Green Budget Environment Scrutiny Panel 12th January 2005

Green Budget n Update on Recommendations of 2001 Scrutiny. –Creation of a Single Green Budget. –Landscape Design Standards. –Street Furniture Design Standards. –Further Consideration to Levels of Funding.

n Recommendation:Creation of a Single Green Budget. –Single Green Budget has been created improvements to management of open space has occurred. –Still additional items of funding that need to be considered. –Parks and Open Spaces. (Enclosed Public Space) –Grounds Maintenance Scoped Properties. –Non Scoped Properties –Minimum Standards and regulation of those Standards

Green Budget n Creation of a Single Green Budget. –This budget excluded land funded through the HRA Account. –Housing Stock Transfer occurred knowing that green budget/HRA issue would need to be resolved. –Operational issues with regard to Parks and Open Spaces need to be resolved.

Green Budget n “Recommendation:Landscape & Street Furniture Design Standards.” –Corporate approach to sustainable development. –Paper for Executive in draft.

Green Budget Recommendation:“ Further Consideration to Levels of Funding.” n Middlesbrough’s budget strategy gives priority to environment services alongside regeneration. n Money has been given for, waste services, wardens, weed spraying. But this is to maintain service, not enhance. n 110K for “Boro” in Bloom.

Green Budget n “Further Consideration to Levels of Funding.” Key Issues: –Present level of Service is not funded through Revenue Budgets. –Levels of Service is achieved through ad hoc trading activities. –Demographic growth:Revenue has not grown in relation to expansion of Middlesbrough’s open space.

Funding Streams 2/3 Funding Revenue Budget. 1/3 Funding Ad Hoc Trading. Council Overheads are repaid out of budget.

Green Budget n Risk –Present Service Standard can only be undertaken when relevant level of through put occurs. –If throughput declines then service standard will reduce.

Green Budgets n Demographic Growth Areas Not transferred with associated maintenance revenue.

Green Budget. n Erimus –27% of HRA land had no attached budget. –Erimus has taken 51% of HRA maintained land as part of the housing stock transfer policy. –Erimus has agreed an SLA with Middlesbrough Council for one year for services within green budget.

Erimus and Green Budget. n Keys Points: –Are Erimus content with present work specification? –Is there a likelihood for an increase in the specification of works? –What is the implication for Middlesbrough of differing specifications?

Erimus n What happens at the end of SLA? n What happens if Erimus decide not to continue SLA. –Impact on service across the town. (Present service standard not completely funded through revenue budget)

Erimus n How do we manage the land responsibility with regard to customer complaints/ requests for service. n Contact centre issues. n How does this fit with the wider vision for the town.