Agenda item 4 - MTFS (Final) Cab 070213 , item 9. PDF 1 MB

• Clearly defining what individual services are being resourced for and therefore what
service standards can be expected e.g. to meet minimum statutory requirements, to
exceed statutory requirements but for a clearly understood local priority (e.g. flood
alleviation) or discretionary spend for a clearly understood local priority (e.g. economic
growth)
• Engaging communities and stakeholders in understanding the need for change and
managing demand, including building on successful initiatives such as ‘Highways – Your
Way’;
• Continuing to develop the partnerships necessary to manage key local issues, such as
economic growth; and,
• Reducing net revenue expenditure as far as possible by developing long term income
streams and maximising returns from services able to generate income.
Meeting the Challenge
There are 6 main programmes of MTC activity focused on meeting basic needs, living within our
means and helping communities to help themselves. Year 2 (2012/13) savings have largely been
delivered, the exception being libraries and information where only 40% of the target is expected
to be achieved. The following summarises the main on-going areas of activity for each of the main
programmes.
• Highways – restructuring of service areas; back office efficiency gains through streamlining
processes; adopting a new service standard for highways; launching the highways big
community offer; letting a new highways contract
• Buses and Parking – redesigning the subsidized public bus network; introducing new on
street parking schemes within the main settlements in the County
• Economy and Environment – restructuring planning and development; rationalising funding
of the Local Enterprise Partnership (Gfirst Ltd); introducing parking charges at some
countryside sites; reducing grants to outside bodies; outsourcing the provision of gypsy and
traveller and countryside sites.
• Fire and Rescue – services changes resulting from a new Integrated Risk Management
Plan, including reductions in fire fighter numbers and removal of full-time crewing of
specialist appliance; opening of new stations with associated crewing and operational
changes; reductions in preventative and protective services
• Libraries and information – following judicial review decision develop and implement a
revised library strategy.
• Regulatory services – restructuring of trading standards; reduction in preventative activity.
There are also a number of non-MTC projects, such as the procurement of a residual waste
treatment solution, that have significant financial implications for the Council. There are also some
areas of increasing cost pressure where the Council is obligated to meet need (e.g.
concessionary fares) or has to take inflationary increases into account in order to continue
delivering effectively (e.g. rising energy and carbon costs).
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