Contact: Bevis Ingram, (01962) 847508; email: [email protected]

Stuart Dorward (01962) 846110, email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out the proposed Recreation and Heritage revenue budget for 2008/09, a provisional budget for 2009/10 and 2010/11 and recommends a revised budget for 2007/08.

1.2 The following decisions are sought:

To approve for submission to the Leader and Cabinet:

i) The revised budget for 2007/08 totalling £32.315 million (as set out in appendices 1 and 2)

ii) That the attention of Cabinet is drawn to the additional cost (£90,000) of the works required to repair the breach to the Basingstoke Canal that occurred in June 2007 and the knock on effect of deferral of Countryside capital schemes, and that Cabinet be requested to consider reinstating these funds in the Recreation and Heritage budget for 2008/09.

iii) The base budget for 2008/09 totalling £32.973 million (as set out in Appendix 3)

iv) The proposals for growth of £0.786 million and redeployment of resources totalling £0.86 million in 2008/09 (as set out in Appendix 4)

v) The proposals for efficiency improvements totalling £1.09 million (3.3 % of the base budget) in 2008/09 (as set out in Appendix 5). This is comprised of the £0.86 million referred to above in addition to staff increments totalling £0.23 million.

vi) The annual review of income and charges (as set out in Appendix 6)

vii) The summarised trading accounts of business units (as set out in Appendix 7)

viii) The detailed budget for 2008/09 (as set out in Appendix 8)

ix) The workforce implications of the proposed budget for 2008/09 as set out in Appendix 10)

x) The provisional budget for 2009/10 of £33.897million and for 2010/11 of £34.812 million (as set out in Appendix 11).

2. Reason(s)

2.1 Cabinet has requested that service budgets be prepared for approval by Executive members within the provisional budget guidelines set by Cabinet in September 2007 and submitted to the Leader and Cabinet for consideration in February 2008. Proposals need to be submitted to the Cabinet on 8 February 2008 in order to influence decisions on the 2008/09 budget and council tax.

2.2 The budget proposals contained in this report are derived from the departmental service plans which have been developed to support the priorities of the Corporate Strategy.

3. Other options considered and rejected:

3.1 The total of the budget proposals in this report equal the guidelines set by Cabinet. A budget in excess of the guidelines is not affordable and a budget below the guidelines would not enable service objectives to be met.

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive member consulted - none

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - none

6. Reason for the matter being dealt with if urgent - none

Approved by: Date:

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Councillor Mrs M Snaith

Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage