West Berkshire Council's Budget Challenge

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• Reduced provision of reablement services (approximately 25%), which help disabled or frail people to maintain their independence at home.
• Reduced staffing numbers (approximately 15% or 15 employees).
• Longer waiting times for assessment, e.g. for eligibility for long-term services, for people with impairments including dementia, learning disability or mental health needs.
• Longer to implement actions to safeguard vulnerable people who are at risk.
• Reduced capacity to review packages of care to check that they are sufficient.
• Longer waiting times for people to access equipment to manage in the home.
• Slower response times to concerns about the quality of care.
• Slower assessments times to support people being discharged from hospital.

The consequence of these reductions might place a greater burden on family carers.

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• Reduced provision of reablement services (approximately 10%), which help disabled or frail people to maintain their independence at home.
• Reduced staffing numbers (approximately 6% or 6 employees).
• Longer waiting times for assessment, e.g. for eligibility for long-term services, for people with impairments including dementia, learning disability or mental health needs.
• Longer to implement actions to safeguard vulnerable people who are at risk.
• Reduced capacity to review packages of care to check that they are sufficient.
• Longer waiting times for people to access equipment to manage in the home.
• Slower response times to concerns about the quality of care.
• Slower assessments times to support people being discharged from hospital.

The consequence of these reductions might place a greater burden on family carers.

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• Increased provision of reablement services, which help disabled or frail people to maintain their independence at home.
• Reduced waiting times for assessment, e.g. for eligibility for long-term services, for people with impairments including dementia, learning disability or mental health needs.
• Quicker to implement actions to safeguard vulnerable people who are at risk.
• Increased capacity to review packages of care to check that they are sufficient.
• Shorter waiting times for people to access equipment to manage in the home.
• Quicker responses to concerns about the quality of care.
• Quicker assessment times to support people to leave hospital as soon as they are medically fit.

The consequence of these reductions might place less of a burden on family carers.

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We’ve a wide range of statutory duties that we’re required to deliver. To fail in this duty can risk the service being removed from the Local Authority. 

• Increased incidents of harm and danger to children, as there will be insufficient services to protect them.
• Reduced ability to respond effectively to demands which are new or unpredictable, e.g. Covid-19.
• Reduced support services could mean parents are less likely to meet the needs of their child. 
• Reduced staff training budget will risk staff not having the skills to effectively meet needs. This could lead to having to rely on commissioning external consultants for certain roles.  
• Possible reduction in social work staff, which would result in increased caseloads for remaining staff. This will lead to them only being able to respond to emergencies and affect staff morale.
• The threshold (eligibility) for accessing services will have to be made higher. As a consequence families will not be able to be supported, until their need is obviously acute.  
• Increased likelihood of complaints and fines, where services fall short of legal requirements.
• Increased risk that the service will be removed from the Local Authority by government where they consistently fall short of legal requirements.

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• Reduced support services will result in the unmet needs escalating to more complex and costly issues.
• Reduced budget could result in remaining staff being expected to cover more duties. As a result only the most pressing needs can be prioritised.

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• No change to the budget would keep services as they are, as long as demand does not suddenly increase.
• Less able to respond effectively to any sudden or unexpected demand. Nationally, demand for Children’s Services is increasing and this has been further impacted by Covid-19.
• Less opportunity to pilot different ways of working or introduce trial projects, as the budget will only allow existing services to be maintained. 

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• Increased opportunity to embrace effective ways of working that can prevent future costs, and sometimes reduce current costs. This is often termed ‘invest to save’.
• Increased capacity for Social Workers, e.g. lower caseloads, will enable them to achieve greater engagement with children and families, which can achieve greater change.
• Increased opportunity for managers to engage with partner agencies to work collaboratively, and explore ways for greater synergy to be achieved.

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• Severe reduction in Educational Psychology, Occupational Therapy and disabled children’s provision, with reduced staffing and increased waiting times.
• Significant reduction in support for children in public care.
• Large reduction in respite care, with probable children’s home closure.
• Large reduction in support for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
• Closure of family hubs, with minimal outreach services offered.
• Minimal support for critical incidents where pupils are traumatised, e.g. peer/teacher deaths.

