Decision details
Growing with B&NES - A partnership with the Genesis Trust
Decision Maker: Director Environment
Decision status: Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
The Council and the Genesis Trust have worked
up a proposal for a 3 year trial, to reduce cost to the Council
whilst maximising the use of the Council's plant nursery site to
achieve Council corporate objectives, and the social objectives of
the Genesis Trust which is a social enterprise. The Council will
enter into an initial 3 year concession agreement to assess the
success of the scheme in meeting the mutual objectives.
The Council will reduce risk to its volatile income streams by
selling stock to the Genesis Trust and reducing its own direct
sales of individual plants to residents, and as a result will be
able to reduce headcount by holding vacant posts within the
nursery.
Decision:
The Group Manager, in consultation with the
Cabinet Member for Development & Neighbourhoods will, subject
to the necessary legal agreements, enter into a partnership with
the Genesis Trust, working alongside Council staff, to grow and
sell plants from the Council's plant nursery and to offer
horticultural therapies to clients. This partnership will bring
financial savings to the Council and will secure the nursery
operation whilst expanding sales opportunities to residents and
providing therapeutic activities and up-skilling for Genesis Trust
clients.
Alternative options considered:
Option 1 - The council to recruit and continue
to staff sales directly to the public 7 days per week. Rejected as
being higher risk to the Council's income streams with no
additional benefit and would include the need to require staff to
work overtime or to recruit additional sales people for weekend
work.
Option 2 - The plant nursery to close down and for all stock to be
bought in without the need for additional growing, reducing the
operational costs of the nursery and space requirements. Rejected
pending the success of the pilot, but keeping open for review in
future years.
Publication date: 17/01/2019
Date of decision: 17/01/2019