
-18.5 |
Per Annum |
450 |
530 |
465 |
17.8 |
3.3 |
-14.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Newbury “General” |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per Quarter |
155 |
185 |
160 |
19.4 |
3.2 |
-16.2 |
Per Annum |
580 |
680 |
600 |
17.2 |
3.4 |
-13.8 |
The original Environment & Public Protection fees and charges proposals are on the final page of the document, page 120 of the Council papers and page 77 of the 9th February Executive papers.
ALTERNATIVE BUDGET PROPOSALS IN DETAIL
Directorate |
|
Difference |
Explanation |
Community Care and Housing |
|
Difference |
explanation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unavoidable |
|
|
|
Savings |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Older People |
|
|
|
Learning Disabilities |
300 |
0 |
|
One extra nursing bed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 more intensive home care |
252 |
0 |
|
Reduced staff in elderly homes |
60 |
90 |
reduced from 90k to 60k - keeping a budget to enable the Council to employ agency staff |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Physical Disabilities |
|
|
|
Client income |
40 |
0 |
|
2 Extra nursing beds |
70 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Learning disabilities |
|
|
|
Community Meals |
0 |
20 |
Remove this £20k cut ahead of planned scrutiny recommendations on this year |
7 extra residential/nursing part year |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17 extra day care |
447 |
0 |
|
Cost efficiencies |
55 |
-30 |
Increased savings from Tories' £25k to £55k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mental Health |
|
|
|
Care Management Teams |
70 |
25 |
reduced from £95k to £70k |
1 extra residential |
31 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Business Support |
60 |
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Real Extra Investment |
|
|
|
Client Income |
108 |
0 |
|
Age Concern Home Visiting |
25 |
25 |
extend scheme |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase of residential beds |
50 |
12 |
Fund 60 beds, 2 more than the Tories' 58 - Tories proposed £62k of savings LD's propose £50k |
Sub total Unavoidables CC&H |
825 |
25 |
|
for older people |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Super Inflation Costs |
330 |
|
|
Additional MVF 3% |
100 |
0 |
|
Sub total Super inflation cost |
330 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25 |
-25 |
Total CCH Savings |
|
57 |
57 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CC & H Gap |
82k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directorate |
|
|
|
Children & Young People |
|
|
|
Unavoidable |
|
Diff |
|
Savings |
|
Diff |
|
Childrens Services |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Training For educational Psychologists |
27 |
0 |
|
Reduction in funding of central services |
50 |
10 |
continue Mrs Bland's Parents as First Teachers Scheme for £10k, taking only £50k of saving to the Tories £60k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transfer of LEA costs to Schools |
154 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Needs of children who will come into care |
300 |
0 |
|
Central LEA costs offset by Grants |
212 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Increased income target |
20 |
-4 |
Increase income target from 16k to 20k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reduction of 5 posts across care teams |
96 |
64 |
Reduction from five to three posts being removed. Taking £96k of savings instead of £160k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Placement costs |
100 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Respite Care |
0 |
40 |
Oppose £40k cut reduce to £0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non staff savings against VSO's |
16 |
16 |
Reduce cut from £32k to just £16k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Efficiency savings |
40 |
-40 |
Add £40k savings target |
Sub Total Children services |
327 |
0 |
|
Total savings Childrens services |
688 |
86 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Culture and Youth Services |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cotswold sports Centre contract |
20 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Downlands Sports Centre |
5 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Lambourn Sports Centre |
5 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Management Staff - Leisure proc contract |
40 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Sport Cnt reduction in contract Var Budget |
8 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Arts - reduction contribution to Vol Art Sec |
0 |
9 |
Oppose £9k cut in arts funding, reduce to £0 |
|
|
|
|
Holiday Activity program reduced hire cost |
5 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Youth Service Transport |
18 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Youth Activity Teams income & efficiency |
20 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
MVF additional |
187 |
0 |
|
Sub Total culture and youth |
0 |
|
|
Sub Total savings Culture & Youth |
308 |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Super inflation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Education services excluding schools |
154 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Standards Fund match |
13 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Childrens Services fostering allowance |
90 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Super inflation Sub total |
