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2015/16 Southend Council budgets approved

27/2/2015

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Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has agreed its budgets for 2015/16.

Despite continued central Government cuts and the need to reduce its annual spending by nearly £12.4m, the council has committed to protect front-line services and invest £3m into services for vulnerable residents - although council tax will rise by nearly 2%.

£155m of capital investment projects will be delivered including £32m spent on council housing over the next four years. Proposals to invest £267,000 of reserves to keep Priory House care home open whilst plans are worked on for the development of an adult social care campus on the Priory site have also been approved.

The budget identifies £10.5m of savings, and the use of £1.9 million of reserves to spread the budget gap over three years and avoid unnecessary short term cuts. This amount from reserves will be replenished in 2016/17 and 2017/18. Council tax will rise by 1.95% or 42 pence per week for a Band D property.

The budget approval follows news that the main grant the council receives from central Government will decrease by £11.1m (28%) in 2015/16.

Cllr Ron Woodley, Leader of the Council, says: “We have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions that deliver significant savings just so we can balance our books. It is inevitable that as central Government funding reduces every year, the decisions get tougher and tougher. To put this in context we need to save over £33m over the next three years, which is approximately £42,000 per working day or £210,000 per working week for the next three years.

“However, I am also very clear that we must remain a forward thinking and ambitious authority and that is why we will continue to seek external funding to deliver capital projects that improve the Borough and also encourage private investment into the town.

“We really have little choice but to raise council tax rise by 1.95%, or 42p a week for a Band D household. We have not done this lightly and accept that local people have also been impacted by the austerity measures, so we have done everything possible to avoid this. Unfortunately it is unrealistic for this authority to keep taking crippling Government cuts on the chin without at some stage having to raise council tax by a small amount.

“This budget delivers the major savings required whilst maintaining and even investing in our core front-line services that will keep the streets clean, look after our vulnerable people and ensure that we remain a competitive and popular tourist and business destination.”

Over £3m will be invested in front line services, with £635,000 to fund community support costs to help young people with a learning disability who are turning 18, to make the transition into adult social care to ensure they have positive outcomes. An additional £500,000 per year has been set aside to deal with the changing and ageing demographics of the Borough and an increased demand for 24 hour care for older people in the Borough, and £75,000 is being budgeted to meet the demand for ‘staying put’ foster placements, which is a national policy allowing foster children to stay with their foster family beyond the age of 18.

An Energy Efficiency Team will be created with £100,000 a year of funding for two years to undertake investigation and feasibility studies into energy efficiency measures that will benefit residents and produce annual revenue savings for both the Council and Schools budgets.

£1.5m is also being invested into the on-going base budget as part of the new county-wide waste management arrangements.

Public Health funding is currently ring-fenced and The Public Health service grant allocation for 2015/16 is £8.060 million, which is exactly the same level as for 2014/15. However, the integration of Public Health into the Council has seen financial benefits with more joint working, delivering savings of nearly £250,000 a year.

Savings will therefore be made across the three departmental spending areas as follows:
  • Department for People - £6.465m
  • Department for Place - £2.568m
  • Department for Corporate Services - £1.467m
Councillor Ron Woodley, Leader of the Council, concludes:

“We are continuing to redesign our services to ensure they remain right for our residents, reviewing what we are doing and how we are doing it, renegotiating contracts with suppliers and contractors, finding new income streams and savings, making small increases to our fees and charges and prudently using reserves where there is good reason to do so. In some areas we are also investing in the front-line and working with our health partners to improve services whilst driving down costs, such as through the effective use of the Better Care Fund and Fulfilling Lives Big Lottery funding.

“Wherever possible I want to minimise the impact on our residents and also our staff. Wholesale redundancies would be counter-productive to both the local economy and also staff morale which in turn has an impact on services to residents. When you have to save £10.5m in one year, then there is inevitably going to be an impact on the workforce, but we have done what we can to reduce that impact. However, I appreciate that this budget does affect individuals and I am committed to ensuring that the right support is in place and to keeping compulsory redundancy to a minimum.

“I feel that this budget delivers the necessary savings, whilst protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and showing that Southend is ambitious, open for business and serious about its economic future.”
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Marine Plaza application to be decided next week

25/2/2015

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Ambitious plans for a £60 million development of shops, restaurants and homes on Southend seafront will be decided on by the council's development committee next week.

The Marine Plaza scheme, opposite the iconic Kursaal, promises 282 new homes (including 84 affordable homes), 318 parking spaces (including 28 disabled spaces), landscaped public spaces and 2,717 sq m of commercial space that could house restaurants, bars, shops or entertainment facilities.

