Agenda item

The report of the Executive Manager – Transformation and Operations is attached.

The Performance, Reputation and Constitutional Services Manager presented the report of the Executive Manager – Transformation and Operations to provide a summary of the Council’s Performance Monitoring for Quarter 4 2017/18, containing tasks from the Corporate Strategy 2016-2 and the corporate basket of performance indicators.

 

The Performance, Reputation and Constitutional Services Manager noted 13 performance highlights including:

 

LICO42 Processing of planning applications: Major applications dealt with in 13 weeks or agreed period – this indicator maintained high performance throughout the year achieving 90% at year-end against a target of 60%.

 

LIFCS14 Value of income generated as a result of the Investment Strategy being activated – a highlight in quarter 3, the income of £76,257 being more than twice thetarget (£37,100).

 

LIFCS20 Percentage of Council Tax collected in year – the collection rate of 99.31% is the council’s highest collection rate.

 

LIFCS21 Percentage of Non-domestic Rates collected in year – the collection rate is 99.53%, a high for Rushcliffe.

 

LINS24 Number of affordable homes delivered – there have been 112 affordable homes completed this year, the most delivered in Rushcliffe in a single year.

 

LINS25 Number of households living in temporary accommodation – the number had reduced in the last two quarters enabled by the high number of successful homelessness preventions achieved.

 

LINS27a Average length of stay of all households in temporary accommodation – the average time spent in temporary accommodation had reduced from 12 weeks in2016/17 to 9 weeks this year.

 

LINS29 Number of successful homelessness preventions undertaken – a highlight in quarter 3, 269 homelessness preventions were achieved ensuring that residents were able to stay in their homes.

 

LINS51 Number of leisure centre users – public – a highlight in quarter 2, the success of the new Arena has had a positive impact on the number of leisure centre users.

 

LITR01 Percentage of users satisfied with the service received from the Rushcliffe Community Contact Centre

 

LITR09 Percentage of customer face to face enquiries to RCCC responded to within 10 minutes – the performance target had been achieved t for the first time in three years.

 

LITR11b Percentage of telephone enquiries to RCCC resolved at first point of contact – the percentage of enquiries resolved by the Customer Services Centre hadrisen to 88%.

 

LITR51 Corporate Sickness - number of days lost to sickness absence – this indicator was an exception for the first two quarters; however the resolution of a number of long term sickness cases had enable performance to be turned around in the second half of the year.

 

As well as three new exceptions:

 

LIFCS13 Percentage of Investment Strategy committed – the Asset Investment Strategy had an extra £5m resource added in September 2017 which therefore reduced the percentage committed.

 

LIFCS60 Value to date of savings generated as a result of partnership activities – no savings have been generated during 2017/18 although there are existing partnershipactivities (such as IT, Building Control and payroll) that provide both greater serviceresilience and economies.

 

LIFCS61 Number of new initiatives operational resulting from work with Collaboration Partners including Combined Authority and D2N2 – no new initiatives had become operational during 2017/18, although the Trent Bridge Community Trust became operational in April following agreement by Cabinet on 9 January 2018.

 

The Performance, Reputation and Constitutional Manager also provided a progress update on the exceptions that had been reported for quarters 1 and 3 including:

 

LICO46 – Planning appeals allowed against authority's decision – the number of allowed appeals increased to 12 (two of these had been split decisions but these had been treated as allowed in the calculation), out of 28 appeals overall.

 

LIFCS15 Value of savings achieved by the Transformation Strategy against the programme at the end of the financial year – this had largely been due to the higher than anticipated NNDR charge for the Arena.).

 

LIFCS43 – Percentage of Community Support Grant allocation spent to date – although not hitting the profile target (under by just £4,216.57), it was close to last year’sspending total.

 

LINS06 Cumulative number of fly tipping cases (against cumulative monthly comparison for last year) – fly tipping incidents were increasing nationally and acombination of educational campaigns and enforcement through fixed penalty notices orprosecution is aiming to reduce incidents next year.

 

LINS32 Average waiting time of applicants rehoused by Choice Based Lettings – this indicator is no longer an exception, as the current 32 weeks meets the 33 weektarget. The improvement is a result of a greater availability of property and shorterwaiting times.

 

LINS37 Domestic burglaries per 1,000 households

LINS38 – Robberies per 1,000 population

LINS39 – Vehicle crimes per 1,000 population – the increase in reported crime is reflective of an increase in recording rather than an increase in the incidence of crime in Rushcliffe. To ensure the reporting of crime complies with national standards the Police now convert a higher proportion of incidents to crimes than previously. As a result the

targets previously set were not met and once we have a full picture we will amend our performance standard accordingly.

 

LITR35 Percentage of Growth Deal money drawn down and allocated – to date £3m (48%) of the Growth Deal money had been secured, the remainder would be allocated to new projects once confirmation had been provided by D2N2.

 

LITR51 – Corporate Sickness - number of days lost to sickness absence – sickness improved in quarters 3 and 4 after the resolution of cases of long term sickness by manual workers at the depot. As a result this indicator is now under target and no longer an exception.

 

Members asked about the target for the processing of major planning applications and questioned why the target was set at the modest figure of 60%. The Executive Manager – Transformation and Operations advised that this was a nationally set target figure, however, consideration could be given to increase this locally to provide a more challenging target. Members also asked about the corporate sickness rates and whether the 8 day target was a realistic target for the Council to achieve. The Executive Manager advised that in previous years this had not been achieved due to a number of long term sickness cases which had been a major contributor to the number of days lost to sickness. It was also noted that the Council’s Absence Management Policy provided phased return to work schemes, remote working and work flexibility to help employees return to work. She felt that the target was realistic.

 

Members considered the Corporate Scorecard and the performance exceptions and requested clarification and further explanation on how these had been reported by, and dealt with by officers. Members also requested further information on the value to date of savings generated as a result of services delivered in partnership and in collaboration with other organisations.

 

The Performance, Reputation and Constitutional Services Manager noted members’ concerns and advised that this information would be presented at the September, 2018 meeting of the Performance Management Board.

 

Members expressed concern with regard to the increase in fly-tipping cases across the Borough and raised their concerns regarding the cost of cleaning up and the provision of recycling centres. The Executive Manager, Transformation advised that fly-tipping was a national problem with landfill charges increasing year on year. Streetwise held the prime contract for clearing and disposal of fly-tipping at a cost to the Council.

 

The Executive Manager – Transformation and Operations provided a progress update on the Cotgrave regeneration scheme, advising members that the business centre was completed in May with 6 pre-lets in place and advised that the Multi Service Centre was due to be completed by the beginning of October.

 

It was RESOLVED that:

 

a)    the report be endorsed.

 

b)    the Performance, Reputation and Constitutional Manager provides members of the Board with further information on the actions that officers are taking in relation to the exceptions. 

 

c)     the Service Manager – Neighbourhoods provides members with details of the charges Streetwise pass on to the Council for the clearing up of fly-tipping.

 

d)    the Executive Manager – Communities is asked to consider revising the target for dealing with the processing of major planning applications.

 

e)    members of the Board be provided with further information on the value to date savings generated as a result of partnership activities at the September, 2018 meeting of the Performance Management Board.