Report of the Chief Executive and City Treasurer

This report provides an update on the Council’s financial position and sets out next steps in the budget process, including scrutiny of the draft budget proposals and Directorate Business Plan reports by this Committee.

Further to item CESC/18/54, the Committee received a report of the Chief Executive and the City Treasurer which provided an update on the Council’s financial position and set out the next steps in the budget process, including scrutiny of the draft budget proposals and Directorate Business Plan reports by the Committee.

The Committee also received a report of the Deputy Chief Executive which set out in broad terms the Neighbourhoods Directorate’s key priorities, key activities and both the revenue and capital strategy for 2019-20. In the Business Plan for the period 2017-2020, directorates had set out their proposed savings in the context of their objectives. This report set out both the progress made to date in delivering these savings and the directorate’s focus over the final year of the three-year plan. This report was a refresh of the directorate’s Business Plan for 2018-20 in the context of changing resources, challenges and opportunities.

The Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources outlined the context of the reports, in particular the challenges presented by funding reductions from the national government.  The Chief Operating Officer (Neighbourhoods) provided Members with an overview of the reports.  The Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure highlighted investments and improvements being made in areas within the Committee’s remit.

Some of the key points and themes that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• To welcome that the Council was investing in services which residents had stated were important to them, despite the current financial situation;
• Whether there were any plans for the returned £2.7 million from the unused central business rates levy surplus;
• How confident were officers that an additional £163,000 would be generated from parks in 2019-20;
• Request for further information on the Manchester Volunteer Inspired Programme (MCRVIP); and
• To thank officers and Executive Members for their hard work in developing the budget proposals and business plans.

The Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources reported that the £2.7 million was earmarked for addressing the budget pressures on the Children’s Services budget. The Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure informed Members that the Council had already managed to increase the income generated from cafes and other facilities in the city’s larger parks and that responses to the consultation on the Parks Strategy had indicated that residents wanted more amenities, such as cafes, in parks.  He reported that the first 15 park plans were being implemented, with support from partners including volunteers, and that he was confident that the income targets could be achieved.  The Strategic Lead (Parks, Leisure and Events) reported that 25% of the running costs for Manchester parks were funded by income generated through trading or secondary income from the parks.  He informed the Committee that, based on benchmarking with other cities, he was confident that, with the right investment and approach, there was a lot of scope to increase the income generated from the city’s parks.

In response to the question on the MCRVIP, the Strategic Lead (Parks, Leisure and Events) informed Members that many local people had volunteered to support the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester in 2002 and had expressed an interest in continuing to volunteer at future events.  He reported that in 2006 the Council had secured funding to establish a volunteering bureau which was primarily focused on sport and leisure events and that this model had been successful and had subsequently been adopted by other cities.  He informed the Committee that the Council was now working to expand the MCRVIP to encompass other types of volunteering opportunities.  The Chief Operating Officer (Neighbourhoods) reported that officers were working with colleagues in HROD (Human Resources and Organisational Development) on how this platform could be used to link Council staff to volunteering opportunities, as Council employees were now eligible for three days of volunteering leave per year.

Decisions

The Committee:-

1.            Supports the way the Council is working to continue to provide services in the face of challenging financial circumstances.

2.            Requests that the report on Events, which is scheduled for the 7 March meeting, include further information on the Manchester Volunteer Inspired Programme and how it links into the events programme.