Agenda item

The Panel are to consider the Integrated Performance Report 2019/20 - Quarter 2.

With the aid of a report by the Business Intelligence and Performance Manager and the Finance Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Integrated Performance of the Council for Quarter 2 of 2019/20 was presented to the Panel.

Before introducing the report, the Chief Operating Officer introduced himself and explained the role and what services he will be responsible for. The Panel was given an overview of how well the Council are doing against the Key Actions and Performance Indicators. In addition to this the Panel was given further details of the projects that were delayed. These include the server room migration which is almost complete, Council Anywhere which is a time based slippage previously reported to Members and the IT Business System for Operations which the Council are making progress.

Councillor Gaskin asked if there could be a link between getting Council Anywhere up and running and reducing the heating costs. In reply it was explained that as more Officers are willing to work from home, it could be possible reduce heating costs.

A question was asked if Key Action 25 includes the backdated rental income from a tenant in Riverside Park. The Chief Operating Officer has stated he would find out whether it did or not. In relation to the same Key Action, Councillor Chapman asked what the process for the removal of restricted covenants was and are Parish and Town Councils notified. The Chief Operating Officer stated that he would clarify the process and respond.

Councillor Gulson asked why £285k was pulled out of reserves for Transformation but that no explanation was given in the report. In response, the Chief Operating Officer confirmed that the £285k was related to planned investment and that Transformation works on projects around the Council.

It was noted that there were some Performance Indicators where no update had been received but Members were informed that the reason for this was because a team had recently lost a key member of staff. Members were assured these indicators were forecast to be Green.

A question was asked about why had there been a higher than expected number of avoidable contacts, in response it was explained that there had been slippage in the delivery of a project which would allow customers to log a street scene request and track it themselves. This in turn has resulted a higher than forecast number of calls to log requests and more calls to track those requests. Once the project is complete it is hoped that avoidable contact will be reduced.

There was some confusion over the status of the One Leisure St Ives Changing Rooms project but it was clarified that the project is currently pending approval and this is down to the fact that there are other projects outstanding which require completing first. It was noted that the project has not been update since July and the Chief Operating Officer stated that he will seek a further update.

Concern was expressed that no update had been received on Key Action 22. After confirming it was not linked to the previous missing data, the Chief Operating Officer stated that he is seeking a response.

Councillor Wakeford asked about Key Action 15 and why options have been developed for St Ives Bus Quarter but there has been no such action on Huntingdon Bus Quarter. The Panel was informed that the Council’s land ownership in the area is relatively small and that engagement has been taking place with other land owners in order to see if, through collaboration, something with greater potential could emerge.

When questioned about the fall in the number of benefit claims, the Chief Operating Officer explained that some residents have moved onto universal credit, which in turn has reduced the number of claims. In addition, the way residents make claims has altered as part of continuous improvement of the service. Document uploads allows the Council to process forms more quickly and access has been made easier for residents.

Councillor Chapman asked why project dates are not reviewed constantly, however it was explained that historically the Project Governance Board wanted a fixed date and then see how close the project was at the end of the year.

The Finance Manager introduced the financial aspect of the Integrated Performance Report.

A query was raised as to why £210k was drawn from reserves for Operations. It was explained that the funds was for projects and that it was always the intention to draw it from reserves. The Finance Manager added that this would have been agreed when setting the 2019/20 budget. The Panel requested if the commentary for this could be made clear.

Following a question on the income from replacement bins, it was clarified that the budget had overestimated the income. It was anticipated that developments would happen faster than they have been.

Further to the discussion of previous quarterly reports of the Council’s Integrated Performance, it was confirmed that Development has a number of staff vacancies and the Chief Operating Officer is looking at ways to retain staff and minimise vacancies. It was also noted that this is not just an issue for the Council but for most Local Authorities in the South and East of England.

A comment was made by Councillor Chapman that it appears that the expectation is that the standard of street cleansing is expected to be the same standard, despite reducing the number of litter bins.

Councillor Chapman questioned why the Alms Close Development is proceeding despite the cost. In response the Executive Councillor for Resources stated that the project has been reviewed and the decision to proceed is due to the positive revenue impact and the gains in employment opportunities. 

Traveller Security Improvements were mentioned and Members were informed that the Council are installing security measures as a prevention but that the number of illegal incursions can’t be managed. In addition, Members were informed that there isn’t any measure of savings for installing security measures but that a thorough review of all options had taken place before investing in the additional measures.

A concern was raised by Councillor Chapman that the capital budget for the One Leisure St Ives Outdoor Fitness Offering had doubled from the original £250k estimate and the questioned was raised as whether it was worth going ahead. The Executive Councillor for Resources stated that it is disappointing that the estimate has doubled, however despite this the outturn is projected to be greater than if the Council decided to refurbish the squash courts. It was confirmed that the project will be reassessed by Officer in December 2019.

The Disabled Facilities Grants underspend was queried but it was confirmed that the flow of funds ebbs and flows depending on what point it is in the cycle. Currently the Council has just received the grant and will now look to spend it on approved adaptations.

(At 7.18pm, during the discussion of this item, Councillor J A Gray entered the meeting.)