AND WREKIN FIRE AUTHORITY Shropshire and Wrekin PRECEPT 2007/08 Fire Authority CONSULTATION • A Fire Authority “Performing Strongly”

District or Parish or SWFA Borough' • But, at what Cost? Town 5% 10% 2%

WMPA 11% • National Funding

SCC 72% • Efficiencies and Service Developments JANUARY 2007 • Options and Proposals

Performance Service Assessment

Service Delivery Value for Money Improvement • Focused on Service Delivery • Two Elements – Operational Assessment – Performance Information • Scores Combined

Performance Indicators

REF Description of PI Lower Upper Adjusted SFRS Threshold Threshold • A number of slides relating to the F1 Primary fires per 10,000 pop 15.2 7.5 Deprivation 7.57 Mid F2 Accidental dwelling fires per 9.9 5.2 Deprivation 6.07 performance of the Fire Authority have 10,000 dwellings Mid been removed from this presentation in F3 Deaths arising from 0.625 0.5 None 0.49* accidental dwelling fires Upper per 100,000 population compliance with requests of the Audit F4 Injuries arising from 6.0 2.0 Deprivation -0.5 Commission. accidental dwelling fires Upper per 100,000 population F5 Percentage of accidental 89.60% 91.30% None 91.31% • Full reporting is scheduled for March dwelling fires confined to Upper room of origin 2007 F6 False alarms caused by 150.9 112.2 None 83.61 automatic fire detection Upper attended per 1,000 non- domestic properties F7 Number of deliberate primary No change or Net reduction – None 44% reduction fires (including vehicles) increase 7.5% from per 10,000 population from 2001/02 to Upper 2004/05 to 2005/06 2005/06

1 An Authority “Performing Strongly” But at what Cost?

Council Tax Council Tax

Shrewsbury 2006/07 Telford and Wrekin 2006/07 South Shropshire Oswestry 2006/07 2006/07 SCC 931.86 BTW and Parish 995.05 WMPA 150.24 WMPA 150.24 SCC 931.86 SCC 931.86 SABC and Parish 152.92 WMPA 150.24 WMPA 150.24 S.Shrops & Parish 251.90 Oswestry & Parish 230.70 SWFA 72.62 SWFA 72.62

Total 1307.64 Total 1217.91 SWFA 72.62 SWFA 72.62

Total 1406.62 Total 1385.42

Fire makes up 5% of How does this compare? Council Tax in Shropshire

District or Parish or SWFA Borough Town 5% 10% 2%

WMPA 11%

SCC 72%

2 Council Tax 2006/07 Cost Per Head of Population Council Tax at Band D - 2006/07

Net expenditure per head(£) 2004/05 80.00 Shropshire £72.62 70.00 Average £57.02 60.0 60.00

50.00 50.0 Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority 40.00

40.0 30.00 Council Tax Band D (£) D Band Tax Council 20.00 30.0 10.00

20.0 - Population (£s) Population Tyne & Wear Average of all 10.0 West West Net Expenditure per Head of of Head per Expenditure Net Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Essex Fire Authority Fire Authority Durham Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Cheshire Fire Authority Fire Berkshire Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Derbyshire Shropshire Fire Authority Fire Authority Humberside Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Authority

0.0 Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Authority Fire Authority Hereford Worcester & Fire Authority

Government Funding 2006/07 Second highest Precept, Why? Government Grant Per Head of Population 2006/07 45.00 • As a result of the unfair balance 40.00 35.00

between national and local funding 30.00

25.00 for Fire and Rescue Authorities Average £20.43 20.00 Shropshire £15.06

• Years of under investment in rural Per Head (£) Grant 15.00 services 10.00 5.00

0.00 Merseyside Tyne & Wear & Tyne Averageall of West Midlands West South Yorkshire Kent Fire Authority Fire Kent Avon FireAuthority Greater Manchester Essex Fire Authority Devon Fire Authority Dorset Fire Authority Durham Fire Authority Fire Durham Wiltshire Fire Authority Cheshire Fire Authority Berkshire Fire Authority Cleveland Fire Authority Hampshire Fire Authority Fire Hampshire Shropshire Fire Authority Fire Shropshire Derbyshire Fire Authority Fire Derbyshire Lancashire Fire Authority Humberside Fire Authority Fire Humberside East Sussex Fire Authority Bedfordshire Fire Authority Fire Bedfordshire Staffordshire Fire Authority Fire Staffordshire Leicestershire Fire Authority Cambridgeshire Fire Authority North Yorkshire Fire Authority Fire Yorkshire North Nottinghamshire Fire Authority Fire Nottinghamshire Buckinghamshire Fire Authority Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority Fire Worcester & Hereford