The developer told Southend Rising that they decided to commit such a huge investment into Southend because of their high confidence in the area and the local economy.

Mark Farrier of Goldfield Developments Ltd said: "We are excited to bring our ambitious plans before the Development Control Committee.  Marine Plaza has been designed to both ensure that views of the Kursaal are not obstructed and to attract more people to what has become a rather tired part of the seafront.  Through attracting more people toward the Eastern Esplanade we are confident Marine Plaza will contribute to the revival of the Kursaal. 

"Our plans for Marine Plaza represent an investment of over £60 million in Southend.  We are making this investment because we are confident in Southend and its economy.  With regular fast trains to Liverpool Street and a vibrant mix of shops and entertainment venues, Southend offers a great deal for its residents and we see it as ‘the place to be’.    

"We hope that the Development Control Committee approves Marine Plaza.  If approved, we aim to start work on the site in 2015."

The application is widely supported by local businesses.

Dawn Jeakings, Chair of the Southend Business Improvement District, said: "I wholeheartedly support the Marine Plaza proposals.  The site as it is offers little benefit to this part of the seafront, however these plans represent an opportunity that Southend should not miss.  I am confident the development can contribute to the revival of the area and safeguarding the economic vitality of the seafront.  I would urge the Development Control Committee to support Goldfield Developments’ plans."

If approved next Wednesday (March 4th), work is expected to start within six months. 

For more information visit www.marineplaza.co.uk

Marine Plaza Southend
Marine Plaza in Southend
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Boost your workforce to help grow your firm

24/2/2015

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Business leaders are invited to a special free workshop to discover how best to develop their staff with increased skills and more apprenticeships.
 
This event on Wednesday 11th March from 5:45pm until 8pm in the Maritime Room of the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff, forms part of National Apprenticeship Week.
 
Called:’ The Future of Your Workforce’, it is organised by the Council’s Economy and Tourism Team and aims to highlight benefits and opportunities available to local firms through employing apprentices and up-skilling staff.
 
The evening will include a marketplace featuring local and national providers of apprentices and skills who can help bosses with new staff, or help existing workers reach their full potential.
 
Among the speakers will be Steve Radford from ATC Lasham explaining how apprenticeships have helped his firm to grow and describing the benefits an apprentice can bring.
 
Rachel Dawson from the Skills Funding Agency will discuss the support available to help boost workforce skills.
 
Meanwhile, the Council’s skills team will showcase the local skills market and give business owners further information on local apprenticeship offers.
 
Apprentices will also be attending to talk about their own experiences and the skills they themselves have developed.
 
Registration starts at 5:45pm to allow networking time and to give the chance to enjoy complimentary refreshments. Presentations begin at 6:30pm with more networking time afterwards too. 
 
For more details please contact the Economy and Tourism team on: economicd@southend.gov.uk or 01702 215022
 
To book your place please visit: http://www.businesssouthend.co.uk/events/
 
Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, Councillor Graham Longley said: “This free event is a marvellous opportunity for business leaders to find out in more detail – and from all angles - exactly how apprenticeships and raising staff skills can boost their firms.
 
“It offers a great chance for people to raise questions and share information with those directly involved in these aspects of workforce development.”
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Southend maintains its Purple Flag

20/2/2015

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Southend's ‘diverse and vibrant’ nightlife has been flagged as among the best in the UK and Ireland by a prestigious award scheme for the night-time economy.

The Borough was first awarded the ‘Purple Flag’ in 2012 in recognition of the outstanding services on offer contributing to a vibrant and diverse night-time economy. Following a recent assessment, the Borough has held onto the accolade.

Purple Flag is a town and city centre award – similar to the Blue Flag for beaches – which aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 18:00-06:00. Since 2007, the programme has awarded Purple Flag status to 54 towns and cities in the UK and Ireland.

Purple Flag accredited towns have all reported a consistent increase in footfall and decrease in crime within the night time economy. The scheme is managed by the Association of Town Centre Managers working alongside the Purple Flag Advisory Committee – a partnership of key stakeholder groups backed by Government, police and businesses, as well as sponsors Diageo Great Britain.

Simon Ford, Group Manager for Community Safety, and chair of the Purple Flag Working Group, said: “Maintaining the purple flag is excellent news for Southend’s residents, businesses and visitors. Our borough has a vibrant and eclectic night-time economy, from night clubs, high-quality eateries, music venues and small independent bars. We should be proud of our offer and the safe and friendly environment that it is provided in. The Purple Flag recognises and sends out a clear message that our night-time economy is open for business.”

