Agenda item

A report of the Strategic Director of Corporate Services providing performance information in respect of the Corporate Plan objectives and key performance indicators within the Committee’s remit (Quarter 1 2019/20).

The report also includes the Council’s Annual Report 2018/19 that reviews how effectively the Council has delivered the themes set out in the Corporate Plan (2016-2020).  

Considered a report of the Strategic Director of Corporate Services providing performance information in respect of the Corporate Plan objectives and key performance indicators within the Committee’s remit (Quarter 1 2019/20), together with the Council’s Annual Report 2018/19 that reviewed how effectively the Council had delivered the themes set out in the Corporate Plan (2016-2020) (item 6 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

Assisting with consideration of the report: Cabinet Lead Member for Finance and Property Services, Strategic Director of Corporate Services.

The Chair stated that the Council’s Annual Report 2018/19 had been considered by the Scrutiny Commission on 16th September 2019 and that, therefore, it might be appropriate to focus scrutiny at this meeting on the Quarter 1 information specific to this Committee’s remit, and any red indicators in that respect.  That did not prevent members of the Committee from raising issues relating to the Annual Report 2018/19, if they so wished.

Summary, key points of discussion (red indicator, Quarter 1 and Annual Report):

(i)      DES3 – FP (agenda page 24): Investment Strategy would be considered by Cabinet on 19th September 2019, for recommendation to Council.  This was only red indicator at Quarter 1.  Strategic Director did not have any concerns regarding other indicators at this stage.

(ii)     K18 (agenda pages 26 and 47): This Council collected Charnwood Council Tax on behalf of all public services in the County, therefore all would benefit from any improvement in performance by this Council.  Even a small percentage improvement represented a significant sum, particularly for those receiving larger share of Council Tax.  Discussion regarding this Council’s performance compared with other collection authorities in the County, Charnwood in third quartile for both in year and total collection.  Recognised that fair comparison was difficult, no family of like authorities available.  Also, that performance had exceeded Council’s own target in 2018/19.  Stated that, although this Council would wish to be effective collector for all recipients, cost to it of improving performance needed to be considered against likely income.  Noted that 0.1% total Council Tax was approximately £97k of which this Council retained £8k (7%).  Range of factors affected performance, including how enforcement was balanced against other objectives (policy matter) and relative deprivation levels.  Considered that increasing direct debit payments might assist.  Reference to charges against properties and how that process worked.

(iii)    K14 (agenda page 47): Responding to a concern that reuse, recycling and composting target was not being met, the Chair stated that strong reasons and reassurance had been provided to explain that performance at recent Waste Management training session for councillors (4th September 2019).

The Democratic Services Officer agreed to email the presentation slides from the above training session to Councillor Baines. 

RESOLVED

1.         that the Committee’s support for the Council’s continued aspiration to improve the Percentage of Council Tax Collected performance (K18) be recorded;

2.         that the report providing performance information in respect of the Corporate Plan objectives and key performance indicators within the Committee’s remit (Quarter 1 2019/20) and the Council’s Annual Report 2018/19 be noted.

Reasons

1.         To acknowledge the importance of achieving the best performance possible for this Key Corporate Indicator, as discussed in (ii) above.

2.      The Committee’s remit included receiving regular performance monitoring reports and, having noted the discussion at this meeting and made specific resolution where it so wished, it was content to note the performance information report.