AT A MEETING last week, councillors explored a number of ways the council could claw back a £4 million shortfall in revenue.
The alternative, dipping into reserves, could see Wokingham placed into special measures in the same way as councils such as Slough which are now run by the government.
Below are the proposals being considered.
Garden waste collections
THE annual garden waste collection service fee could rise by £10 a year.
Each year the garden waste subscription fee has been increased by £5, however due to the impact of coronavirus and the economic downturn, the council is considering doubling the rise.
As a result of high inflation levels, fuel increases and overall running costs, it is suggested by officers that the charge is increased by £10 for 2023/24, a rise from £70 to £80.
This equates to an additional 38p per fortnight from the current cost.
Supply of blue bags
THE council is considering ending the supply of blue bags.
Earlier this year, the supply was reduced from 80 to 54, but due to inflationary pressures the provision could be scrapped altogether.
This is one of a number of proposals being considered by the council as it looks to fill a £4 million deficit in its revenue for next year.
Veolia buys and delivers the bags on the council behalf but, with costs increasing to buy and deliver the bags, it is likely to exceed the £350,000 budget set aside for 2024/25.
If this proposal is rejected, a growth bid will be required to increase the budget by £50,000 to cover the rising costs.
Grass cutting costs
GRASS cutting across the borough could be reduced as the council increases the number of conservation areas.
The proposal will realise savings on the grounds maintenance contract through efficiency and operational changes.
Dependent on the announcement of the ecological emergency, there could be more wildflower areas.
In some areas, the frequency of cuts throughout the year could be reduced.
External consultants are currently reviewing the grounds maintenance contract and following this work the exact level of savings will be confirmed.
Event income from open spaces
ADDITIONAL income could be generated by utilising open spaces for commercial purposes.
The council will consider rental and sponsorship of open spaces for public and private events.
This will be similar to processes used when Dinton Pastures and California Country Park are hired out.
Currently events are held at these parks with up to 5 acres per day generating £200 of revenue.
Although specific numbers and locations of events have not been fully identified, it is estimated that hiring out could realise income and further work will be undertaken with the Commercialisation Team.
Reduction in car parking cleaning
The council is considering a reduction in car parking cleaning frequency from eight to seven visits.
A business case has not been created for this proposal yet
Reduction of weed spraying
YEARLY weed spraying could be reduced to two visits, rather than the current three.
A business case has not been created for this proposal yet
Reduce the number of play areas
THE number of play areas across Wokingham borough could be reduced to tackle the deficit in revenue.
A business case has not currently been created for this proposal
Introduction of garden waste bin charge
THE introduction of a charge for garden waste bins is being considered.
This could see residents charged £40 per bin.
A business case has not been created for this proposal yet
Rise in Watercourse fees
DEVELOPERS could see a 3900% increase in watercourse fees.
Currently developers are charged £50 but this proposal would see it rise to £2,000.
A business case has not been created for this proposal yet
Smart drainage solutions roll-out
PLANS for a borough-wide roll-out of smart drainage gully sensors in “high-risk” locations.
This could remove the need for twice annual cleansing.
The council is responsible for maintaining almost 40,000 highway drainage gullies across the borough.
The Highways Maintenance Management Plan currently states that all gullies within the borough will be emptied once a year, and a third of gullies within higher risk locations will be cleared twice a year.
The council spends, on average, £300,000 a year on the maintenance programme.
Over the last five years, officers have been collecting data on silt levels at the point of emptying.
This has allowed officers to develop an accurate picture of areas at most risk of debris build up and that require more frequent maintenance.
In 2021, officers conducted a smart drainage trial to see whether sensors recording silt level and sending notifications to the council when the silt level blocks the outlet, could be used to proactively respond to silt build up, allowing for a reduction in scale of the annual gully cleansing programme.
By cross referencing the silt levels with historic flooding records and resident enquiries, officers have identified that just under 200 locations would benefit from gully sensors.
Officers propose to purchase 200 gully sensors, at a cost of £450 per sensor, which could notify the council’s highways contractor of when a gully requires emptying.
Further investigation over the next six months is required before a figure can be provided on how long it will take to repay the capital.
The council states there is an opportunity to use some of the 2022/23 annual capital drainage budget of £200,000 to purchase the sensors.
Licensing team rate rise
THE hourly rate for the council’s licensing team could rise by more than 10%.
The increase would see the hourly charge go from £59 to £65.
A business case has not been created for this proposal yet.
Stop food waste caddy liners
PROPOSALS to stop food waste caddy liners could save in excess of £100,000
Each year, more than five million green caddy liners are distributed to residents at the cost of the council.
The council’s anecdotal evidence suggests “50% of households use the service and therefore most would utilise the supplied caddy liners. In theory, circa 50% are not being used and therefore this money/product is wasted.”
The council has also committed to reducing single use plastic and supplying a number to residents is “counterintuitive”.
Alternatives such as biodegradable liners have been assessed and it has been found that these are “at least double the price” of virgin plastic which is currently used.
However, residents will be advised to use other options such as plastic bags and newspaper instead of caddy liners.
Reduction in drainage maintenance
A REDUCTION in drainage maintenance by changing annual grip cutting to every other year.
