Agenda item

(Director of Planning and Economic Development) To consider the attached report.

The Panel received a report from Ms K Polyzoides, Assistant Director of Planning and Economic Development, regarding Request for District Development Fund (DDF) carry over to 2011/12 and 12/13.

As of mid-December 2010 there had been a recruitment freeze on external recruitment to all vacant posts with the exception for posts that have implications for health and safety, demonstrated that they generate surplus income or were externally funded. The report was being submitted in parallel with a Town Centre Officer post extension request report.

The amounts of DDF funding requested to be carried over for 2011/12 and 12/13 were as follows:

Economic Development: £12,000 underspend for Town Centre support and £4,000 for Enhanced Business Contacts.

The Cabinet agreed, in December 2007, to a support package using LABGI funds of £36,000 for 3 years from 2008/09. This enabled each Town Centre Partnership (TCP) to apply for a special projects grant of up to £2,000 per year for delivering a project. Officers felt that given uncertainties of future funding, money left in the budget in the third year should roll forward for use in the following year.

Another reason for the underspend was due to under staffing within the Town Centres/Economic Development Team. It was requested that the outstanding £12,000 was carried forward to 2011/12 and 12/13. Any additional £6,000 CSB amount per annum, available to TCPs for special projects, was being utilised.

The Cabinet had also agreed in December 2007 that a £4,000 sum from LABGI payments should be allocated for enhanced business contact related work. However in the light of reduced staffing in 2011, it was not possible to deliver this work in the current financial year. Members agreed with the principle of Town Centre provision being made. However the uncertainty of the economic situation meant that priorities would need careful evaluation.

Conservation/Trees and Landscape

A Technical Support Officer had been in post since July 2010. The postholder had assisted in developing and delivering the Conservation Area, Management Plans and Character Appraisals, with great progress having been made.

The current Conservation Officer was retiring in February 2011. The £10,000 requested to be carried over to 2011/12 in addition to £7,000 already allocated for the technical support post would allow the postholder to remain until November/December 2011, continuing key work in the Conservation Team in what was anticipated to be a challenging period for service and project delivery.

Business Management

An essential part of the Directorate Improvement Plan identified the need to improve planning processes that were directly linked to the Electronic Document Management System. The current £9,800 PDG budget for ICT equipment and software was the only funding available to the Directorate for essential software upgrades to IPlan and provision of non-standard ICT equipment that was not funded/available from ICT.

Directorate Training

The ongoing CSB Training Budget was fully committed with previous commitments to meet the training needs of one trainee building surveyor in Building Control who was completing a four year Bsc in Building Surveying from 2007/08 to 2011/12 at £1,600 per year. The trainee would then undergo certification by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in 2012/13 at an estimated cost of £2,000. The balance of the CSB Training Budget was fully committed for a large number of short courses and seminars. If the directorate was unable to retain the above budget of £10,000 they may well be required to prioritise the CSB budget commitments.

Although members felt that investing in staff training raised morale and improved aspiration, there was also concern expressed that there had been an under spend in this area.

RECOMMENDED:

(1)        That the carry forward of District Development Funding in the sum of £10,000 to 2011/12 for the continuation of the Technical Support Officer (Conservation) Post until November 2011 be recommended; and

(2)        That further District Development Funding previously approved in the sum of £10,390 be offered as a revenue saving for 2011/12.