Agenda item

To consider key themes and priorities for the Environment, Culture and Communities Department as outlined in the Council’s Draft Budget Proposals for 2013/14.

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a further seven years had ‘not applicable’ under the proposed fee as this cemetery and crematorium service was being withdrawn.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 units in existence at Bracknell Leisure Centre and Coral Reef which were old and inefficient. Consideration would be given to their replacement with a biomass unit which would require a feasibility study.
• There were no concerns regarding Disabled Facilities Grant funding as the department had never received less than proposed before.
• A Member commended the refurbishment works at the main Bracknell Library which had cost £30,000. This amount was not sufficient for a comprehensive refurbishment and further investment to create a community hub at the Library was welcomed.