Philip Kolvin QC, Chairman of the Purple Flag Board, said: “The continual expansion of the Purple Flag initiative is a recognition of the important challenge to create a balanced, safe and vibrant night time offering. Each city demonstrates how organisations working together with the public produces positive, innovative outcomes for the night time economy. With over 50 Purple Flag centres now across the UK and Ireland, it is inspiring to witness the ongoing diversity of efforts from all accredited towns, old and new alike.”

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c2c rail passengers are the happiest in Britain

16/2/2015

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National Express train operator c2c has again been named the UK’s most punctual rail company, while the latest independent research shows that c2c passengers are the happiest in Britain with the punctuality of their train service. 

According to new statistics published by Network Rail, 97.4% of c2c trains arrived on time in January. This was the most punctual service provided by any UK train operator, and compares to the national average of 87.9% punctuality. This means that over the past year, 96.7% of all c2c services have arrived on time, which is also the best score in the country. 

Meanwhile the latest results from the independent National Rail Passengers Survey show that passengers recognise and appreciate c2c’s punctuality record. 91% of passengers surveyed by Passenger Focus, the rail industry’s watchdog, said they were satisfied with the punctuality of their c2c train. In comparison, 77% of passengers across the UK are satisfied with rail punctuality.

c2c Managing Director Julian Drury said: “We’re proud that c2c passengers are the most satisfied in the UK with the punctuality of their train service. Over the coming year we aim to extend our reputation for reliability while delivering other journey improvements for passengers, like new ticket discounts and the new c2c Smartcard.”

The picture was less rosy for Abellio Greater Anglia, however. The Southend Victoria to Liverpool Street operator only managed an overall satisfaction score of 46% as 30% of passengers said they experienced a delay on their last journey.
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Southend youngsters invited to major careers fair

11/2/2015

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A major careers fair is being held next month to help Southend youngsters explore options for the future.

The event at Shoeburyness Youth Centre, Delaware Road, Shoeburyness, runs from 9am to 4pm on Tuesday, 10 March, with at least 57 exhibitors offering information and advice about all aspects of further and higher education, training and jobs.
 
The Careers Fair, organised by Southend Connexions is open to all young people in the borough currently in years nine through to year 14.
 
Among those present from the education sector will be more than 20 universities - including Oxford and Cambridge - as well as further education providers and school sixth forms.
 
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Children and Learning, Councillor Anne Jones said “Young people can find it a very bewildering time when they start to consider their next move, so we have arranged this Careers Fair to help them as much as we can to make informed choices.
 
“This event, generously sponsored by Hi-Tec, gives a marvellous opportunity to meet face to face with people who represent a whole variety of establishments all in one place – and who can give vital advice.
 
“We are very pleased so many organisations, educational opportunities, training providers and other services are taking part in the Careers Fair.
 
“They will be there ready to speak directly with our young people, so we hope as many as possible will be able to come along to make the most of this chance.
 
”We know how valuable the Careers Fair is to young people. Last year more than 1700 came along.”
 
Helen Durant, Hi-Tec UK and Ireland Marketing Director said: “Hi-Tec are proud to support the efforts of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and nurturing and coaching Southend’s young people on the various exciting job opportunities. We look forward to meeting everyone at this event!”
 
If you would like to attend the Careers Fair, or for more information, please contact: Donna Bruce at Southend Connexions on 01702 534300 or at donnabruce@southend.gov.uk
 
Exhibitors confirmed so far include:
 
Education/Training
 
Chase High School Sixth Form; King Edmund School Sixth Form; YMCA; Catch 22; Southend Adult Community College; NCB Studio School; South Essex College; Writtle College; Essex Boys and Girls Clubs, National Citizen Service; Frontier; Southend United Community and Educational Trust; The LightBulb Ltd; The Equestrian Learning Centre; Seevic College; ITEC Learning Technologies; Crown Vocational Training; HIT training; Pearson College; Ipeco Holdings; Cilex;; PROCAT; NAS; BIMM Group Ltd;
 
Universities
 
Cambridge University; University of Greenwich; Anglia Ruskin University; Brunel University; University of Brighton; University of Exeter; London South Bank University; Oxford University; Bishop Grosseteste University; Bucks New University (High Wycombe & Uxbridge); Lincoln University; University of Worcester; University of Kent; Newcastle University; University of Essex; UCS; University of Surrey; University of Winchester; City University; The Open University
 
Other
 
FORD; Deloitte; SELEX; IFDS - International Financial Data Services; Southend-on-Sea Borough Council; Estuary Housing; VTS; SOS Domestic Violence Unit;
Premier Children's Services; Hi-Tec; Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Essex Police; Essex Enquirer; YPDAT;
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