Agenda for Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 5th December 2012, 6.00 p.m.

Agenda and minutes

Special Meeting, Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Wednesday, 5th December 2012 6.00 p.m.

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Wallasey Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Mark Delap Principal Committee Officer

Items

No.

Item

39.

Members' Code of Conduct - Declarations of Interest/Party Whip

Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Members are reminded that they should also declare, pursuant to paragraph 18 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, whether they are subject to a party whip in connection with any item(s) to be considered and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of the whipping arrangement.

Minutes:

Members were asked to consider whether they had any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Members were reminded that they should also declare, pursuant to paragraph 18 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, whether they were subject to a party whip in connection with any item(s) to be considered and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of the whipping arrangement.

No such declarations were made.

40.

Budget Options PDF 146 KB

The following documents are attached for Members’ consideration –

· ‘What Really Matters?’ Budget Options Questionnaire

· Summary Paper for Regeneration and Environment

Specific Options for consideration by this Committee –

o Pre Planning Advice

o Apprentice Programme

o Handy Person Service

o Restructure of Regeneration, Housing and Planning

o Home Insulation Scheme

o BME Support Programme

o Supporting People Service

o Invest Wirral

· Summary Paper for Transformation and Resources

Specific Options for consideration by this Committee –

o Marketing and Public Relations

o Destination Marketing

o Tranmere Rovers Sponsorship

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive presented for Members’ consideration the ‘What Really Matters?’ Budget Options questionnaire, together with the Budget Options summary papers for both Regeneration and Environment and Transformation and Resources, which had been developed by Council Officers. The questionnaire had informed the option papers, which had been published to indicate where savings might be found for Councillors, Partners, staff and the public to consider.

The Committee considered a presentation on the two stage budget consultation process, which indicated that the initial process had the highest level of consultation response in the UK and had guided the development of the savings options. As part of stage two of the budget consultation, over 70 budget options had been published, which included 25% more savings than was needed, in order to give genuine choice. So far, some 4000 responses had been received.

The Chair commented that this was an opportunity for the Committee to inform the Cabinet of its views, to seek further information on the options and to make suggestions for alternative and/or additional savings. Specific Options with associated savings/income generation from the summary papers, which fell within the remit of the Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee, had been highlighted for consideration by Members, viz:

Regeneration and Environment
Pre Planning Advice	£10,000
Members indicated their general agreement to the option to introduce a fee, to cover staff time, for all pre-planning advice, in line with most of the local authorities in the Merseyside area.
Apprentice Programme	£500,000 or £420,000
Members commented upon the value of the Apprenticeship Scheme and expressed a view that consultation should be undertaken to ascertain whether the scheme would remain viable with reduced wage incentives. Members were also pleased that an option remained for the Cabinet to retain the scheme in part, by way of the development of a scheme for the Liverpool City Region.
Handy Person Service	£209,400
Members noted that the Council would explore ways in which the service might be available, for example, through the establishment of a social enterprise or through links to the Wirral Traders Scheme. Members noted also that a reduced number of staff would still facilitate the fast track hospital discharge service through DCLG funding, which would continue until 2015, and that options would be explored to continue the service beyond 2015.
Restructure of Regeneration, Housing and Planning Department	£338,900
In response to a comment from a Member that the stage one questionnaire did not provide sufficient detail in relation to the proposed saving, the Director indicated that more detail had been included in both the summary paper and detailed paper. He outlined the rationale for the proposed savings and commented that the proposal included the deletion of seven posts, of which two were currently vacant. Members indicated that with duties being shared amongst reduced teams, increased staff workloads would have to be considered. Members also noted the comments of the Director in relation to the availability of funding and, specifically, that the proposal would continue to allow sufficient ... view the full minutes text for item 40.