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• Reduced Educational Psychology support, with fewer children getting early help to overcome their learning difficulties.
• Reduced Occupational Therapy and Disabled Children’s Team support.
• Closure of two out of three Family Hubs.
• Reduced support for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
• Reduced educational support for children in pupil care. 

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• Reduced services for excluded children.
• Increased cost for Home to School Transport (Fair Payer Seats).
• Reduced mental health support.
• Reduced educational support for children in pupil care.
• Reduced learning support services, and specialist under 5 support.
• Reduced ethnic minority and safeguarding support.

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• Reduction in provision for Special Educational Needs and Disability pupils.
• Reduction in Early Years and Family Support.

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Covering increasing costs and allowing for some improvements in services for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), and enhancing our mental health support services for young people.

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• Non-delivery of support to Kickstart scheme. 60+ local young people on universal credit not supported into work, and local employers unable to take part in the scheme.
• Non-delivery of Apprenticeship Levy scheme. Potential apprenticeship placements are lost and levy funds, which could be spent locally, will be returned to the government.
• Non-delivery of Newbury town centre masterplan to time. This study is a crucial part of our Covid-19 recovery. It should lead to the establishment of new programmes and projects that will improve the vitality of Newbury’s town centre, which has been hard hit by the pandemic. The team will not be able to offer dedicated communications, admin and research support to the project.
• London Road Industrial Estate project delivery may be delayed. This project is key to the economic development of the district and is a council strategy commitment. The team will not be able to offer dedicated communications, admin and research support to the project.
• Cease support to town centre footfall initiatives. These initiatives are being developed to draw footfall to local shops, and not doing so may contribute to the failure of high street businesses.
• Shop Local campaign ceased. This initiative is being developed to draw footfall to local shops. Not doing so may contribute to the failure of local retailers.
• Cease support to Additional Restrictions Grant distribution. These grants are a vital part of our Covid-19 response and businesses may fail if these aren’t distributed in a timely manner.
• Delayed development and implementation of Economic Recovery Strategy. This is a key part of our Covid-19 recovery and the economic success of the district will be impacted if a full plan is not developed in a timely fashion.
• Reduced support to Berkshire Smart Cities and ADEPT projects. This project will establish a Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) across the district, and offer commercial opportunities to local tech small and medium enterprises (SME’s). West Berkshire and its businesses will miss this opportunity.
• Reduced support to Skills and Enterprise Partnership. This key local partnership, which includes employers, develops strategies and initiatives to help vulnerable local people into work. The success of the partnership will be reduced without our support.
• Cease Social Value in Procurement project. Delayed implementation of this project, which seeks to ensure local suppliers are given opportunities to take part in West Berkshire Council contracts, will mean commercial opportunities for SMEs are lost.

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• Cease support to town centre footfall initiatives. These initiatives are being developed to draw footfall to local shops, and not doing so may contribute to the failure of high street businesses.
• Shop Local campaign ceased. This initiative is being developed to draw footfall to local shops, and not doing so may contribute to the failure of local retailers.
• Delayed development and implementation of Economic Recovery Strategy. This is a key part of our Covid-19 recovery, and the economic success of the district will be impacted if a full plan is not developed in a timely fashion.
• Reduce support to Berkshire Smart Cities and ADEPT  projects. This project will establish a Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) across the district, and offer commercial opportunities to local tech small and medium enterprises (SME’s). West Berkshire and its businesses will miss this opportunity.
• Reduced support to Skills and Enterprise Partnership. This key local partnership, which includes employers, develops strategies and initiatives to help vulnerable local people into work. The success of the partnership will be reduced without our support.
• Reduced management capacity for the London Road Industrial Estate project. This project is key to the economic development of the district, and is a council strategy commitment. The team will not be able to offer dedicated communications, strategy and research support to the project.
• Non-delivery of support to Kickstart scheme. 60+ local young people on universal credit not supported into work, and local employers unable to take part in the scheme.
• Non-delivery of Apprenticeship Levy scheme. Potential apprenticeship placements lost and levy funds, which could be spent locally, will be returned to the government.

