Agenda item

To consider a report by the Strategic Planning Team Manager (copy attached) which seeks the Committee to monitor the Council’s performance in delivering its Corporate Plan, and identify specific areas or services which would benefit from detailed scrutiny in order to improve outcomes for citizens.

9.45 a.m. – 10.15 a.m.

The Lead Member for Finance, Corporate Plan and Performance, Councillor Julian Thompson Hill introduced the report (previously circulated) which provided an update on the delivery of the Corporate Plan 2012-17 as at the end of Quarter 4 2015-16.

At this juncture, the Lead Member introduced the recently appointed Strategic Planning Team Manager, Vicki Robarts and welcomed her to her first Scrutiny Committee meeting.

The Lead Member emphasised to the Committee that the improvement or decline in performance from one quarter to the next was usually minimal due to the long-term nature of the Plan.  He summarised the key performance messages for Quarter 4 of 2015-16 as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, advising that:

·       there were three “outcomes” under the developing the Local Economy priority that were classified as “acceptable”, however, an improvement in performance in theses outcomes would be required.  Nevertheless, there were external factors that mitigated against improvement in these indicators at present;

·       whilst the percentage of children aged 16-18 not in education, employment or training (NEET) was another area that required further improvement.  It had been pleasing to note that the three year trend with respect to the number of young people classed as NEETs was downwards;

·       whilst there had been an improvement (reduction) in the numbers of adults requiring residential care, there remains a need to improve performance in relation to the performance indicator relating to the percentage of the population who cannot live independently (aged 18 and over);

·       the present economic situation and lack of confidence in the housing market meant that developers were not applying for planning permission for medium to large sized housing developments.  This in turn had an impact on the performance indicator (PI) relating to the number of affordable housing units granted planning permission; and

·       as British Gas, the Council’s energy provider had still been unable to provide a breakdown of the Council’s carbon emissions, the Council was unable to report against this PI.  Since April, the Council had changed energy provider and should, therefore, in the future, be able to report against this PI.

Responding to Members’ questions, the Lead Member and Officers confirmed:

·       that whilst there had been a slippage in performance with respect to the number of calendar days taken to re-let council housing stock properties, there were valid reasons for this linked to ensuring that the properties when re-let were of a high standard (a report on performance in this area was scheduled for presentation to the Committee at its meeting on 14 July 2016);

·       feedback from the business community in relation to the support available to them from the Council had been generally positive.  However, there had been a need to further improve performance in relation to this priority and to improve communication between the various stakeholders.  There was also a need for businesses to be more shrewd e.g. adapt their opening hours to match the public’s requirements and expectations;

·       that they would follow up concerns regarding street cleanliness and the delay encountered with grass cutting at the county’s lawned cemeteries due to a problem with the contractor.  They would also look at how communication with local members in relation to delays or problems with public realm matters could be strengthened.

In relation to the “Modernising the Council to Deliver Efficiencies” priority, Members asked Officers to enquire on the number of problems logged from Councillors with respect to the interaction of Microsoft Outlook with their council i-pads to establish whether there was a significant issue that merited a long-term solution ahead of next year’s local authority elections and the new in-take of Councillors.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Committee:

RESOLVED subject to the areas listed above being examined and reported back to the Committee:

(i)    to receive the report and note the Council’s performance in delivering its Corporate Plan during Quarter 4, 2015-16, and

(ii)   that a report on the Council’s performance in delivering its Anti-Fouling Strategy, taking enforcement action and introducing Dog Control Orders be presented to the Committee at its next meeting  (the report to include information on the use and cost of utilising mobile CCTV equipment for enforcement activity).