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Archiver > DEVON > 2011-02 > 1296615430


From: Madalene Frost <>
Subject: [DEV] Proposed retrenchment of DRO
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:57:10 +1300


Hi folks
FYI - the response I got from Cllr Stuart Barker

Some of the suggestions they have already received (at bottom of
response) may be worth considering, and responding to???

"Devon County Council carried out public consultation on the reductions
to our funding during a Tough Choices road show during the autumn of
last year. It visited a significant number of locations across Devon to
ensure that our council tax payers had the opportunity to tell us their
priority for using reduced resources. Our web site also provided an
opportunity for everyone to tell us what our funding priorities should be.

This open public process was used to inform priorities in the many
services we are responsible for and was used to inform the figures in
the budget proposal. We have to find savings of £54.6m so all services
are expected to find efficiency savings to reduce spending. Any
restoration of projected savings will need to balanced by an equivalent
cut in other services, this includes the care of vulnerable people of
all ages or bigger cuts in the efficiencies libraries have to find. All
the other services had to find efficiencies in the current year.

The records service currently spends £1.2m and the reduction of £289k,
agreed with senior archivists, would enable us to ensure our statutory
duties would continue to be met and would also retain the North Devon
Records office. The savings figure was agreed after a number of
meetings between archivists and senior officers, the need to maintain
the facility at Exeter and the importance of continuing the maintenance
of important historical records was fully understood when discussions
with archivists took place.

At this stage we are only considering the overall budget figures. No
decisions have been made about staff changes or opening hours because
there has been no consultation yet. If the full council agree the
budget on February 17th then we will start a consultation exercise with
stakeholders, users, friends groups, staff and public to determine what
suggestions/ideas there are which will address the reduced budget or
generate income to cover the savings. I hope we will be able to have a
FAQs type web page where we can show suggestions and our reaction. As
reductions in staffing levels will be considered there will be a
consultation period with them to determine if there any any alternative
options that will meet the agreed budget. A combination of measures may
well be part of a final recommendation. It is only when all the
consultation exercises have been concluded will decisions be made and
changes begin. The conclusion of consultations is not expected until April.

Regards

Stuart

We are receiving constructive messages which are thinking about how the
service can meet the budget demands. These suggestions will be
considered when the consultation starts and include;-

*We would be happy to pay a gate fee for entry to the records office
*There should be consideration of centralising all the Devon records in
Exeter, including any held in Plymouth so they are all in one place if
it keeps the opening hours and staff
*We pay for internet searches so would pay for record office searches
*The North Devon office was created for political expediency in 1974,
it might be time to think again if it protects the excellent centre in
Exeter
*Searches are made by agencies and solicitors who charge their clients
so they should pay a fee.
*We would pay an annual fee rather than see staff reductions
*If we want to keep the office in Barnstaple then we might have to pay
to use it."

Cheers

Madalene
Taihape NZ



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