A highway grip is a shallow ditch connecting the road edge to the roadside ditch.
Its purpose is to drain rainwater into the roadside ditch.
The council currently re-cuts all highway grips annually, which is in accordance with the highways maintenance management plan.
Officers feel adopting a risk based approach to grip cutting, such as only cutting grips that require maintenance, is a more efficient approach to maintaining infrastructure.
The council has accepted it could be difficult to achieve a saving if there is a lot of flooding in the winter.
Extended parking enforcement of school keep clear markings
THE COUNCIL is considering an increased roll out of parking enforcement on school keep clear markings.
This would require a one-off cost of £183,000 next year, followed by an annual requirement of £40,000 per annum.
Officers have forecast an income of £90,000 from this scheme, resulting in the net saving of £50,000 per annum.
Additional charge for residents’ second season ticket
FIRST residents’ permits can only be charged at cost, but second permits are not constrained.
The council currently issues 69 second permits per year and is considering charging these at full car park price.
This would be around £900 per annum and generate a net income of £62,000.
Officers predict further work could be required for the implementation to be successful so the benefits may not be seen until 2024/25.
Increase off street parking charges
THE first rise in off street parking charges for more than four years has been discussed at length by councillors
A report outlining the plans went to the executive last month and would see two parking zones created. One for Wokingham town and one for other car parks in the borough.
The council expects this to address a predicted shortfall in parking revenue of £600,000 to £800,000.
The shortfall is the result of a change in habits following the covid pandemic.
If fees are not increased to address the issue, then other interventions will be required to bridge the gap.
The council is also exploring options to stretch this target.
Introduce on street parking controls
A SMALL scale introduction of on street parking controls, initially based on maximum one hour parking.
This could tackle high demand locations close to stations, retail centres and existing resident parking areas.
The project will amount to approximately 100 spaces, with a simultaneous review of residents permit holder provision so availability meets demand.
The council believes its off street parking provision is sufficient but on street parking has been reduced and there is a need to explore ways of controlling it.
The latest timeline to deliver this scheme is; during 2023/24 the preparation and implementation of Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) to introduce parking areas and other double yellow line enforcement.
Then in 2024/25 charging of identified parking is proposed to be introduced.
Actual achievable income is dependent on agreement to implement options in the parking revenue recovery plan, which is still to be completed.
Concessionary funding for football transport
THE council could remove discretionary funding for transport on football services.
This is expected to save £12,000 per annum
A business case has not been created for this proposal yet.
Reduce reliance on consultants for transport planning
THE council currently uses consultants for generat transport planning work and the development of its local transport plan.
This cost would be reduced if permanent members of staff were recruited into the transport planning team to undertake the work.
The council pays £86,000 for 22 hours a week of consultancy support but believes it could cover this, and more, by employing a full time member of staff for approximately £61,000.
However, the council admits recruitment of transport planners has proved challenging, and remains difficult.
Highways operational savings
A FULL review into the way Highways services are undertaken with the aim of finding more efficient ways of working and financial savings.
The council feels there are many aspects which have the potential to be streamlined.
Further works are required in order to ensure these proposals are deliverable and the timing for achieving savings is under review.
Charging leisure users for parking at Carnival Pool
USERS of Carnival Pool Leisure Centre are currently offered two hours of free parking.
The council feels there is “no reason” why this arrangement should continue.
There is a risk to the popularity of the leisure centre and users may choose to go elsewhere.
However the council believes encouraging more environmentally friendly travel would assist with its carbon neutral agenda.
There is also a risk to the contract itself, as the leisure centre is owned by the council and run by a contractor.
The additional income generated through parking may hit the council through the contract instead and therefore not actually generate a saving.
The September 2022 figure, following the opening of Carnival Hub in July, recorded 10,221 users obtaining a two hour free parking ticket.
This equates to £12,000 per month, almost £150,000 per year based on current parking charges.
This proposal is dependent on negotiations with the leisure provider.
Introduction of moving traffic offence enforcement
THE government is giving councils the option to apply to enforce against moving traffic offences.
According to Wokingham Borough Council, Reading Borough Council is planning to acquire these powers and intends to make an application to the Department for Transport (DfT) in January 2023.
These powers will enable the council to expand the work it already does enforcing against unlawful and dangerous parking, and misuse of bus lanes.
As well as using these new powers to improve safety and tackle congestion by enforcing moving traffic offences, such as:
driving through a ‘No Entry’ sign.
turning left or right when instructed not to do so.
entering yellow box junctions when the exit is not clear.
driving where and when motor vehicles are prohibited.
driving on routes that are for buses and taxis only.
If approved, the council will be able to use these across the borough.
The time frame for implementing these charges is still under review and there may be a requirement for a six month period when notices will be warnings only before fines can be introduced.
Night time dimming of street lights
MORE street lights could be dimmed across the borough.
Lights are already dimmed on a staged basis, 80% from 9pm and 60% from midnight.
A partial switch off of 2,000 lights between 0.30am and 5.30am already takes place, but this could extend to 8,000.
This would require Thames Valley Police consent and a site specific safety audit
Merging Highways services
This would offset revenue costs against income through the efficiencies of a joint service
