Report 332/2010
Implications of Provisional Spending Targets
Environment Commissioner
1. Introduction
1.1. The Council has set out its key priorities within the Corporate Plan Pledges and the latest
draft version of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) sets out the financial position for
the council over a three year period, which is a context of decreasing public expenditure.
The development of the budget for 2010/11 has taken into account the key issues
outlined in the MTFP and how these translate into individual budgets for services. The
services within Environment Commissioning all make a contribution to create community
prosperity through:
 Regeneration and Economic Prosperity, including attracting inward investment to
the Bay and increasing the skills base within the local community;
 Securing a cleaner Bay and improving its appearance for both residents and
visitors; &
 Ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable children and adults.
1.2. The development of the 2011/12 budget has been through a detailed review with all
services subject to challenge and scrutiny as part of a series of Star Chamber meetings
which has also taken into account the objectives set out as part of the transformation
agenda, the development of a Commissioning Model and the significant challenge of the
Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). Last year our objectives were to ensure better
value for money facilitating the redirection of financial resources into front-line service
delivery and focusing on outcomes and priorities to improve the lives of the people of
Torbay. Although the sentiment of these objectives is consistent with this year we need
to be realistic about the impact of CSR noting that the Council will need to make very
difficult decisions regarding prioritisation of expenditure. This will result in a reduction in
services as the Council’s budget is expected to shrink over the next four years as the
CSR figures indicates we will have a reduction in our Government grant of about 28%. In
addition, due to the Bay’s structural economic reliance on a shrinking public sector and
the socio-demographic pressures and needs of our population this will exacerbate the
financial pressures on the Council.
1.3. The Environment Commissioner has responsibility for the following Business Units:
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Resident & Visitor Services (including the Client role for TOR2)
Spatial Planning
Torbay Development Agency
Harbour & Marine Services1
Community Safety
Due to the way Harbour & Marine Services relate to the Council constitutionally, reporting directly to Council with a
ring-fenced budget that is required to balance annually without financial subsidy from the Council, this report does not
refer to the details of Harbour & Marine Services Budget. This is dealt with by the Harbour Committee on behalf of the
Council.
The
report
can
be
found
using
the
following
link
http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/council/councillorsdecisions/minutesandreports.htm
1.4. A summary of the main objectives for the Business Units and how these link to the
council’s priorities and corporate pledges are set out below. Across Environment
Commissioning all services have been considering how to improve outcomes by focusing
services on the Community Plan, Economic Prosperity, and the Customer. It should be
noted that due to the CSR budgetary pressures difficult decisions around the prioritisation
of resources have taken place and in some areas service reductions have been made to
protect other higher priortised services. In addition to those corporate pledges related to
the sectors of the Community Plan Wheel all Environment Commissioning services will
contribute to the Council wide pledges to:
 To manage public sector reductions for local government of 28% and to re-model
solutions over the next 4 years
 To work with partners to provide the best outcomes for people in the Bay in the light of
significantly less taxation
 To have a community dialogue regarding the decommissioning and recommissioning
of services
 To develop our workforce in the light of the need for a smaller workforce with more
multi-skilled elements in the Council and work with partners
 To implement changes as required by new national policy which will impact on the
Bay in respect of schools, benefits, NHS, Community based budgeting, Big Society,
Localism Bill and Adults Social Care.
1.5. TOR2 – In June the Council with May Gurney established TOR2 the joint venture
company that will deliver all the Council’s waste & recycling collections, street scene &
highways maintenance, and asset maintenance work.. TOR2 is performance managed
on an outcome basis that requires them to deliver key outcomes such as improvements in
our recycling & composting rate whilst at the same time adhere to pre-determined levels
of performance with regard to issues such as customer service and the provision of
information. TOR2 has been established for six months and it under-going a major
change programme in terms of both the way the company works (compared to the old
DSW) and the services it provides. An example of this was the introduction of the new
waste & recycling collection service. It is recognised that this was a difficult period,
particularly for the first six to eight weeks, with this level of service change. However, our
levels of performance with regard to the following NI’s have seen a step change in
improvement. We are on course to become a top performing unitary council with regard
to our management of waste.
