Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of People, Performance and Partnerships containing details of the Council’s performance against its priority objectives.

The Panel considered a report by the Head of People, Performance and Partnerships (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) containing details of the Council’s performance against the priority objectives in the Panel’s remit in the quarter to 30^th June 2010. Attention was drawn to the matters raised at the meeting of the Corporate Plan Working Group and, in relation to the measure “internal promotions as a percentage of all vacancies filled”, the Scrutiny and Review Manager reported that 8 fixed term posts had been advertised in the reporting period.

With regard to the fall in income from hospitality in the previous quarter following the closure of the St Neots bars and catering operation, Members were informed that it had been possible to accrue savings on staff costs, reduced opening hours, better supplier prices and less wastage. This had enabled profit margins to remain on target. Having noted that a further report on performance of the Leisure Centres would be submitted to the October meeting of the Panel, it was suggested that this ought to include details of any returns on the capital investment which had been made at the Leisure Centres in previous years. At the instigation of the Corporate Plan Working Group, Members also were advised that a bid had been submitted to the Government to establish a Local Enterprise Partnership for the Greater Cambridge – Greater Peterborough area.

The Panel discussed a previous request by the Corporate Plan Working Group for an update on the Council’s use of external consultants. Having noted that expenditure on consultants had amounted to £1.8 million in the previous year and in the context of the earlier discussions on the financial forecast, Members agreed that the Cabinet should be recommended to reduce the amount the Council spent on employing external consultants by £1.5m in the current financial year.

The Panel endorsed the recommendations of the Corporate Plan Working Group, which had been designed to enhance the Council’s approach to its strategic budget planning and performance management. Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that the Cabinet be recommended

a)  to consider the Panels’ comments as part of its deliberations on the report by the Head of People, Performance and Partnerships;

b)  to seek contributions from opposition groups, all other Members, employees and the public in the search for the necessary financial savings;

c)  to take fully into account the views expressed by those identified in recommendation (b) above and review the Council’s priorities, aims and objectives in the Corporate Plan with the Overview and Scrutiny Panels being involved in the review process;

d)  to develop a clear vision of what services should be retained, delivered differently or withdrawn as a result of recommendation (c) above and use this as a guide in the application of the Council’s Redundancy Policy;

e)  to review all internal and external performance indicators to ensure that they are appropriate to the service delivered by or in partnership with the Council with the Corporate Plan Working Group being involved in the review process; and

f)  to reduce the amount of expenditure for the purpose of employing external consultants by  £1.5m in the current financial year.