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Agenda item
Performance and Financial Monitoring Quarter 1 2016/17
- Meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Tuesday, 13th September, 2016 6.00 pm (Item 3.)
- View the declarations of interest for item 3.
- View the background to item 3.
Minutes:
The Director of Corporate Services and Governance presented a report which advised members of performance against the 2016/17 targets and performance indicators in the corporate plan for quarter 1. She noted that the format of the performance monitoring item had been reviewed over recent months, the feedback of the committee on potential areas to improve reporting.
It was noted that the quarter 1 target to increase the percentage of council tax collected in year had not been met, however, it was anticipated that performance could be recovered later and the year-end target of a 96.3% collection rate remained achievable. The Director of Corporate Services and Governance added that the committee would need to consider the impact of the introduction of Universal Credit to Hastings, scheduled to take place in December 2016, later in the year.
The Director of Corporate Services and Governance advised that staff in the People, Customer and Business Support team continued to work closely with service managers within the council to reduce the proportion of working days / shifts lost due to sickness absence. Members were mindful that, as the size of the council’s workforce had reduce over time, any period of long-term sickness absence had a more significant effect on capacity within the organisation.
The committee acknowledged additional tasks undertaken by the Electoral Services team during quarter 1, successfully co-ordinating the Local Government Elections, Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and a Referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union. It was noted that facilitating the elections involved staff from across the organisation.
The Director of Operational Services gave an update on performance in quarter 1. He advised the committee that the quarter 1 target to reduce the rate of missed waste and recycling collections had not been met. Particular emphasis would be given to reducing the number of repeatedly missed collections. However, the quarter 1 target for recycling and street cleansing had been achieved. The committee expressed some concern at the growth of weeds around the town, and requested that the contractor consider re-treating certain areas. It was suggested that the committee receive a separate briefing on waste and street cleansing.
The newly appointed Planning Services Manager had undertaken a review of the council’s Planning Service. The review had recommended the recruitment of additional Planning Officers to join the team, and this was now being progressed. The new officers would create additional capacity within the team and support further improvements in performance.
The committee was advised that the selective licensing scheme had exceeded its quarter 1 target, receiving 3,000 new applications against a target of 2,000. The fees for the scheme had been charged at a reduced rate for landlords who signed up in the first six months of the scheme. The fee structure for the scheme would now be reviewed and enforcement action taken against landlords who had failed to sign up to the scheme. It was anticipated that the additional income generated from the scheme would offset the cost of administering enforcement action. The council continued to engage proactively with landlords in the private rented sector, through regular meetings of the landlord’s forum.
The Director of Operational Services also updated the committee on the impact of the recent decision to leave the European Union on funding streams to the town. He explained that high levels of uncertainty remained as negotiations to leave the European Union were still at an early stage. The government had indicated that funding for European Structural Investment Framework (ESIF) projects that had previously been approved and signed would be guaranteed, this included CAN and SHINE. The council continued to pursue stage 2 bids for funding though FLAG and CLLD.
Consideration was given to the impact of the referendum decision on community cohesion. Both Hastings Voluntary Action Haste Crime Service and the Police had reported a limited increase in reported hate crime following the referendum. The Police have confirmed that they will take robust action to deal with any incidents of hate crime. The council and its partners would continue to monitor community cohesion issues and any potential future tensions as the negotiations with the European Union continued. The Hastings Youth Council had also been monitoring community cohesion issues amongst young people following the referendum decision, and the council would continue to support them in this. The Lead Member for Housing, Communications and Equalities agreed to ask for an update from East Sussex County Council as to what advice had been provided to local schools on supporting community cohesion. Members were keen that the image of Hastings as a welcoming and inclusive town should be maintained and developed.
Discussion took place regarding an ongoing project to develop a new visitor centre at Hastings Country Park. The council and its partner, Groundwork, continued to pursue funding opportunities to support the project through Interreg. In the meantime, a commitment remained to improving visitor facilities at the country park.
RESOLVED that -
1. The committees comments on quarter 1 performance be addressed by the relevant Lead Member(s) with appropriate action and report back, and;
2. Staff be thanked for their hard work and achievements in this quarter
The reason for this decision was:
To assist the council undertake performance management arrangements
Supporting documents:
- Quarter 1 Performance Review Report, item 3. PDF 161 KB
- Appendix C - Quarter 1 Exceptions Report, item 3. PDF 75 KB
- For Information - Full Background Information on Quarter 1 Performance, item 3. PDF 278 KB
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