This supports our Pride in the Bay corporate pledges to:
 To continue to improve our recycling figures and to maintain the appearance of our
parks and gardens.
 Continue to maintain the cleanliness of Torbay.
1.6. Resident & Visitor Services – This is a broad diverse section of the Council covering 13
services/teams including arts, beaches, leisure, libraries, highways, and town services.
The high level objectives of R&VS can be summarised as:
 Enabling community participation in cultural & leisure activities
 Maintaining and enhancing our built and natural environment.
 Improving economic prosperity
 Delivering high quality commissioned services, this includes Torbay Coast and
Countryside Trust and has increased with the establishment of TOR2.
 Contributing to a safe environment for our communities.
1.7.
R&VS contribute to the following corporate pledges:
1.7.1. New Economy
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To improve transport and connectivity including South Devon Link Road
To continue to improve the towns of Brixham, Paignton and Torquay
1.7.2. Pride in the Bay
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1.7.3.
To continue to improve our recycling figures and to maintain the appearance of our
parks and gardens.
Continue to maintain the cleanliness of Torbay.
To complete the refurbishment of play areas including provision for older people
To regenerate Cockington Court as part of our cultural and green space offer
To deliver first phase of Tourism Strategy focusing on quality attack brands and
improve visitor spend. To have a permissive planning framework to maximise
return for the sector.
To enhance our cultural offer by continuing to develop enterprise and innovative
approaches
Learning & Skills
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1.7.4.
To support children and young people in making healthy lifestyle choices and
closing the gap in deprivation
Stronger Communities
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With partners to close the gap in deprivation in our communities and develop a
locality approach
To develop further volunteering and testing the ideas of the Big Society in specific
areas
1.8.
Spatial Planning – Spatial Planning covers all aspects of how we use the Bay now
and in the future. What we will and will not use our land for and how we will deliver
the priorities or our Community Plan. Since 2008 the Environment Commissioner
and Executive Head for Spatial Planning have been working to create an excellent
planning service. We are making very good progress towards this aim with the most
recent customer satisfaction figures of 92% of customers satisfied overall2 and 98%
satisfied with the availability of staff. Spatial Planning is now absolutely focused on
delivering the Community Plan, economic prosperity and the needs of the customer.
This has occurred at a time when income has been under pressure and a range of
Government grants that supported the provision of the service are no longer
available.
1.9.
Spatial Planning contributes to the following corporate pledges:
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Spatial Planning overall satisfaction survey results broken down with 52% very satisfied, 40% fairly satisfied, 4% neither
satisfied or dissatisfied, and 4% very dissatisfied.
1.9.1. New Economy
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1.9.2.
Integrate Mayoral Vision in Community Plan and progress delivery of improving the
physical environment of the place.
To improve transport and connectivity including South Devon Link Road
To continue to improve the towns of Brixham, Paignton and Torquay
Pride in the Bay
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1.9.3.
To progress the waste PFI with Devon County Council and Plymouth County
Council
To continue to improve our recycling figures and to maintain the appearance of our
parks and gardens.
To deliver the Torquay Harbour Area Action Plan
To support the improvement of our work on climate change by reducing our carbon
emissions
Learning & Skills
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1.9.4.
Complete redevelopment of Torquay Community College and redevelopment of
Parkfield
Stronger Communities
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With partners to close the gap in deprivation in our communities and develop a
locality approach
To work with local people to maximise the housing bonus in relation to a local
development framework for the necessary housing growth in the Bay
1.10.
Torbay Development Agency - The Torbay Development Agency (TDA) is a public /
private sector partnership created to ensure the regeneration and future sustainability
of Torbay, for the benefit of those people living, working and visiting the area.
Economic Prosperity is central to the Community Plan and the TDA are the key part
of the Council and Torbay plc driving economic prosperity. In addition to leading on
economic regeneration issues the TDA is also commissioned by the Deputy Chief
Executive to manage the Council’s assets, in the recent Use of Resources
assessment asset management was recognised as one of our areas of strength.
