Appendices 1 & 2
West Dunbartonshire Council · 1 March 2023
Back to West Dunbartonshire Council — 1 March 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Appendix 1 Ref: Saving Option Officer Proposed Saving (£,000) Labour Group Decision Labour Group Saving (£,000) CCF01 Co-locate Dalmuir Library and Dalmuir Community Centre within the existing Community Centre building 14 Accept 14 CCF02 Consider further options for co-location and closure - in particular potential options for Balloch, Parkhall, Duntocher, Faifley and Dalmuir 277 Accept Option 1 50 CCF03 Reduce West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust's management fee by 10% 416 Accept 10% Reduction 416 CCF06 Generate additional income through commercialisation opportunities at Church Street, Bruce Street Baths and Aurora House including letting available space to third parties. 77 Accept 77 CCF09 Reduce the number of days Clydebank Town Hall is open from either six to four or six to three. 40 Reject 0 CCF12 Replace face to face citizen service provision at Church Street reception with phone access to contact centre 30 Reject 0 CCF13 Reduce community facility provision across West Dunbartonshire to a level more consistent with neighbouring local authorities through a combination of closure and community asset transfers. Reduction of 7.8 FTE in WDLT staff 257 Accept 257 CCF16 Remove two posts across the Communications, Culture and Performance areas which would reduce resource available to support services such as Arts and Heritage; Communications, Marketing and Events and Performance and Strategy. 80 Accept 80 CCF18 Reduce opening hours and/or days across the library network 95 Accept 95 CCF19 Review provision of library services within the school estate to consider part time or term time only provision 40 Accept Option 2 20 CCF20 Reduce staff numbers in the Customer Contact Centre and promote a digital first approach encouraging more residents to self serve and submit enquiries via the Council website. 90 Accept 90 CCF21 Reduce funding provided to Shopmobility by up to 90% 43 Reject 0 CCF22 Reduce funding provided to Antonine Sports Centre by up to 90% 44 Reject 0 EDU03 Reduce the number of learning assistants in schools by 2.34 FTE from the current establishment of 28 FTE. 32 Accept 32 EDU07 Reduce the school clothing grant to the statutory level of £120 for primary school children and £150 for secondary school children 839 Accept Option 1 774
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EDU09 Reduce the provision of clerical support hours in primary schools 0 Accept 0 EDU11 Reduce the Education Maintenance Allowance payment from £35 every two weeks to the statutory level of £30 every two weeks. 47 Reject 0 EDU12 Remove breakfast club provision in all primary schools 142 Reject 0 EDU13 Remove the provision of free swimming lessons for children in primary 4 14 Reject 0 EDU15 Reduce the budget for grounds maintenance and either reduce frequency of grass cuts in educational premises or create areas of biodiversity which would not require grass cutting 100 Accept 100 EDU16 Provide statutory education provision over a four day week with a programme of activities provided on the 5th day in secondary schools 1,338 Reject 0 EDU17 Review the role of Senior Early Learning and Childcare Officers enabling the removal of six Early Learning and Childcare Officers posts 119 Accept 119 HE01 Reduce anti-social behaviour service by removing backshift/weekend provision and limiting to phone provision within normal office hours. 272 Accept Option 3 127 HE02 Remove or reduce the Modern Apprenticeship Pathway Scheme 250 Accept Option 1 50 HE04 Reduce the Communities Team by 50% or Restructure Communities Team by bringing W4U Youth Learning Team and wider Community Planning support into the Communities Team 447 Accept Option 2 383 HE07 Reduce the Working 4U Service by up to 25% 1,145 Accept Option 3 1,145 HE08 Reduce funding provided to West Dunbartonshire Citizen Advice Bureau by up to 90% 314 Accept Option 1 87 HE10 Reduce funding provided to Y-Sort-it by up to 90% 141 Accept Option 1 39 HE11 Reduce the number of Tenant Liaison Officers from four to two 99 Accept 99 HE12 Mitchell Way Office Accommodation Rent 41.5 Accept 41.5 HE13 Reduce the level of funding available to Community Councils 11 Accept 11 PT05 Reduce pay preservation period 0 Reject 0 PT06 Reduction in ICT Management 50 Accept 50 PT07 Reduction in ICT Support 82 Accept 82 RES01 Reduce the size of the Council's Audit & Fraud team by removing 1.8TE of vacancies rising to 2.8 in future years 75 Accept 75
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RES03 Remove the provision of £15 per annum to each resident over the age of 67 via the Elderly Welfare Grant 110 Reject 0 RES04 Remove voluntary grant funding provided to West Dunbartonshire Community & Volunteering Services and reduce funding provided to the Clydebank Asbestos Group by 25% 173 Accept Tullochan Trust Alternative Funding - Reject the rest 17 RES05 Remove the Provost Hospitality Fund which is used for hospitality for provost hosted events and for commemorating special events within the community 37 Accept Reduction of £9,000 9 RES10 Reduce the size of the Council's Insurance Management team from four officers to three. 