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• Cease support to Additional Restrictions Grant distribution. These grants are a vital part of our Covid-19 response, and businesses may fail if these aren’t distributed in a timely manner.
• Reduce support to Skills and Enterprise Partnership. This key local partnership, which includes employers, develops strategies and initiatives to help vulnerable local people into work. The success of the partnership will be reduced without our support.
• Shop Local campaign ceased. This initiative is being developed to draw footfall to local shops, and not doing so may contribute to the failure of local retailers.
• Reduced management capacity on the London Road Industrial Estate project. This project is key to the economic development of the district, and is a council strategy commitment. The team will not be able to offer dedicated communications, strategy and research support to the project.
• Non-delivery of Apprenticeship Levy scheme. Potential apprenticeship placements lost and levy funds, which could be spent locally, will be returned to the government.

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• Admin assistant apprenticeship offered. A new opportunity for a local young person to undertake a new role in the council, which will also increase management capacity and improve effectiveness of the Economic Development team.
• Enhanced business support service. Additional support, including workshops, webinar and training, can be offered to local business start-ups.
• Additional support offered to Kickstart and Restart schemes. Additional young people and businesses will be supported to take part in government post-Covid employment schemes. Currently 800 young people are claiming universal credit, so this would be a welcome addition to the opportunities available.
• Full Shop Local campaign. This initiative is being developed to draw footfall to local shops. Rolling it out widely and promoting it heavily will increase the potential sales and market of local retailers.
• Business advice webinars rolled out quarterly. Businesses to be advised on new legislation in a more engaging and interactive format.
• Investment in business training, e.g. use of social media for retailers.
• Establish a basic inward investment service to answer and signpost enquiries about new business relocations. Potential for increased jobs and business rate revenue.

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• Reduction of three Homelessness Prevention and Relief Officers (full-time equivalent posts), which would result in a very large and fast increasing backlog of homelessness cases.
• Significant increase in families suffering homelessness and placements into interim emergency accommodation including bed and breakfast.
• Increase in legal challenges, which might result in judicial reviews in court with additional legal and court fees.

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• Reduction of two and a half Homelessness Prevention and Relief Officers (full-time equivalent posts), which would result in a large backlog and steadily increasing number of homelessness cases.
• Increase in families suffering homelessness and placements into interim emergency accommodation including bed and breakfast.
• Increase in legal challenges, which might result in judicial reviews in court with additional legal and court fees.

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• Reduction of one and a half Homelessness Prevention and Relief Officers (full-time equivalent posts), would result in a backlog and an increasing number of homelessness cases.
• Increase in families suffering homelessness and placements into interim emergency accommodation including bed and breakfast.
• Increase in legal challenges, which might in judicial reviews in court with additional legal and court fees.

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• Addition of one and a half Homelessness Prevention and Relief Officers (full-time equivalent posts), would result more families being able to stay in their homes rather than face homelessness.
• Decrease in legal challenges and judicial reviews and so reduced legal and court fees.

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• The ecology service would cease protecting threatened ecology when development is undertaken.
• Cease heritage work as part of planning applications, which would put important historic buildings at risk.
• Delay in the development and adoption of the local plan by two years, which would significantly increase the risk of development being approved by a planning inspector that would otherwise be refused.
• Reduce the number of planning enforcement staff by one, which would increase the number of unauthorised developments that go unchallenged.
• Assessment and determination of planning applications would take approximately nine weeks longer. This would result in increased planning appeals, and applications approved by a planning inspector that we would otherwise refuse. It would also impact on economic prosperity, as business would not be able to grow as quickly as they wished.

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• The ecology service would cease protecting threatened ecology when development is undertaken.
• Heritage work, as part of planning applications, would slow putting all important historic buildings other than listed buildings at risk.
• The local plan would take 18 months longer to produce risking development approved by a planning inspector that would otherwise be refused.
• Reduce the number of planning enforcement staff by one, which would increase the number of unauthorised developments that go unchallenged.
• Assessment and determination of planning applications would take approximately six weeks longer. This would result in increased planning appeals, and applications approved by a planning inspector that we would otherwise refuse. It would also impact on economic prosperity, as business would not be able to grow as quickly as they wished.

