Agenda item

Report by the Chief Operating Officer.

35.1     The Orbis Programme Manager introduced report which gives an update on the development of a revised Business Plan for the Orbis partnership, which now includes Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) as well as East Sussex County Council (ESCC) and Surrey County Council (SCC). The Orbis partnership provides a shared service for back office functions (Finance, IT & Digital, Property, Procurement, Human Resources and Business Operations) for the three partners. The draft Orbis Business Plan was presented to the Orbis Joint Committee in October and a final version will be presented to the Orbis Joint Committee in January 2018. The savings for the 2018/19 financial year remain the same as in the original business plan and represent a 17% reduction in baseline budgets.

35.2     The contribution and investment ratios in the original business plan are ESCC 30% and SCC 70%. With BHCC joining Orbis, the contribution ratios are predicted to be in the region of ESCC 24%, SCC 56% and BHCC 20%. The revised business plan provides a ten year vision for Orbis, and includes the financial years 2019/20 and 2020/21 which have been identified as requiring additional savings.

35.3     The Committee asked what input it would be able to have into the final version of the business plan. The Chief Operating Officer outlined that there is a current adopted business plan covering 2018/19 and the Committee could ask through the RPPR process for further savings in 2018/19. If further savings are required then this will have an impact on services. The Committee can also discuss what additional savings the partnership can deliver in 2019/20 to 2020/21 and the impact this would have on particular service areas.

35.4     The Committee noted the requirement for ESCC to make further savings of £36 million over the 2019/20 to 2020/21 financial years and asked if the other partners faced similar financial pressures. The Orbis Programme Manager responded that all three partners have similar financial pressures. SCC is already in the same position as ESCC and BHCC not far from requiring additional savings.

35.5     The Chief Operating Officer commented that the RPPR process next year will tackle this through the areas of search for further savings, but there will be service implications if back office support is reduced further. Orbis is currently developing Service Catalogues which look at where there are areas of choice in service levels and where there are professional standards or statutory guidelines where it is not possible to reduce services further. It will be for the Orbis Joint Committee to oversee how Orbis responds to requirements of the three authorities. The RPPR Board can scrutinise and consider the opportunities for further savings.

35.6     The Lead Member for Resources added that it is important to look at how the Council can make savings without jeopardising day to day services and the ability to make bigger savings. Reductions in the back office services will not bridge the savings gap on their own, and it will be important to consider the risks and ramifications of a weaker service if they are reduced further.

35.7     The Committee RESOLVED to note the progress to date in developing a revised business plan for Orbis and that it is due for completion early in the New Year.