Agenda item

Following the presentation those attending will be asked to work in groups to

1.  Highlight any concerns about the impacts of the Council’s budget direction

2.  Identify things that local communities can do to help

3.  Consider what you have heard about what other Councils have done

A presentation was given by Andrew Pate and Councillor Charles Gerrish. A copy can be found on the Bath City Forum webpage:

http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/budget_presentation_-_18.11.16_without_notes.pptx

Points that arose during the presentation

·  B&NES Council will be part of the pilot for the retention of business rates, this starts next year.

·  This year’s presentation appears to have skipped over feeding back on what cuts were made last year. These cuts should be brought into the public awareness.

·  Approximately £900,000 CIL money is expected to be received this year. This will be separate to the budget and used for capital projects.

·  The savings being discussed are for this coming year and the next three years.

Feedback following on from the presentation

1.  Become more accountable for where the Council spends its money.

Response – The Council are carefully monitoring how investments and borrowing is conducted, we stay aware of the impacts of interest rates, bond rates and the effects that these can have on the Pension Fund we are involved with.

2.  Find ways to make accommodation for students pay, with 24 percent of Baths accommodation used for students something needs to be done as they are not paying their way.

Response – Work is taking place to look at HMO’s and accommodation for Students.

3.  Congestion charging that looks at the vehicles coming through the City.

Response – As a stand-alone City, bath is too small to make a congestion zone a viable scheme. There have been discussions with neighbouring authorities but the willingness to participate was not there.

4.  Other means for the Council to make money by setting up additional separate businesses, like the property company.

Response – Where opportunities arise we would be willing to look at new approaches, we need to remain mindful not to damage existing smaller businesses in the process.

5.  Create a tourist levy for visitors to the City as they have in Europe. Avoid making this a burden to hotels and B&B’s.

Response – This is a something that the Council would like to trial but presently central government restricts us from doing so.

6.  Consider the statutory and non-statutory services that are being provided. Carefully monitoring of where private companies take on delivery of services.

Response – Bath Adult Services will maximise the service provision, the Council will monitor carefully.

7.  Increase second home taxes as has been done in other areas.

Response – This is an idea that the Council would be happy to look at.

8.  Consider an approach to introduce precepts to Bath through creating new Parishes.

Response – Any new Parish requests will need to come from a bottom up approach, 7.5% of a given population would need to be in favour before a motion could be taken forward. If an unparished area of Bath (example: Weston Village) wanted to do this they could do so by themselves.

9.  Ask the question around increasing Council Tax instead of cutting services.

Response - Yes, public opinion can be used to determine increasing Council Tax, we do however need to be mindful of those less well-off that are unable to afford rises.

A separate precept is included on Council Tax which goes directly into Social Care; this is separate and can be increased by 2% each year. 

10.Can the students be asked to make a contribution? Introduce off campus University levy?

Response - It is not possible to charge Council tax to students.

11.Key worker homes and affordable housing requires a greater effort as there is not enough being achieved in the City. Could supplementary planning rules be put in place to make more homes available?

Response – Yes, the Council is keen to help key workers and young professionals find ways into affordable housing.

12.Bus services such as the 6/7 service being cut leaves sections of communities in isolation. Cuts like these can be divisive.

Response – The West of England devolution deal will provide the Council with powers that allow bus routes to be franchised as packages that include the less profitable routes in with the more profitable.

13.Lobby Central Government against the cuts they are imposing on the Council.

Response – The devolution deal that the Council are part will provide us with greater access to central government along with the new funding.

14.The needs to special educational needs, there are higher numbers of places and assessments required.

Response – Yes, we will be monitoring the requirements for special school places

Due to time restraints the following points did not receive a response:

·  Workplace parking schemes like those introduced in Nottingham.

·  Consider the knock on effects of cuts and how they affect areas downstream.

·  Build on the take up of digital services. Provide extra PC’s in locations for those who need access.

·  Create better methods of joining up services across the Council, information to be shared more effectively to avoid the need for duplication.

·  Scale down the layers of management in the Councils organisation.

·  Take better care of the workers that are being paid on the lowest graded roles in the Council.