Unfair Funding Changes to Funding Distribution What Government Said: White Paper “Our Fire and Rescue Service” – June 2003 • No longer based upon buildings • Population aged over 65 taken into account “At the present time we devote many more resources to • Weighting for Community Fire Safety doubled protecting buildings in city centres (where deaths are low) (3% to 6%) compared to what we devote in residential areas (where • Based upon societal risk not number of fire deaths are much higher)” certificates issued • But – Coastline is still in and Sparsity is not! “THIS MUST CHANGE”

3 Good News BUT! Percentage Grant Changes for 2007/08 25% • Using the new funding formula, changes 20% Shropshire + 14.27% (£6.9 million to £7.9 million) range between -11.8% and + 23.4% 15% • Considered too great an impact 10% • Flooring is used to dampen change 5% • For 2007/08 no Fire and Rescue Authority 0% can get less than 2.7% increase in funding -5% Percentage Increase 2006/07 to 2007/08 to 2006/07 Increase Percentage

-10% • Those above the floor must pay to bring up those below -15% London Kent Fire Avon Fire Essex Fire Essex Devon Fire Dorset Fire Dorset Durham Fire Durham Wiltshire Fire Cheshire Fire Berkshire Fire Berkshire Cleveland Fire Cleveland Hampshire Fire Hampshire Shropshire Fire Fire Derbyshire Lancashire Fire Merseyside Fire Merseyside Humberside Fire Humberside East Sussex Fire Bedfordshire Fire Bedfordshire Staffordshire Fire Staffordshire Leicestershire Fire West Midlands Fire Midlands West Fire Cambridgeshire Fire Cambridgeshire West Yorkshire Fire Yorkshire West North Yorkshire Fire Yorkshire North Nottinghamshire Fire Nottinghamshire South YorkshireFire Buckinghamshire Fire Buckinghamshire Greater Manchester Fire Fire Worcester and Hereford

The Impact of Flooring Increase after Flooring

Financial Impact of Flooring 2007/08 Percentage Grant Increase after Flooring 2007/08

14.0 5.0%

12.0 4.5% Shropshire 3.73% (£250,000) 4.0% 10.0 3.5% 8.0 3.0% 6.0 Shropshire Increase Reduced by £730,000 2.5% 4.0 2.0%

2.0 Percentage Increase Percentage 1.5% Gains and Losses (£millions) Losses and Gains 0.0 1.0%

-2.0 0.5%

0.0% -4.0 Kent Fire Kent Avon Fire London Essex Fire Essex Devon Fire Dorset Fire Dorset Kent FireKent Durham Fire Avon Fire Wiltshire Fire Essex Fire Essex Devon Fire Cheshire Fire Cheshire Dorset Fire Dorset Berkshire Fire Cleveland FireCleveland Durham Fire Hampshire Fire Derbyshire Fire Derbyshire Shropshire Fire Wiltshire Fire Lancashire Fire Cheshire Fire Merseyside Fire Humberside Fire Berkshire Fire Berkshire Cleveland Fire GLA -GLA non-police East Sussex Fire Sussex East Bedfordshire Fire Hampshire Fire Hampshire Staffordshire Fire Shropshire Fire Fire Derbyshire Lancashire Fire Merseyside Fire Leicestershire Fire Humberside Fire West Midlands FireWest Midlands East Sussex Fire Sussex East Tyne Fire and Wear West Yorkshire Fire Yorkshire West Cambridgeshire Fire North Yorkshire Fire Bedfordshire Fire Nottinghamshire FireNottinghamshire Staffordshire Fire South YorkshireSouth Fire Buckinghamshire Fire Leicestershire Fire West Midlands FireWest Midlands Tyne and Wear Fire Cambridgeshire Fire West Yorkshire Fire North Yorkshire Fire Yorkshire North Nottinghamshire Fire South YorkshireSouth Fire Buckinghamshire Fire Greater Manchester Fire Greater Manchester Fire Hereford and Worcester Fire Hereford and Worcester Fire

Why £19.079 million?

What Does This Mean? • Base Budget (includes committed changes) £18.323m • Pay and Prices £598,000 Budget Grant Council Tax Band D % Change • Capital (revenue consequences) £73,000 (£ millions) (£ millions) (£ millions) Council Tax

2006/07 18.296 6.936 11.360 £72.62 (4.5% on • Efficiencies and Savings -£195,000 2005/06) • New Service Developments £280,000

2007/08 19.079 7.926 11.153 £71.10 -2.09% TOTAL FOR CONSIDERATION BY SCRUTINY PANEL £19.079 Before Flooring 2007/08 19.079 7.195 11.884 £75.78 4.35% After Flooring

4 2006/07 Budget Breakdown 2006/07 Employee

Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority Budget Breakdown 2006/07 Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority Breakdown of Employee Costs 2006/07

0%0% 3% 0% 2% 2% 4% 3% 3% 4% 11% Employees and Pension 5% Supplies and Services Premises Wholetime Firefighters and Pensions Administration Retained Firefighters and Pensions 6% Provision Pay and Prices Support Staff Transport Control Debt Charges Training Costs 21% Operational Leasing 61% Indirect Staff Costs Provision Other Contribution to Reserves

