Buckinghamshire Implementing the town and parish devolved services - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Buckinghamshire County Council Modernising Local Government in Buckinghamshire Implementing the town and parish devolved services offer

Buckinghamshire County Council Workshop Feedback; What would a successful devolution programme look like? • Clear unchanging definition of the service being devolved • No additional funding required to run / Concerns that Parishes /towns will be blamed following caps on taxes rather than a unitary • Clear communication for queries • Flexibility on funding models • The new council to provide sufficient technical expertise to advise parishes through the process • Toolkits provided for each service • Parishes able to input to specs • Sustainable – staff and volunteers • Clear understanding within the new Council as to services that are devolved to ensure no confusion. • Greater shared learning /working • A more sensible website with polices /key contacts • A longer consultation time for parishes

Buckinghamshire County Council From the Business Case

Buckinghamshire County Council The devolution offer proposal: Menu of assets and services Flexible to different needs and ambitions Transparent formula Tailored capacity building support Countywide policies and standards • Commissioned services To • Devolution of statutory services with budgets include: • Transfer of local assets

Buckinghamshire County Council The Devolution Offer proposal Key considerations: • Evidence of the benefits to the local community • Cost neutral overall for Buckinghamshire Council • Enable more local decision making and budget setting

Buckinghamshire County Council Potential County Council assets to devolve • Off street car parks / income from them • Community library premises • Youth centres (currently on peppercorn rents) • Other buildings

Buckinghamshire County Council Potential County services to devolve • • The current devolved services; offer Road closures for special events to continue? Budget to continue? • Events Management • Minor road and footpath repairs • Traffic management (i.e. for litter- • Flytipping enforcement picking) • • Recycling management Dropped kerb licensing • • Home care and meals on wheels Gully cleaning • • Health and wellbeing services Tree management (crowning) • • Off street car park income School crossing patrollers • • On street car park income Other services as requested • • Parking enforcement Traffic Regulation Orders, e.g. for parking schemes and speed limit • Community transport reductions • Community safety/ neighbourhood watch • Footpath lighting

Buckinghamshire County Council Potential District assets to transfer • Play areas • Cemeteries and churchyards • Sports grounds and • Town / parish council pavilions offices • Local Parks and open • Theatres spaces • Public toilets • Leisure centres • Allotments • Community Centres

Buckinghamshire County Council Potential District services to devolve • Grasscutting and open land space maintenance • Leisure Centre • Flytipping clearance management • Street cleaning • Event and pub licensing • Abandoned vehicles • Table licenses • Off street car parks • PSPO management • Community safety • Dog control and fouling • Management of common

Buckinghamshire County Council Financial Methodology; Principles • Cost neutral excluding setup and handover costs • Additional initial investment in the New Council’s project management and setup costs for towns and parishes • Note Parish Futures on hold but model available • Case by case negotiation, taking account of assets, costs of each service, and income potential (e.g. car parks) • Also accounting for reduction of demand e.g. complaints and call centre • New unitary council to take account of ongoing cost of audit of service provision • Each service to provide best estimate of cost on parish by parish basis, starting with the pilot councils • Each commissioner to review end of contract dates, and commissions that may be able to be let to individual parishes and or clusters of parishes

Buckinghamshire County Council Financial Methodology; Process • Case by case negotiation, taking account of assets, costs of each service, and income potential (e.g. car parks) • Also accounting for reduction of demand e.g. complaints and call centre • Each service to provide best estimate of cost on parish by parish basis, starting with the pilot councils • Each commissioner to review end of contract dates, and commissions that may be able to be let to individual parishes and or clusters of parishes • New Council to publish a list of all assets held, with an offer to all local councils to submit a bid to take ownership of any of them, with a deadline for proposals.

Buckinghamshire County Council Issues for consideration • High Wycombe • Special expenses (Aylesbury, West Wycombe, High Wycombe) • One off opportunity for local councils to raise their precept on the first day of the new unitary council

Buckinghamshire County Council Timescale • Pilots to begin April 19 or April 20? – Need to have clarity on district budgets and issues – Experience is that takes a long time – Need to get right first time – Parishes have a long decision making process • Remainder to begin over 4 year period – Allows for detailed negotiations with each council