Decision details

Further to Minute No. 127 of the meeting held on 28 October 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on the Transformation Programme and sought approval for further budget options which would reduce the 2011/12 - 2013/14 budget gap. The report also provided an update on the review of externally funded activity and proposals for the cessation of some of that activity.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

Prior to the consideration of the savings options set out in Appendices A and B of the report, a vote was taken on a proposal that the consideration of the savings options be deferred until the next Cabinet Meeting on 16 December 2010 and this proposal was lost by 6 votes to 4. The Cabinet then considered the options set out in the two appendices.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)      the Council be recommended to give approval to the 100% cessation savings options in respect of externally funded activity totalling £3,483,984, as set out in Appendix A to the report;

(2)      the Council be recommended to give approval to the tactical savings options as set out in Table A of Appendix B to the report;

(3)      the Council be recommended to give approval to the tactical savings options as set out in Table B of Appendix B to the report, with the exception of the following savings options which are deferred for further consideration at the Cabinet Meeting on 16 December 2010, pending the submission of further information by officers on the options:

·       CM7 – Reduce overtime hours for Street Cleansing Service;

·       CE19(a) – Cease membership of the Local Government Association; and

·       CM8 – Stop non-Highway cleaning;

(4)      officers be authorised to prepare for the implementation of the above savings options immediately, pending final decisions of the Council;

(5)      it be noted that further savings proposals will be submitted to the Cabinet Meeting on 16 December 2010; and

(6)      the Chief Executive be requested to speak to the Editor of the Southport Visiter on behalf of the Cabinet, in order to request that journalists do not engage in conversations with anyone present during the course of the meeting, out of respect for the Members engaging in debate.

(In accordance with Rule 18.5 of the Council and Committee Procedure

Rules, the following Councillors requested that their votes against the

following resolutions set out above be recorded, namely:

Resolutions (1), (2) and (3) with the exception of the three savings options

deferred for further consideration in (3) – Councillors P. Dowd, Fairclough,

Maher and Moncur

Resolution (3) with regard to the deferral of the saving option CE19(a) to

cease membership of the Local Government Association – Councillor Parry)