75% Employee Costs Account 86% of Employee Costs are Service Delivery For 75% of Budget

Capital Efficiencies & Savings

CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2007/08 £ 000s EFFICIENCIES BUILDINGS ¾Building Improvements (Retained Stations) 65 ¾Garaging for Ford Ranger at Oswestry 20 Hydrant Maintenance (contract reduction) £20,000 ¾Fire Alarm Installations (Wholetime Stations) 100 ¾Tweedale Improvements 35 Rental Income (Ambulance at Market Drayton) £9,000 ¾Telford Central Improvements 100 VEHICLES Personal Protective Equipment (re-issue of fire kit) £20,000 ¾3 XL Cab (8 seater) Fire Engines 510 ¾Ford Rangers (Oswestry, Tweedale and Reserve) 80 Re-deployment rather than ill-health retirement £16,000 EQUIPMENT AND PPE ¾Road Traffic Collision Equipment for Ford Rangers 50 TRAINING Wholetime recruit training (change of provider) £10,000 ¾Training Facilities (Retained Stations) 30 TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Retained Support Officer appointments £25,000 ¾Information Technology and Communications 50 ¾Station End Equipment 10 TOTAL £100,000 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2007/08 TOTAL: 1,050

Retained Achievements Savings

Problem Solution Cost Outcome (2006/07) Re-profiling of Investment in the Retained Service Insufficient Crew 8 seater fire engines, increase Ffs £133,000 6 fire engines achieved, Year Planned Revised Investment from 11 to 14 (Six Stations in year 21 recruits 15 leavers. Investment one) Applications now up by Increased Recruitment £5,000 160% on 2005/06 2006/07 £824,000 £824,000 Training Additional 3 hours every 4 weeks £165,000 Fully Implemented

Lack of Support 8 Retained Support Officers £315,000 Appointed August 2006 2007/08 £919,000 £824,000 Retained Project Manager £49,000 Appointed April 2006 (+£95,000) (£95K for additional recruits not required) Community Fire Safety Retained to conduct CFS in rural £100,000 Over 5,500 smoke alarms 2008/09 £1,017,000 £1,017,000 Shropshire fitted in rural areas (+98,000) (investment back on target) Cleaning Maintenance Paid for 15 hours per month per £57,000 Fully Implemented 2009/10 £1,108,000 £1,108,000 and Admin Station (+91,000) (all improvements implemented) TOTAL INVESTMENT £824,000 Underspends of £161K re- SAVING: £95,000 invested in Retained Community Fire Safety IN 2007/08

5 Service Developments Summary of Proposals Integrated Risk Management Planning £160,000 (Moving fire engine from Telford Central to Tweedale requires four additional Watch Managers) • All of the earlier proposals have been Road Safety Strategy £41,000 approved in principal by the Fire Authority Data Quality (Information) Officer £30,000 • The proposals will require a budget of Older People’s Officer £24,000 £19,079,000 • And a council tax increase of 4.35% Human Resources (equality and reasonable £25,000 adjustment budget)

TOTAL £280,000

What we said last year… SWFA Proposed Budget 2007/08 • The Fire Authority has asked officers to seek further Expenditure Precept reductions to achieve a 4% increase in 2007/08 • This will require further reductions of approximately • 2005/06 £17.9m + 4.9% £40,000 • Budget Increase from £18.296m to £19.039m • 2006/07 £18.2m + 4.5% • Gives a Council Tax on Band D properties of £75.52 • Or, an increase of £2.90 per year (from £72.62) • 2007/08 £19.1m + 4% •Or a 0.2% increase for Council Tax payers in Shropshire or a week!

Finally

Future Budgets • Could we go below 4%? • Probably Yes! • Extremely difficult to predict ? • For example, additional staff for Tweedale • Government are conducting a Comprehensive could be taken on in October instead of April, Spending Review during 2007 and thus save £80,000 (ie Council Tax increase reduced to approximately 3.2%) • Expectations that Government funding for the next three years will be extremely tight • But – this only moves the problem of finding the additional £80,000 to 2008/09 when • Also, no idea at this stage what levels will be set funding may be even tighter than now for floor damping in the future

6 Summary The End • SWFA is a Service ‘Performing Strongly’ • SWFA costs are only a small % of overall Council Tax (approximately 5%) District or Parish or • But - cost to local tax payers does not compare well to other SWFA Borough Alan Taylor Combined Fire and Rescue Authorities Town Chief Fire Officer5% • Government appear to have recognised the ongoing under 10% Shropshire2% Fire & Rescue Service investment in rural Services such as Shropshire St Michael's Street • The impact of floor damping means that this under investment will Shrewsbury SY1 2HJ take many years to correct WMPA 01743 260201 [email protected] • The Fire Authority proposes a Council Tax increase of 4% in line 11% with proposals put forward last year • This equates to £2.90 per Band ‘D’ household, or five pence per week SCC 72%

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