Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Directors of Corporate Resources – Corporate Services and Culture, Communities and Business Services regarding the Transformation to 2021 programme for Countryside and Rural Affairs.

To consider a report of the Directors of Corporate Resources – Corporate Services and Culture Communities and Business Services regarding the Transformation to 2021 programme.

To consider a report of the Directors of Corporate Resources – Corporate Services and Culture, Communities and Business Services outlining the Recreation and Heritage savings proposals that have been developed as part of the Transformation to 2021 programme.

The Committee received a report from the Director of Culture, Communities and Business Services (CCBS) providing an overview of the Revenue Savings Proposals included as part of Transformation to 2021 (T21).

Ahead of the departmental framework, officers detailed the national context and the effect on the County Council as a whole. It was noted the budget was for CCBS as a whole but that the department was split across Executive Member responsibilities. Members heard that the key themes for CCBS for T21 were commercialism, income generation, efficiencies and customer focus. Proposed savings areas included;

• Library Service (£1.76m) – Savings would be provided through reduction to opening hours and reviewing community libraries, potentially closing or relocating some. Alongside this would be efforts for income generation and other efficiencies including digital resources and a rationalisation of the number of public computers.
• Countryside and Rural Affairs (£0.3m) – increased revenue through revised car parking strategy and a general service re-design.
• Archives and Records (£90k) – through income generation and efficiencies
• Grants and efficiencies (£0.432m);
  • Arts & Museums grant funding (HCT)
  • Sport funding (Energise Me)
  • Community & Cultural grants

Officers highlighted the potential risks for the T21 budget, particularly that over 50% of the savings target sits within the library service, a service which the public have previously been resistant to see change. Cllrs also noted that increasing income can be challenging and is impacted by the financial constraints of customers such as schools and other local authorities.

Members also received the headline findings of ‘Serving Hampshire – Balancing the Budget 2019’ Consultation.

In response to questions members heard that;

• There were no changes or proposals to change funding for the Basingstoke Canal.
• The number of people visiting country parks had increased due to the increased investment.
• There would be a full consultation on the proposals for the Library service which will allow the public to inform the final decision. It could be that some libraries close or there could be changes to opening hours for all. Officers shared that a review of all libraries was timely as some are too small or not in the right place to be effective.
• There is work being undertaken to increase the use of ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition’ alongside improving gates and footpaths in country parks. Officers added that they were indebted to the work of volunteers in relation to footpath maintenance.
• The proposals in relation to the Library service would be covered by a future meeting of the Library Task & Finish group.

The recommendation was proposed, and a vote was held with the following outcome;

For                  7

Against          4

Abstain          1

RESOLVED: That the Culture and Communities Select Committee consider the detailed savings proposals and support the recommendations being proposed to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage in section 2 of the report.