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• The ecology monitoring would cease so reducing our ability to protect threatened ecology when development is undertaken.
• The local plan would take six months longer to produce risking development approved by a planning inspector that would otherwise be refused.
• Reduce the number of planning enforcement staff by one, which would increase the number of unauthorised developments that go unchallenged.

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• Production of conservation area appraisals to support the protection of historically important buildings.
• Deliver the local plan six months quicker, thereby supporting the delivery of much needed housing, infrastructure and economic development.
• Increase the number of planning enforcement staff by one, allowing investigation and response to all reports of breaches of planning control.

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Shaw House:

• Reduced staffing levels would mean that the house would be closed for two or three days a week. This would mean reduced access for the public, commercial hirers and the council and fewer public opening days and events.
• Reduced maintenance would mean the historic fabric and building safety standards would be at risk.

Museum:

• Reduced opening hours from five to three days a week
• Loss of the temporary exhibition programme (exhibitions with local schools and community organisations) leaving only the fixed/permanent exhibition.
• 25% reduction in education/schools programme.

Archaeological Service:

• Reduced service response to planning applications and the mapping of unique archaeological/historic assets for their protection.

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Shaw House:

• Reduced staffing levels would mean that the house would be closed for at least one or two days a week. This would mean reduced access for the public, commercial hirers and the council and fewer events.
• Reduced maintenance would mean the historic fabric and building safety standards would be at risk.

Museum:

• Reduced opening hours from five to four days a week.
• 40% loss of the temporary exhibition programme (exhibitions with local schools and community organisations).
• 15% reduction in education/schools programme.

Archaeological Service:

•  Reduced service response to planning applications and the mapping of archaeological/historic assets for their protection.

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Shaw House:

• Reduced staffing levels would mean that the house would be closed for at least one day a week. This would mean reduced access for the public, commercial hirers and the council and fewer events.
• Reduced maintenance would mean the historic fabric and building safety standards would be at risk.

Museum:

• Reduced opening hours from five to four days a week.
• Loss of the temporary exhibition programme (exhibitions with local schools and community organisations) leaving only the fixed/permanent exhibition.
• 5% reduction in education/schools programme.

Archaeological Service.

• Reduced service response to planning applications and the mapping of archaeological/historic assets for their protection.

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• A review of Cultural Services in 2021 will propose further service transformations and revised business models to ensure it’s sustainable.

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• A review of Cultural Services in 2021 will propose further service transformations and business models to ensure its sustainable and good value for residents.
• Further investment in volunteers, education projects and digital solutions, e.g. more online public and schools access to museum collections, will ensure we’re competitive for commercial hirers and events in the external market.

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• Closure of seven out of eight branch libraries and the Mobile and At Home service, however the current service is the minimum required in order to meet the needs identified by an independent assessment of community needs in 2017.

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• Closure of four out of eight branch libraries, however the current service is the minimum required in order to meet the needs identified by an independent assessment of community needs in 2017.

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• Closure of two out of eight branch libraries, however the current service is the minimum required in order to meet the needs identified by an independent assessment of community needs in 2017.

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• Further investment in staff, volunteers, digital solutions, e.g. more online services, more book stock, ensuring the Mobile Service targets those most in need. 

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• Reduced levels of technically qualified staff including Environmental Protection Officers, Environmental Health Officers, Trading Standards Officers, Licensing Officers and Information Analysts.
• Failure to engage with local authority partners on cross-border working for emergency response.
• No community resilience work.
• No medium or low risk food and animal health inspections.
• 50% reduction in business advice and complaint services.
• No technical support for planning consultations.
• Longer waiting times for environmental nuisance complaint investigations.
• Increased stage one, two and Local Government Ombudsman complaints.
• Very slow response time for workplace accidents and infectious disease investigation.
• Increased challenge on fee earning work due to delays and loss of service resilience.
• Increased risk from legal challenge on investigations due to lack of management oversight.
• Loss of expertise to deal with vulnerable groups and safeguarding issues.
• Delays in preparing, reviewing and approving emergency response plans.
• Major delays in dealing with service complaints and answering Freedom of Information requests.
• Failure to comply with legal requirements due to resource implications, which could lead to potential enforcement action against the council (Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulation (REPPIR) and Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)).
• Not able to provide training and exercising with the knock on effect of staff not being able to support a response, which would be liable to enforcement under Civil Contingencies Act (CCA).
• Not being able to provide out of hours Emergency Duty Officers, have business continuity plans and respond to planning applications, which would place the council at risk of being unable to respond, and therefore liable to enforcement under CCA.
• No support to communities to help build their resilience for emergencies.

