The Director of
Environment, Culture and Communities presented a
report on the key themes and priorities for the Environment,
Culture and Communities Department as outlined in
the Council’s Draft Budget Proposals for 2013/14. The key
themes included gross revenue budget, income, net revenue budget,
current out-turn, and major variances revenue.
Budget pressures included Car Park income,
Library income, and a 21% reduction in contributions from
Crowthorne Parish Council and Sandhurst Town Council towards the
running costs of Edgbarrow and Sandhurst Sports Centres.
Revenue budget proposal savings were in the
areas of: waste management, car park business rates, cemetery and
crematorium income, landscape holding account, nursery relocation,
local transport implementation, West Berkshire weather contract,
Coral Reef income, Central IT budgets, Travel Plans, Gainshare
Recycling Scheme, pre-applications income, and Licensing income;
totalling £672,000.
In response to Members’ questions, the
following points were made:
- Landfill tax had
increased by £8 per ton. This was a different tax from the
national Landfill Allowance and Trading Scheme introduced by the
EU.
- There was
£153,000 grant from central government for new flood and
water management responsibilities including drainage. Funding had
been secured for next year also.
- Officers were working
over the Christmas period, so it was not known why the car park
ticket machines were reported to have been full at The Look Out.
Fewer people had been asking for refunds than initially anticipated
and car park charging was on target at present. Income of
£50,000 was expected to be achieved in this financial
year.
- There were three or
four fully disabled accessible bedrooms on the ground floor at
Easthampstead Park Mansion.
- A £100,000
increase in income expected for Coral Reef was based on historic
good performance over the past two years, and had been included in
the core budget.
- The renewal of a
standard rose for a further seven years had ‘not
applicable’ under the proposed fee as this cemetery and
crematorium service was being withdrawn.
- Golf fees and charges
were set at the market rate and based on competition with other
courses. It was thought that a standard price Monday to Friday
would work more effectively than a separate price for Fridays. A
value for money assessment had been undertaken and it was thought
that this approach could generate more income. Fees were reviewed
though to see if they were fair.
- Car park maintenance
had been delayed owing to a procurement and legal issue and a
re-tender had been required. There was also a delay due to the
adverse winter weather but work due to be undertaken this year
would be carried out with work scheduled for next year.
- There were specific
schemes regarding development in relation to highway works which
supplemented funding through grants for other works. Implementing
the scheme to improve the Twin Bridges junction would support town
centre viability and the normal integrated transport scheme was
separate from this.
- The installation of
solar panels at leisure centres would save approximately
£13,000 in electricity costs. There were two combined heat
and power ...
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