Agenda item

(1)    The report set out the process that had been followed to ensure the delivery of the 2011/12 budget savings allocated to the services overseen by this POSC.  The delivery of the £95m of savings would be a major factor in delivering the 2011/12 budget on target. However, the overall net budget for 2011/12 was £908m and it was crucial to ensure that the whole budget was delivered on target.

(2)      In March responsible managers were asked to ‘RAG rate’ each of their savings according to the following guidelines:

·              Red – detailed plans not yet finalised and/or delivery not totally within our control

·              Amber – anything that is between 'Green' and 'Red'

·              Green – delivery of savings has already started

Subsequently ‘Blue’ had been added to the rating for savings that were already delivered and ‘in the bag’. The ‘BRAG rating’ of savings had been an iterative process, and responsible managers provided several updates.

(3)    The total savings for 2011-12 for the services covered by the Committee was £11.212m.  The savings fell currently under the following “BRAG” categories:

(4)         Highways saving had recently changed from amber to green as it was largely delivered. The major element of the required service efficiencies would be delivered through the implementation of the new highway maintenance contract which had now been signed and would commence in September 2011.  Highways was also nearing completion on its major staffing restructure, which would bring significant staff efficiencies and result in a new approach to highway safety inspections, assessment surveys and customer service and combining activities such as Sustainable Transport and Road Safety.

(5)         Other efficiencies were also being secured across all areas of highways business including; revisiting and improving contractual arrangements for traffic and works management systems; improved maintenance capability using more up to date asset inventories, the upkeep of which would now be done through business as usual; reduction in assessment / condition surveys; reductions in energy consumption for streetlights and traffic signals and signs; rationalisation of vegetation control; further reductions in use of term consultancy and the full year-effect of the route optimisation for drainage that commenced in 2010-11 and the continuation of the process through street lighting and highway inspection.

(6)    The Waste Service was reviewing the third party recycling credits scheme because the cost of this discretionary function in Kent was very large compared to other waste disposal authorities, and it was believed that the current administration arrangements of the scheme had led to inequalities across Kent. 

(7)    To date the focus of attention had been on the £95m savings in the 2011/12 budget. It was important to shift the focus to monitoring the overall 2011/12 budget of £908m and to ensure delivery was on target.

(8)         During discussion the following issues were raised:-

(a)         Mr Northey referred to reductions in energy consumption for streetlights and asked if there were any plans to switch off streetlights overnight.  Following debate it was suggested that the topic could be discussed at JTBs or Locality Boards, with a view to one of the Districts carrying out a pilot study.

(b)         Mrs Tweed requested that at any such discussion, the condition/suitability of pavements be taken into account.

(9)    RESOLVED that the progress against the delivery of savings covered by the POSC, be noted.