Responsible Officers:Anne-Marie Bond, Martin Phillips and Kevin Mowat

Cabinet Members: Councillors Carter, Cowell and Morey

Total: £976,000

Redesign of Council operations resulting from new ways of working

• Cabinet Portfolio: Corporate and Community Services
• Service: Council-wide
• Proposal: Reductions in costs associated with new ways of working, including reduced levels of printing, centralised corporate functions, increased use of email/electronic communication and reduced travel costs.
• Anticipated outcomes: The Council will embed the new ways of working which have, in the main, been driven by our response to service delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Associated risks: There is some return to previous ways of working once the Covid-19 pandemic ends.
• Environmental impact: There is a positive environmental impact from our new ways of working, in particular around the reduction in travel and the use of paper.
• Economic impact: There would be no differential economic impact.
• Equality impact: There is a need to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made for those staff with protected characteristics.
• 2022/23 Proposed Budget change: (£267,000)

Investment in IT within SWISCo (one-off funding)

• Cabinet Portfolio: Finance
• Service: Finance
• Proposal: Procurement of waste management, parks and green infrastructure and highways IT systems.
• Anticipated outcomes: The back-office systems within SWISCo are fit for purpose ensuring that the services delivered to the community are as effective and efficient as possible.
• Associated risks: The cost of purchase and implementation of the new system is higher than budgeted.
• Environmental impact: There would be no differential environmental impact.
• Economic impact: There would be no differential economic impact.
• Equality impact: There would be no differential equality impact.
• 2022/23 Proposed Budget change: £428,000

Community Ward Fund

• Cabinet Portfolio: Corporate and Community Services
• Service: Chief Executive Support
• Proposal: The Community Ward Fund will be run for a second year, with £2000 per councillor being allocated.
• Anticipated outcomes: Funds are available to support assets, projects or activities within each Council ward.
• Associated risks: The administration of the Fund (including undertaking the requested works) needs to be reviewed to ensure that it is as efficient as possible.
• Environmental impact: Depending on the schemes which are undertaken via the fund, there may be positive environmental impacts.
• Economic impact: Depending on the schemes which are undertaken via the fund, there may be positive economic impacts.
• Equality impact: Depending on the schemes which are undertaken via the fund, there may be positive equality impacts.
• 2022/23 Proposed Budget change: £720,000

Increase organisational capacity (one-off funding)

• Cabinet Portfolio: Leader of the Council
• Service: Council-wide
• Proposal: Increase the capacity of the organisation to deliver the Council’s priorities at pace.
• Anticipated outcomes: The Council delivers the actions within its Annual Business Plan and therefore progresses towards its ambitions as set out the Community and Corporate Plan.
• Associated risks: We are not able to recruit the appropriate officers in a timely manner.
• Environmental impact: The Council would want to see a positive environmental impact from this investment, the details of which will be considered as individual schemes are progressed.
• Economic impact: The Council would want to see a positive economic impact from this investment, the details of which will be considered as individual schemes are progressed.
• Equality impact: The Council would want to see a positive equality impact from this investment, the details of which will be considered as individual schemes are progressed.
• 2022/23 Proposed Budget change: £543,000

Investment in Planning Services (one-off funding)

• Cabinet Portfolio: Infrastructure, Environment and Culture
• Service: Development Management
• Proposal: Additional resources to enable the backlog within the Planning Service to be cleared and investment in digitalising the services to improve efficiency.
• Anticipated outcomes: Improved service delivery to users of the Planning Service.
• Associated risks: We are not able to recruit appropriate officers in a timely manner. The cost of implementation of the new system is higher than budgeted.
• Environmental impact: A high performing Planning Service will have a positive environmental impact.
• Economic impact: A high performing Planning Service will have a positive economic impact.
• Equality impact: A high performing Planning Service will have a positive equality impact.
• 2022/23 Proposed Budget change: £200,000