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• Reduced levels of technically qualified staff, including Environmental Protection Officers, Environmental Health Officers, Trading Standards Officers and Licensing Officers.
• Loss of full engagement with local authority partners on cross-border working for emergency response.
• Reduced community resilience work.
• No medium or low risk food inspections.
• 25% reduction in business advice and complaint services.
• Minimal technical support for planning consultations.
• Longer waiting times for environmental nuisance complaint investigations.
• Increased stage one, two and Local Government Ombudsman complaints.
• Slow response time for workplace accidents and infectious disease investigation.
• Major delays in dealing with service complaints and answering Freedom of Information requests.
• Failure to comply with legal requirements due to resource implications, which could lead to potential enforcement action against the council (Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulation (REPPIR) and Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)).
• Not able to provide training and exercising with the knock on effect of staff not being able to support a response, and therefore the council may be liable to enforcement under Civil Contingencies Act (CCA).
• Not being able to provide out of hours Emergency Duty Officers placing the council at risk of inability to respond, and therefore liable to enforcement under CCA.
• Failure to have Business Continuity Plans in place, and therefore place the council at risk of enforcement under CCA.
• No support to communities to help build their resilience for emergencies.

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• Reduced levels of technically qualified staff, including Environmental Protection Officers, Environmental Health Officers, Trading Standards Officers and Licensing Officers.
• Reduced community resilience work.
• Reduced medium or low risk food inspections.
• 25% reduction in business advice and complaint services.
• Minimal technical support for planning consultations.
• Longer waiting times for environmental nuisance complaint investigations.
• Increased stage one, two and Local Government Ombudsman complaints.
• Slow response time for workplace accidents and infectious disease investigation.
• Some delays in dealing with service complaints and answering Freedom of Information requests.

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Inspection programmes to be delivered to the requirements of national governing bodies. Most noise and bonfire complaints to be dealt within 10 working days. Retention of expertise in technical areas such as planning consultations and business continuity. Discretionary licensing enforcement work carried out as required by the Licensing Committee.

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• Small increase in management capacity.
• Improved response times for complaints and business advice.
• Improved community resilience work.
• Improved use of digital services for residents and businesses to access information.
• Reduced risks from challenge and complaints.
• Improved response to complaints and answering Freedom of Information requests.
• Ensuring full compliance at all times with Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulation (REPPIR) and Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) and the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA).
• Opportunities to increase income. 

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• Significant risk of increased costs as landlord responsibility under lease would not be maintained. Monitoring of contractor would cease, leading to a loss of control over the management operator.
• Project work to achieve outcomes of the Leisure Strategy and Playing Pitch Strategy would not be undertaken, which would lead to a loss in opportunities for physical activity or a reduction in the quality of facilities available.
• Reduction in the number of staff, would lead to significant reduction in partnership work, and aspirations under the Leisure Strategy would not be explored.

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• Moderate risk of increased costs as landlord responsibility under lease could not be maintained. Monitoring of contractor would be significantly reduced, leading to a loss of control over the management operator.
• Project work to achieve outcomes of the leisure strategy and Playing Pitch Strategy Would be limited, which would lead to a reduction in opportunities for physical activity or in the quality of facilities available.
• Reduction in the number of staff, which would lead to a reduction in partnership work, and aspirations under the Leisure Strategy would not be explored.

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• Possible risk of increased costs as landlord responsibility under lease would be reduced. Monitoring of contractor would be reduced, leading to a limit of control over the management operator.

• Project work to achieve outcomes of the leisure strategy and playing pitch strategy would be reduced, which would lead to a possible reduction in opportunities for physical activity or in the quality of facilities available.