Since last year the Council have decided to tranform the TDA into an economic
development company that is a company limited by guarantee and wholly owned by
the Council. The Company has an impressive Board chaired by John Richards
whose career has included working as a FSTE 100 CEO for over ten years. The rest
of the Board represent a group of successful and talented individuals from within
Torbay and across South Devon.
1.11.
Torbay’s economy is structurally weak, in 2009 we have been identified as the 47 th
weakest economy in the UK and the weakest in the South West. In this context some
of our key economic performance indicators are bottom quartile and will be, no matter
how successful we are, for some time. We need to transform the Bay’s economy and
to do this successfully will take time, probably well in excess of ten years. The TDA is
a proactive service that is driving the economic improvement that we need.
Examples of this include the work on the Mayoral Vision, the Local Asset Backed
Vehicle, and the Innovation Centres.
1.12.
Torbay Development Agency contributes to the following corporate pledges:
1.13.
1.13.1.
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With partners to close the gap in deprivation in our communities and develop a locality
approach
To work with local people to maximise the housing bonus in relation to a local
development framework for the necessary housing growth in the Bay
Integrate Mayoral Vision in Community Plan and progress delivery of improving the
physical environment of the place.
Regeneration/economy - to regenerate the economy by attracting inward investment
To continue to improve the towns of Brixham, Paignton and Torquay
To further enhance skills in the Bay
To get better value for money from key assets and decommission those that are no
longer required
1.13.2.
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Learning & Skills
To regenerate Cockington Court as part of our cultural and green space offer
To support the improvement of our work on climate change by reducing our carbon
emissions
To enhance our cultural offer by continuing to develop enterprise and innovative
approaches
1.13.4.
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Pride in the Bay
To regenerate Cockington Court as part of our cultural and green space offer
To support the improvement of our work on climate change by reducing our carbon
emissions
To enhance our cultural offer by continuing to develop enterprise and innovative
approaches
1.13.3.
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New Economy
Stronger Communities
NEETS and post 19
Complete redevelopment of Torquay Community College and redevelopment of
Parkfield
Support the school for social entrepreneurs at Dartington
Reduce children and young people living in poverty
1.13.5.
Community Safety has seen an increase in the demand for its services in this
financial year – especially in the areas of environmental health, trading standards
and street wardens. This increase correlates closely with the full impact of the
economic conditions across the Bay.
1.13.6.
Community safety also covers the provision of our work in domestic violence and
anti-social behaviour. This work is, of course, undertaken in partnership with
other organisations, especially the Police. Anti-social behaviour is, we know from
the results of the Place Survey, a top priority for the Council to improve. Short
term funding has been used to employ specialists working in both these areas.
1.13.7.
The Family Intervention Projects have successfully worked with some of the
families in greatest need across the Bay during 2009/10. They have reduced antisocial behaviour by young people and maintained the threatened tenancies of 40
families across the bay.
1.13.8.
The work we do on domestic violence and the family intervention projects have
been supported by the TSP and funded mainly from Government grants with
additional contributions from TSP partners. In 2010/11 Community Safety will
receive £1.1million in grants for that were used to support the work we do on
domestic violence, family intervention and other areas of work to reduce antisocial behaviour. At the time of writing this report it appears very unlikely that
the grant funding provided by both Government and TSP partners will available in
2011/12. We are working hard to try and identify some sources of funding to
maintain some level of service but this will be extremely challenging and the most
optimistic outcome is for a much reduced service.
1.13.9.
Community Safety contributes to the following corporate pledges:
1.13.10. New Economy
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To continue to improve the towns of Brixham, Paignton and Torquay
1.13.11. Pride in the Bay
 Continue to maintain the cleanliness of Torbay
1.13.12. Learning & Skills for the Future
 To support children and young people in making healthy lifestyle choices and
closing the gap in deprivation
 To ensure all children and young people are protected from abuse and neglect and
feel safe
1.13.13. Stronger Communities
 With partners to close the gap in deprivation in our communities and develop a
locality approach
 To work with partners to maintain a low crime rate in the Bay and to tackle antisocial behaviour
 To develop further volunteering and testing the ideas of the Big Society in specific
areas
Charles Uzzell
Environment Commissioner