Agenda item

Joint Report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Open Spaces.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Open Spaces that updated the Committee on its latest approved revenue budget for 2014/15 and sought approval for a provisional revenue budget for 2015/16 for subsequent submission to the Finance Committee.

The report also outlined the effects of the Service Based Review proposals for the Open Spaces Department. Members were advised that, as part of these proposals, a saving of £332,000 would be made in year one (2015/16), £306,000 in year two (16/17), and £440,000 in year three (17/18). A saving of £252,000 would be made through the ending of the City Bridge Trust grant for educational and volunteering activities. As the educational activities of the department were judged to be suitable for funding from the Bridge House Estates’ charitable funds, an application would be made before April 2015 to access this funding.

RESOLVED – That:-

a)    The provisional 2015/16 revenue budget be approved for submission to the Finance Committee;

b)    The draft capital budget be approved; and

c)    The Chamberlain, in consultation with the Director of Open Spaces, be authorised to revise these budgets to allow for any further implications arising from Corporate Projects, departmental reorganisations and other reviews and changes to the Additional Works Programme.