Green Budget proposals would support youth, culture, nature and climate

In the face of an awful pandemic, a government that fails to adequately support local authorities and incredibly challenging financial situation Wirral's Green councillors have identified almost £300k in savings that will support youth, culture and climate funding and abolish proposals to charge more for environmental services such as ERIC and garden waste collections. We would also halt the ill-considered proposals for development in Royden Park

 Don't be surprised if others nick some of our ideas......

 

GREEN GROUP BUDGET AMENDMENT 2021/22

 

Date of Budget Council:     Monday 1^st March 2021

Proposed by:                        Cllr Cleary

Seconded by:                       Cllr Cooke

 

 

That the motion being proposed to adopt a Revenue Budget of £329.4m is amended, so as:

 

(1)       The following are deleted:

 

1.	Savings proposal № 11 “Royden Park Commercial Development – Phase 1:   Proposals for a high-wire facility at Royden Park have not been scrutinised thoroughly or subjected to serious, informed, public consultation. Alternative sites have only had a cursory examination. A rigorous assessment needs to be undertaken of the likely impact on Royden Park should this project proceed. In addition, it is very unlikely that a proposal which is still at the design stage and has yet to achieve necessary permissions could deliver a significant surplus in the coming financial year.	£80,000”
2.	Savings proposal № 30 “Charging for a range of new and existing Environmental: Services”   Proposed increase in charges for environmental services are socially damaging and environmentally regressive. Charging for services including ERIC, wheely bin repairs/replacements and school recycling collections would impact negatively on the amount of waste recycled and could result in additional cost pressures from higher landfill charges and increased fly-tipping	£144,000”

(2)       The following:

 

1.	Savings proposal № 1  “Reduce the subsidy to the Hive Youth Centre from £400k to £300k, (instead of £200k in 2021/22 only): £100,000, to read:   “Reduce the subsidy to the Hive Youth Centre from        £400k to £315k (for 2021/22 only):	£85,000”
2.	Savings proposal № 27 “Savings from efficiencies at the Williamson Art Gallery: £90,000”, to read   “Savings from efficiencies at the Williamson Art Gallery:	£75,000”
3.	Savings proposal № 36 “Climate Emergency Budget Balance: £100,000” , to read   “Climate Emergency Budget Balance:	£79,000”

(3)      The budget gap of £275,000 that would thereby be created is then met, retaining a balanced budget of £329.4m by

 

Insertion of the following budget savings proposals:

 

1.	“Filling Staff vacancies:   Our people are our greatest asset and council is grateful for the immense efforts our staff have undertaken over the past year to support residents during an incredibly difficult period.   To support our staff in the year ahead Council agrees that vacancies should generally be filled on a timely basis. This will reduce pressures on existing staff and support employment in Wirral during a very difficult time for our local economy.   To achieve these aims Council assumes that vacancies filled will, on average, be at the mid-point on the relevant salary scale rather than the top of the relevant salary scale. Whilst this has the potential in an ideal year to generate £480,000 in savings it is prudent for a variety of reasons to assume that half of that potential can be achieved. Saving = £240,000.	£240,000
2.	“Changes to golf fees:   Council notes the results of the public consultation on the budget and shares our residents’ concern at the level of council subsidy for our public golf courses (currently £335,000 p.a.).   To reduce the level of council subsidy for public golf whilst further work is undertaken on its future provision in Wirral, this Council agrees that fees and charges for public golf are increased across the board by 5% for 2021/22. Saving = £35,000	£35,000