Issue - meetings

Members considered the report previously presented to Overview and Scrutiny Panel on the 20 February 2020. It was noted that performance would now be monitored against the Council’s new Corporate Performance Statement. Members will now be invited to contribute to the performance monitoring process. Targets will be set and this process will be done transparently.

The following Councillors spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1:

Councillor Ashbee;

Councillor R Bayford;

Councillor Dexter;

Councillor Game;

Councillor Hart;

Councillor Rogers.

Councillor Yates proposed, Councillor Albon seconded and Members agreed to the following:

1.  To note the Council’s performance for the period up to 31 December 2019;

2.  To accept the recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Panel to set up a Member/Officer panel to allow Members the chance to input into the review of the future performance targets.

Ms Hannah Thorpe, Head of Communications introduced the report and made the following comments:

·  The Council was currently in a transition period where, as a result of the new corporate plan with new corporate priorities (focussing on Growth, Environment and Communities) that was introduced in October last year, new performance targets and indicators would be used as of 1 April 2020;

·  The new form of data analysis would allow for easier explanation of performance figures and this would include information on public opinion;

·  Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 performance reporting would continue to use the current reporting format;

·  16 targets out of 24 were at or exceeding target. Three were at amber and five were below target;

·  The report generally showed improved performance, although there were eight targets of concern;

·  The public perception regarding satisfaction levels for street cleansing had gone down. On the other hand recycling satisfaction levels had increased;

·  Days in hotel accommodation had gone down, which reflected good performance, by the Housing Team;

·  Sickness stats were below target but was moving in the right direction;

·  Council tax and business tax collection was within target;

·  Officers were working on improving performance in those areas whose performance indicators were amber and red;

·  A vehicle procurement process was currently underway to replace the aging waste & recycling collection fleet. It was hoped that the new fleet would be in place by October this year.

Members responded by asking the following questions:

·  Indicators were about to be rewritten – was there any opportunity for Member involvement and how were the targets set?

·  Can the Council improve recycling rates even more?

·  What was the cause of the rising number of empty properties?

·  Were waste collection rates below targets because of parked cars blocking waste vehicles or where there additional challenges faced by the service?

·  When recycling collection was missed, were residents affected advised why their recycle was missed?

·  Why was domestic clinical waste collection being carried out monthly as opposed to the weekly collection?

·  Would there be a charge for domestic clinical waste collection?

·  What new targets would be included and how else would they change?

·  Could more information be provided about the education enforcement officer’s role?

Ms Thorpe, Mr Porter and Mr Willis responded as follows:

·  The council used a performance management framework, which sets out how it should manage its performance;

·  A lot of the targets were previous statutory requirements which the council was required by government to report on a national level;

·  TDC decided to carry on with those targets, as it set its own benchmarking;

·  The changes coming in April would provide an opportunity to refresh how performance data could be better presented;

·  Some of the data currently collected did not accurately present a valid representation of our successes and failures. There was therefore a need to capture meaningful data to enable Members to hold corporate services to account for performance and to reassure the public that the council was responding and tackling their concerns;

·  Members were welcome to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 230