REPORT TO THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR CUSTOMER SERVICES & COMMUNICATIONS
17 AUGUST 2011
POOLE NEWS – REVIEW OF FUTURE OPTIONS
- PURPOSE
1.1To consider the recommendations from Efficiency & Effectiveness Overview & Scrutiny Committee of 7thJuly 2011 (report and extract from minutes enclosed) concerning the way forward for the Poole News publication.
2.0DECISION REQUIRED
2.1That the recommended option of both Overview & Scrutiny and the ServiceUnit Head (Option 4 – Larger, Quarterly Publication) be approved.
3.0BACKGROUND
3.1Efficiency & Effectiveness Overview & Scrutiny Committee, at its Meeting on 7thJuly 2011, considered a report from the Head of Customer Services & Communications detailing the options following a review of the Council’s publication ‘Poole News’.
3.2Background information and issues influencing future options were outlined. These included feedback from residents and staff, compliance with a new Publicity Code and timing issues in terms of the renewal of service contracts for design, print, advertising and distribution. Cost savings were reported to have been achieved in 2010/11 with further savings identified through a planned restructuring of the editorial and production team.
3.3Members were requested to note the Report and to review and make comment on:
- The impact of Poole News in keeping residents well informed
- The future format and frequency of the publication
- The future style and content of the publication
- The resourcing and contractual implications of the above.
3.4Members were also requested to provide a steer on their preference of the four key options presented, with Options 3 and 4 being preferred and Option 4 seen as the best option overall. The options considered were:
- Option 1 – Cease Publication Altogether
- Option 2 – e-Publication Only
- Option 3 – Retain Bi-Monthly Printed Publication
- Option 4 – Larger, Quarterly Printed Publication.
3.5After detailed debate, including particular consideration of the strong steer from the Secretary Of State on the frequency of Council publications set out in the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Government Publicity, the committee voted on two of the options presented. Two members were in favour of retaining a bi-monthly publication (Option 3) and six in favour of moving to a larger, quarterly publication (Option 4).
3.6The Committee RECOMMENDED:
“that the Head of Customers Services and Communications provide an indication as to the Committee’s preferred option in order that this be communicated to the Leader and used to formulate any subsequent Portfolio Holder decision”.
3.7Useful feedback was also provided by committee members on potential changes to style and content in future (see minutes) which will be considered by the Communications team to inform the revised publication.
4.0FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
4.1The Financial, Legal and Equalities implications are all as detailed in the Report to the Efficiency & Effectiveness Overview & Scrutiny Committee of 7th July 2011.
4.2 Discussions have recently been held with the current print, design and advertising supplier (Newsquest plc) to request clarity on the cost and logistical implications of changing the size and frequency of publication.
4.3Details are awaited and expected soon, but they have already advised that the printing costs of this publication would need to increase approximately 30% due to market changes in material costs. However, they are willing to hold their current pricing for the remainder of the 2011 calendar year.
4.4Retaining the existing publication frequency would therefore incur additional costs compared to now, although it might be possible to offset some of this through other means (eg. paid for leaflet inserts), as outlined in the original report. Any cost increase would similarly affect the recommended move to a quarterly publication in future, but we nevertheless still expect to negotiate a net cost saving compared to present of at least £6,000 pa.
5.0CONCLUSION
5.1That the Portfolio Holder approvethe recommended change to the frequency of Poole News.
5.2It is currently expected that any new contractual arrangement and revised format of Poole News would then take effect at the start of 2012.