50 Accept 50 RES11 Reduce manual processing by automating the generation of debtor and creditor invoices 25 Accept 25 RES21 Reduce the size of the Council's Automation team from three to two in 2023/24 and by a further one in 2024/25 37.5 Accept 37.5 RES22 Reduce accountancy provision by removing one vacant post and transferring 70% of a post to work charged to the HRA 73 Accept 73 RN01 Reduce or remove the provision of school crossing patrollers 95 Reject 0 RN04 Review the charging policy for the Care of Gardens scheme or remove provision entirely 440 Accept Option 2 211 RN06 Reduce or remove the provision of weekend litter collection at key destinations such as parks and town centres 140 Accept Option 1 47 RN08 Introduce charging for garden waste collection 64 Reject 0 RN09 Reduce provision of grass cutting, bin clearing, litter collection and street sweeping 400 Accept Option 1 460 RN10 Improve recycling rates through a review of the programme of residual waste collection 50 Accept 50 RN12 Reduce or remove provision of footway gritting 128 Reject 0 RN15 Transfer the provision of Christmas lights to community groups or traders associations with assistance provided by the Council at switch on events 25 Accept 25 RN16 Roads Review of Activities to Support Education 34 Reject 0 RN17 Environmental Trust Grant Reduction 87 Accept Option 2 87
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RR12 Reduce support provided to local businesses and organisations including a reduction in officers within the Council's economic development team 169 Accept Option 2 169 SDP01 Non regulated procurement under £2m to be carried out by services and remove need for procurement monitoring activity for contracts awarded under that threshold 110 Accept 110 SDP02 Non-Complex procurement to be carried out by services and remove need for procurement monitoring activity for those contracts 148 Accept 148 SDP03 Review and improve purchase to pay administration procedures reducing the need for Corporate Procurement Unit support and allowing services to fully undertake purchase to pay activities 99 Accept 99 SDP11 Reduce Consultancy Services and Capital Investment Team 212 Accept 212 SDP13 Reduce the resource in the Asset Management team from 22.14 FTE to 19.14 FTE removing three posts. This generates a capital budget saving rather than revenue. 0 Accept 0 SDP14 Review the use of Municipal Buildings to identify alternative uses or commercial opportunities 37 Accept 37 SDP15 Review possible early closure of Clydebank Town Centre Office with employees based there relocated to alternative Council accommodation 108 Accept 108 SDP16 Two week Christmas closedown bar delivery of essential services 6.5 Reject 0 Total 9,920 6,288
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Appendix 2 Budget Consultation 2015: The last budget consultation public meeting was held in the Town Hall in 2015 under Labour with participants using electronic voting to register their agreement or disagreement with each option. 2016: No public consultation activity. 2017: No public consultation activity. 2018: The last standard budget consultation (consulting on each saving proposal) was in January 2018 when there were questions asked on line seeking views on individual options. 2019: The last priority based budget consultation was on-line in 2019 (primary education, secondary education and roads were residents’ top three priority service areas). 2020: No public consultation activity 2021: No public consultation activity 2022: Savings options were submitted by the SNP Council last year with no public consultation. 20220309 - 202223 Budget Setting - Appendix 2 - Saving Options.xlsx (west-dunbarton.gov.uk) 2022/23: Consultation took place on the Council’s strategic priorities for the 5 Year Strategic Plan. A consultation was undertaken as part of the development of the strategic plan which went to chief officers and elected members, our strategic partners including via schools, housing, community team and to community groups, equality and diversity groups, and also promoted via social media, the website site, intranet and a release issued to the local media and paper copies available from libraries and leisure centres The Council engages with residents throughout the year. 16 separate consultations were undertaken to date during 22/23 and this included statutory and non-statutory. In addition the Council gathers feedback from residents via the Citizens Panel and monthly telephone satisfaction surveys of 100 residents. There is also service specific engagement such as via the housing service with tenants associations and groups, from the communities team with community groups including as part of community budgeting and community councils, and from education with parents/carers and pupils. The last budget consultation in 2019 was to ascertain resident’s priorities and as such the results remain relevant for this and future years. The priorities at that time of primary education, secondary education and roads have been reflected and reinforced by more recent citizens panel survey and the consultation on the 2022-2017 Strategic Plan. In relation to this year, all impacted groups were directly informed of the potential options on 16 February and directed to the Council website to view these in detail alongside the Council report. This provided an opportunity to raise questions or contact members in advance of the budget meeting. Equality Impact Assessments have been undertaken and these prompt consideration of groups with protected characteristics as well as detailing all engagement activity undertaken by services as part of the preparation of the options. The options are informed by data and developed by officers with a view to ensuring elected members have the required details available to make an informed decision.