Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Environment submitted a report for Executive consideration.

The purpose of the report was to seek to increase the charge for Building Cleaning and Caretaking Services in Middlesbrough Schools by 13%.

The Council provided services to a number of Middlesbrough Schools with the provision of Building Cleaning and Caretaking Services Staff who were currently employed by the Council. Details of this were detailed at paragraph two of the report.

Whilst in previous years, those services had provided a surplus for the local authority, this was now not the case and at present the Council was subsidising the schools for these services. The table contained at paragraph three of the report showed the amount the Council has been subsidising over the past two years. These did not include the corporate overheads and support from enabling services, estimated to be around £0.090m per annum.

By increasing the price for cleaning and caretaking by 13% this would eliminate losses on this service. This was detailed in the table at paragraph four of the report.

ORDERED that Executive:

1.     Approve the proposal to increase the price of Building Cleaning and Caretaking Services by Middlesbrough Council to contracted Middlesbrough Schools by 13%.

2.     Approve the transfer of remaining Core Council Cleaning Services for Council Buildings from the Environment and Community Services Directorate to Regeneration Directorate to report under Property Services when appropriate to do so.

OPTIONS

The Council could stop trading in these services at this time. However, if the service could be cost neutral there was no need to undertake this approach. However, if a large number of schools withdrew from the service this option might come back to the Executive for consideration.

REASONS

This approach was required in order to bring this service in to financial balance.