257 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total C&YP unavoidable |
584 |
0 |
0 |
Total C &YP Savings |
996 |
95 |
95 |
C& YP Gap |
95k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directorate |
|
|
|
Strategy & Resources |
|
|
|
|
|
Diff |
|
|
|
Difference |
|
Maintenace intranet/web |
7 |
0 |
|
CEO General expenses |
14 |
0 |
|
Increase cost upkeep corporate build |
60 |
0 |
|
Corporate director post |
137 |
0 |
|
Libraries - wash common increase stock |
68 |
0 |
|
Legal deletion temp solicitor |
90 |
0 |
|
wb training payroll services |
13 |
0 |
|
info & Comm book stock |
33 |
7 |
Restore popular Summer Reading Challenge for £7k. Take £33k of £40k savings. |
SLA with social enterprise |
20 |
0 |
|
property generation of 3rd party business |
30 |
0 |
|
Wardens |
83 |
33 |
£33k additional investment to ensure Thatcham scheme funded for a full year without delay |
ex Amey Savings |
122 |
0 |
|
member allowances |
15 |
0 |
|
reduced early retirement |
23 |
0 |
|
debt recovery reduction in income |
25 |
0 |
|
district audit fee |
20 |
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Service access - sovereign housing |
40 |
0 |
|
recruitment and retention pay level fund |
50 |
0 |
|
additional procurement saving |
30 |
0 |
|
Sub total S& R unavoidable |
341 |
33 |
|
Corporate savings car lease/allowance |
110 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
professional fees |
60 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
conference expenses |
6 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
recruitment advertising |
50 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
storage bins -invest to save |
10 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
shredders - invest to save |
14 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
GE Accountancy |
20 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
GE assurance |
15 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
GE exchequer |
10 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
GE ICT |
50 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
GE Human resources |
15 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
GE Finance policy and planning |
10 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Super inflation vol sect payments SLA |
9 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sub total Super inflation S&R |
9 |
0 |
|
Total Saving S&R |
909 |
7 |
7 |
S & R gap |
40k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total unavoidable pressures S&R |
350 |
33 |
-33 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directorate |
|
Diff |
|
Environment and Public Protection |
|
Diff |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Highways Cleaning |
31 |
0 |
|
Efficiency target |
55 |
0 |
|
CCTV Contract |
92 |
0 |
|
JSPU |
49 |
0 |
|
Reducing parish contribution to cctv |
0 |
0 |
|
Increasing Car parking |
193 |
0 |
|
section 14 road traffic order - comm events |
5 |
0 |
|
reduction licensing staff |
25 |
0 |
|
Clean & Green initiative - Employ a full time Energy Conservation Officer |
50 |
20 |
additional £20k expenditure to fund full time officer instead of a marketing drive |
animal health |
28 |
0 |
|
Community Safety CCTV provision |
2 |
2 |
Add £2k to end the unfair £250 CCTV fee for residents suffering Anti-soscial behaviour & crime |
|
|
|
|
waste strategy provision |
240 |
-530 |
Use Strategic Risk Fund reserve to fund the reserve needed to start PFI. Assume a January start to the PFI. Saving £530k |
reduction in H&E staffing |
40 |
0 |
|
Sub total E&PP Unavoidable |
420 |
-508 |
|
increase charge trade waste |
0 |
5 |
reduced to zero because of fly-tipping |
Super Inflation costs |
|
|
|
cease contribution to external bodies |
8 |
8 |
Reverse proposed cut to SEEBEV who helped out this Council following Purley flooding crisis |
SI refuse collection |
310 |
0 |
|
groundwater scheme cease funding |
65 |
0 |
|
SI Highways Term Contract |
211 |
0 |
|
additional MVF to achieve 3% target |
59 |
0 |
|
SI street lighting term contract |
20 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
SI highways lighting energy |
190 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
bus contracts |
54 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
grounds maintenance |
8 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
hazordous waste |
10 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
sub total Super inflation |
803 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total E&PP unavoidable |
1223 |
-508 |
508 |
Total E&PP Savings |
522 |
13 |
13 |
E& PP difference |
+495k |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CC&H Gap |
82 |
Pressure |
|
|
|
|
|
C&YP Gap |
95 |
Pressure |
|
|
|
|
|
S & R Gap |
40 |
Pressure |
|
|
|
|
|
E&PP Gap |
-495 |
Saving |
|
|
|
|
|
Total Difference |
-278 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Original LD
Conservative Alternative
Budget
|
|
2006/07 |
2006/07 |
|
|
£000 |
£000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Funds available to support budget: |
|
|
|
RSG/NNDR |
£25,412 |
£25,412 |
|
Council Tax (2.9% Con, 2.45% LD) |
64,162 |
63,884 |
|
Collection Fund estimated surplus |
556 |
556 |
|
DSG schools funding |
82590 |
82590 |
|
Total Budget Requirement (including schools) |
172,720 |
172,442 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total Budget Spending |
172,720 |
172,442 |
West Berkshire Liberal Democrats Alternative Budget 2006/7
15