• Reduction in the number of staff, which would lead to limit in partnership work, and aspirations under Leisure Strategy would need to be prioritised.

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• Current provision continues.
• Aspirations under The Leisure Strategy would be explored and maximised.
• Sports Development work with communities would be resumed, maximising the numbers and range of residents who partake in physical activity. This would lead to a positive impact on aspects such as independent living amongst older people, safer communities, improved access to venues and natural resources.

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• Parks and open space maintenance will be significantly reduced, this includes open spaces in residential areas, urban parks and urban grass verges. This may cause road safety issues.  The street scene will be detrimentally impacted as grass becomes longer through reduced cutting regimes.
• Least used parks are no longer maintained, e.g. grassed areas grow into meadows or planted with trees.
• Likely increase in anti-social behaviour.
• Dog and litter bins will be reduced in number to those in the main parks and open spaces. This will have to be backed with some communications to encourage people to take litter and dog waste home.
• Up to half of the council’s play parks would no longer be maintained and may have to close for safety reasons.
• Would struggle to fulfil statutory duties in keeping the public rights of way network accessible.  Work would be limited to critical safety works, and maintenance of key routes only.

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• Frequency of grass cutting will be reduced in the council’s parks and open spaces.  Removal of some landscaping features which are high maintenance.  Some open spaces in parks allowed to regenerate into meadows and scrub, or planted with trees and closed to public access.
• Increased backlog of repairs to play equipment and areas.
• This would lead to less attractive parks/green spaces, more complaints and fewer visits.
• Some non-statutory, but nevertheless important work, would cease, including processing diversion and extinguishment orders on public rights of way.  Maintenance would be limited to those key routes which are most used by the public.

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• Reduced maintenance and standards across all parks and green areas, e.g. urban grass cutting would be reduced further.
• This would lead to less attractive parks/green spaces, more complaints and fewer visits.
• Some non-statutory, but nevertheless important work would cease, including processing diversion and extinguishment orders on public rights of way.  Maintenance would be limited to those key routes which are most used by the public.

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• Only ‘A’ roads will be gritted, leading to possible increase in accidents on other roads, delays to journeys and inconvenience to businesses/residents.
• Street lighting repairs will take longer and flooding on the highway will significantly worsen.
• Cycle training and speed management will cease, as will much of the council’s accident investigation function leading to a significant reduction in road safety.
• Coordination of works on the public highway will be less controlled leading to an increase in congestion.
• Severe reduction in the number and frequency of subsidised public transport routes in West Berkshire, leaving most rural settlements isolated, and restricting children from the west of the district in particular accessing further education.

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• Roads, parking, footpaths, verge and street light conditions worsen with longer waits for repairs.
• Reduction in the number of roads gritted, leading to a reduction in road safety.
• Delays to repairs causes more congestion on the district’s main roads.
• Cycle training and speed management will cease. Checking of utility companies’ work will reduce, meaning poor workmanship will go unchecked.
• Significant reduction in the number and frequency of subsidised public transport routes, including to rural communities, increasing social isolation, and preventing children from the west of the district accessing further education.
• Reduced support to community transport.

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• More potholes, more tripping accidents and more flooding on the roads.
• Reduced number and frequency of rural public transport routes, and restricting children from the west of the district accessing further education.
• Reduced support to community transport.

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• Increased number of roads gritted.
• Increased number of council road safety education and speed awareness campaigns.
• More frequent drainage cleansing, reducing flooding on the highway.
• Fewer potholes and improved footway condition.
• Additional or more frequent public transport routes.

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Major Service Impacts:

• Potential loss of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) grant from the government, either as a whole (approximately £2.3m per annum) or in part, due to fundamental reshaping of the contract, and likely loss of recycling performance.
• Potential full renegotiation of PFI contract and potential claim from Veolia.
• Potential reduction of general waste and recycling collections to three weekly or monthly.
• Significant increase in charge for the Garden Waste Collection service, currently £50 per annum.

