Public Document Pack Notice of Meeting Resource Management Working Group Tuesday, 28th February 2012 at 6.30pm in Council Chamber Council Offices Market Street Newbury Date of despatch of Agenda: 20 February 2012 For further information about this Agenda, or to inspect any background documents referred to in Part I reports, please contact Kate Phipps - Tel: (01635) 519695 - Email: [email protected] on (01635) 519695 e-mail: [email protected] Further information and Minutes are also available on the Council’s website at www.westberks.gov.uk Agenda - Resource Management Working Group to be held on Tuesday, 28 February 2012 (continued) To: Councillors Jeff Beck, Roger Croft, Richard Crumly, David Holtby (Vice- Chairman), David Rendel, Andrew Rowles, Tony Vickers (Chairman) and Laszlo Zverko Substitutes: Councillors David Allen, John Horton, Alan Macro and Garth Simpson Agenda Part I Page No. 1 Apologies Purpose: To receive apologies for inability to attend the meeting (if any). 2 Minutes 1 - 8 Purpose: To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Resource Management Working Group held on 17 January 2012. 3 Declarations of Interest 4 Actions arising from the previous Resource Management Working Verbal Group Report 5 Work Programme 9 - 10 6 The Highways Asset Management Plan Report 11 - 140 The Highways Asset Management Plan has been produced to formalise Highway Asset Management in West Berkshire and to comply with the current national standards and guidelines with regard to Asset Management, Asset Valuation and Whole Government Accounts. 7 Financial Report Month 9 141 - 170 Purpose: To inform Members of the latest financial performance of the Council. 8 Establishment Report 171 - 182 9 Timelord Programme - Closure 183 - 188 10 Next Meeting Date Andy Day Head of Policy and Communication West Berkshire Council is committed to equality of opportunity. We will treat everyone with respect, regardless of race, disability, gender, age, religion or sexual orientation. If you require this information in a different format, such as audio tape, or in another language, please ask an English speaker to contact Moira Fraser on telephone (01635) 519045 , who will be able to help. DRAFT Agenda Item 2 Note: These Minutes will remain DRAFT until approved at the next meeting of the Committee RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, 17 JANUARY 2012 Councillors Present : Jeff Beck, Roger Croft, Richard Crumly, David Holtby (Vice-Chairman), David Rendel, Andrew Rowles, Tony Vickers (Chairman) and Laszlo Zverko Also Present: Nick Carter (Chief Executive), Mark Cole (Traffic Services Manager), Mark Edwards (Head of Highways and Transport), Karen Felgate (Housing Enabling Officer), David Holling (Head of Legal & Electoral) and Andy Walker (Head of Finance), Moira Fraser (Democratic Services Manager) and Kate Phipps Apologies for inability to attend the meeting: Councillor(s) Absent: PART I 16. Apologies No apologies were received. 17. Minutes Councillor Rendel asked that the Minutes from the previous meeting held on 27 th September 2011 (Matters arising point 2.3.3) be reworded to reflect that the minimum expected income for Car Park season ticket revenue was £316,000 and the maximum full payment value was £633,310. 18. Declarations of Interest Councillor David Rendel declared an interest in Agenda Item 6, but reported that as his interest was personal and not prejudicial, he determined to remain to take part in the debate. 19. Actions arising from the previous Resource Management Working Group Mark Edwards (Head of Highways and Engineering) was present to answer questions on his previously presented written report on season ticket and PCN payments. See agenda item 5 20. Car Parking Charges and Income: Season tickets and PCN payments Car Park Season Tickets Mark Edwards (Head of Highways and Transport) explained that members had raised more questions relating to the figures in the Season Ticket and PCN Income Report that had previously been produced by Mark Cole. Councillor Tony Vickers agreed that Councillor David Rendel still had a number of questions relating to the report. Page 1 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP - 17 JANUARY 2012 - MINUTES Councillor David Rendel asked why the FY 2009/10 budget forecast income was £62,000 for season ticket sales when the actual income was £134,000. He noted that in September 2011 season ticket income was reported to be £181,000 when it should have been £172,000. He also acknowledged that the season ticket income was not for Newbury alone but also included other towns in the district and queried how the number of season tickets amounted to 241. Councillor Rendel also asked why the income for FY 2008/09 was lower than expected and why this was not reflected in the FY 2009/10 budget. The FY 2010/11 budget was more closely met but the FY 2010/11 