Agenda item

CORPORATE PERFORMANCE UPDATE - QUARTER THREE

The Sub-Committee will receive a presentation setting out the Corporate Performance information within its remit for Quarter 3.

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee was provided with the latest Corporate Performance data for the 14 indicators which fall under the remit of the Sub-Committee. These related to the Clean and Proud goals.

 

Eleven of the indicators (78.6%) had a RAG status of Green while three indicators (21.4%) had a RAG status of Red.

 

The Sub-Committee was informed that the red indicators related to the Percentage of major applications processed within 13 weeks. Members noted that Major applications often required a legal agreement which could take the application beyond the target 13 week period. Various activities were taking place to process planning applications in the required times. These include:

      increased promotion of Planning Performance Agreements for significant major applications

      promotion of the pre-application advice offer

      quick turn-round of the validation process when application is received

      neighbour notification

      officer visit/report and the committee date better timed to allow optimum ability to keep applications in time without requiring Extension of Time agreements.

Performance figures presented for planning applications processed in the required timescales do not include extension of time (EoT) agreements. Taking extension of time agreements into account, performance is significantly better. However, the service is looking at ways to reduce reliance on EoT agreements.

The percentage of repairs completed on time (including services contractors) is below target.  The fundamental barrier to complying with the repairs completed on time target is the volume of overdue orders that are completed every month. The main repairs contractor has produced a recovery plan to deal with the level of out of target orders and a sustainable action plan to prevent continuing poor performance. The timescales for tangible improvement and the achievement of 95%+ repairs completed on time will be the end of quarter 4.

The number of potential start-up businesses accessing advice via the Business Start-up Programme is below target (63 against a target of 75). Performance levels are recovering from the gap in service provision at the beginning of the year whilst a new contractor was procured. Enterprise Nation started in May and are confident that performance will continue to improve throughout the year and meet the year end target.  The contractor will deliver workshops, coaching, one-to-one health checks, online webinars, masterclasses and podcasts to local businesses.  Performance is believed to be higher than indicated but the full data is not currently available. 

 

 

The Sub-Committee sought clarification on role of the Council in supporting  the Clean up exercise at Tesco, as it was considered such a large company should be able to fund such a programme. In response, the Sub-Committee was informed that the Community Clean up at Tesco Roneo Corner was organised through the employer supported volunteer scheme and the programme enabled the Council to leverage companies corporate social responsibility to meet local needs. The Sub-Committee was informed that the clean-up took place not only in Tesco car park but also in the surrounding public areas and streets. The clean-up team was made up of Tesco staff, Community Clean-Up ambassadors and local residents and equipment was provided both by the Council and by Tesco.

 

In response to a Member enquiry on how staff at the Libraries assisted those who could not speak any or little English. Officers responded that Library staff were able to search for classes and courses for English as a second language as well as informing customers that Transparent Languages offers similar courses; (Transparent Languages was an online resource available free to library members on the library website). There were a selection of dual language picture books and a collection of Community Language books available for parents and carers in the Central Library in Romford.

 

The Sub-Committee was also informed that the person that was rejected from the volunteer scheme was found not to be suitable for the role applied for at Collier Row Library.

 

 

The Sub-Committee noted the report.