Other Service Impacts:

• Possible closure of one Household Waste Recycling Centre and a reduction in the opening hours.
• Unable to meet statutory requirements (by law) to keep the district clean, leading to increased litter and fly tipping.
• Noticeable reduction in the cleanliness of town centres, which could lead to poor customer experience, loss of business and encourage anti-social behaviour and vandalism.
• Lack of street cleansing, which could cause localised issues like flooding.
• Reduction in contract monitoring.
• Completely stop fly-tipping enforcement and investigation.
• Reduction/stop of waste minimisation and education.
• Reduction in the number of Mini-Recycling Centres (MRCs) and the frequency of collections from them.
• Increase in the Bulky Waste Collection charge, currently £45 for up to five items.
• Charge for/limit number of replacement/additional waste containers, e.g. green recycling boxes and bags.
• Increase in the number of complaints due to reduction in service
• Longer response times to resolve residents’ enquiries and complaints.

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Major Service Impacts:

• Potential loss of some of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) grant from government (approximately £2.3m per annum), due to likely loss of recycling performance.
• Potential partial renegotiation of PFI contract and potential claim from Veolia.

Other Service Impacts:

• Possible reduction in frequency of collections from households.
• Significant increase in charge for the Garden Waste Collection service, currently £50 per annum.
• Streets will not be cleaned and litter bins emptied less frequently (potentially unable to meet statutory requirements).
• Noticeable reduction in cleanliness of town centres, which could lead to poor customer experience, loss of business and encourage anti-social behaviour and vandalism.
• Lack of street cleansing, which could cause localised issues like flooding.
• Unable to deal with fly-tipping promptly, leading to delays in removal and increase in fly-tips.
• Significant reduction in opening times for Household Waste Recycling Centres.
• Increase in charges for non-household waste at HWRC’s.
• Reduction in contract monitoring.
• Increase in Bulky Waste Collection charge, currently £45 for up to five items.
• Reduction/stop of waste minimisation and education material issued to households.
• Charge for/limit number of replacement/additional waste containers, e.g. green recycling boxes and bags.
• Increase in complaints due to reduction in service.
• Longer response times to resolve residents’ enquiries and complaints.

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Potential Service Impacts:

• Less able to deal with fly-tipping promptly, leading to delays in removal and increase in fly-tips.
• Increase in charges at Household Waste Recycling Centres and possible reduction in opening times.
• Reduction in street cleansing.
• Possible increase in Garden Waste Collection charge, currently £50 per annum.
• Increase in Bulky Waste Collection charge, currently £45 for up to five items.

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Potential Service Impacts:

• Potential increase in communications, education and waste minimisation.
• Able to recruit additional members of staff to drive forward waste minimisation and other beneficial initiatives.
• Potential reduction or freeze in charges for the Garden Waste and Bulky Waste Collection services, or services offered at the Household Waste Recycling Centres.
• Potentially longer opening times at the Household Waste Recycling Centres.
• Increase in the frequency of street cleansing.
• Increase in the enforcement and investigation activities around fly-tipping and littering.

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• Staffing numbers will be reduced by 33%, which is approximately 8 employees.
• Longer telephone wait times at all times.
• Opening hours for face-to-face appointments will be reduced.

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• Staffing numbers will be reduced by 13%, which is approximately 3 employees.
• Longer telephone wait times for customers at all periods.

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• Staffing numbers will be reduced by 8%, which is approximately 2 employees.
• Longer telephone wait times for customers at peak periods.

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• Staffing numbers will be increased.
• Shorter telephone wait times for customers at peak periods.

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£15m will be invested in council owned sports and leisure centres, to provide new and upgraded facilities with a broader range of leisure services, so that residents can enjoy their free-time in more modern environments.

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The introduction of a weekly food waste collection will result in the diversion from landfill of between 3,000 and 5,000 tonnes of waste. It will have the potential to increase the annual contract recycling rate from around 49% to around 56% and achieve a saving on landfill costs. The cost of the investment includes Kitchen Caddies and Kerbside Food Caddies for households.

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The revenue costs of capital for a solar farm of approximately 16MW within the district that would offset over 50% of West Berkshire Council’s carbon emissions each year and help to deliver carbon neutrality to the district by 2030.