income was down on forecast to date. He asked also if these shortfalls could be explained by the number of rebates on returned season tickets. Mark Edwards stated that the budget forecast was always compared to actual income and there were 241 season tickets issued. He explained that the different proportion of annual and quarterly season tickets sold could help explain the discrepancy between target income and received income. Mark Cole (Traffic Services Manager) stated that sales of season tickets were down. Councillor David Rendel asked if there were seasonal changes in sales. Mark Cole said that there had been some seasonal variation, with several large Newbury based companies buying large numbers of season tickets at certain times of the year. Councillor Rendel asked how, despite this and with some changes in season ticket income over Christmas and at certain other times of the year, the discrepancy arose of month 8 income being £74,000 with month 12 forecast of £108,000 and actual income being £93,000. Councillor Rendel expressed the view that if the outturn figures for month 8 were correct then there was currently a discrepancy of £20,000 on one income stream and this and the previously poor predicted revenue would indicate badly set budgets. Councillor Tony Vickers asked Andy Walker (Head of Finance) for an explanation. Andy Walker said that £93,000 was the actual income up to end of month 8 and the forecast was from month 8 to year end. He stated that a range of data and assumptions were used when forecasting to give the best estimate and he agreed that year to date income was £23,000 short at present. February and March’s income proposals and variances from car parks will be taken into account to give the best information when next FY budget was planned. Councillor Rendel agreed that the £93,000 income figure was bad but agreed that assumptions and seasonality should be taken into account in future forecasting. Mark Cole said that the income accounts had spreadsheets reflecting monthly and yearly income and it would not be certain when any block bookings of season tickets would occur. He stated that where season tickets were cancelled then refunds of whole months were given with only a small administrative charge and this would reflect on income for these. Councillor Rendel reiterated the discrepancies repeated between FY 2008/09 and FY 2009/10. Councillor Tony Vickers noted that only Councillor Rendel had access to the figures during the meeting which made discussions more difficult and harder to follow. He also emphasised the point that refunds on season tickets were for full months and asked for it Page 2 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP - 17 JANUARY 2012 - MINUTES to be noted that there was a general issue of modelling future income on past data and the process for this could be checked in future. Car Park Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) Mark Edwards asked Councillor Rendel to clarify the query relating to PCNs. Councillor Rendel said that it was a budgetary discrepancy in FY 2009/10 where forecast income was £628,000 and actual income was £260,000. He understood that there were two possible rates of PCN, £70 for higher tier offences and £50 for lower tier offences and that if a PCN was paid within 15 days then the fee was half the original charge. Councillor Rendel said that in the September meeting the number of PCNs issued was given as 316 and the actual income was only £260,000 out of a maximum possible of £633,000 which was less than half the forecasted amount, He asked if some PCNs were issued incorrectly due to staff errors. Mark Cole answered that in FY 2008/09 there were 1798 cancellations with only 177 for technical factors and there were 1317 discretionary reasons given . He said some errors were made, when for example the make of car or the vehicle registration number were entered incorrectly, but that these were few. Councillor Vickers asked if the proportion of PCNs that were challenged was known and what the national figures were. Mark Cole said that the actual number was not known but those numbers that went to the Traffic Tribunal were very small and that the West Berkshire Council website had information on how to appeal against PCNs. He added that in FY 2003/04 in West Berkshire 75% of PCNs were paid and this was similar to other Local Authorities across the country. Mark Cole gave some examples of reasons for cancellation of PCNs, for example: incorrect display of purchased parking ticket; Blue Badge being accidentally not displayed; sudden illness of driver delaying return to vehicle etc. A whole list of reasons had been previously supplied to Councillor Rendel. Mark Cole also commented that West Berkshire had no desire for a bad reputation for being overly aggressive when carrying out parking enforcement activities.