Agenda item

Committee considered a report which gave Scrutiny the opportunity to help develop a new performance framework to support the Council’s ambition statement for 2019 – 2023.

Members suggested that the following additions, highlighted in bold below, be added;

In response to a Member’s query, the Information Engagement & Performance Manager confirmed that anyone who used the Council’s services was considered a customer.

Our Priorities - Customers:

·         Improving health and wellbeing and increasing participation in sport and leisure activities

Include wording in relation to raising awareness of Healthy Eating.

·         Transforming services through the use of technology

A Member raised concern that due to an ageing population, the Council should consider the ‘over use’ of technology.  The Information, Engagement & Performance Manager replied that the Council should not assume that all older people were uncomfortable with technology.  Part of the Council’s Digital Strategy was to raise awareness for everyone and the Council could provide awareness workshops for all ages to improve their skills and knowledge in technology so they could access all services.  Currently, when the Council was looking to introduce new technology or to make any significant changes to Council services which impacted on people, Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) were carried out.  This was to ensure that the Council did not discriminate against any equality group.  Every 6 months, for check and balance, mini-reviews were carried out on EIAs to ensure that they were as expected to be and also for any experience/feedback received from customers. 

A Member suggested that the heading could be - transforming services through education and the use of technology.

·         Reduce the % of current rent arrears against annual rent debit to 5% by March 2021 and maintain thereafter

·         Reduce the level of former tenants arrears by 5% through early intervention and effective monitoring

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer advised Members that an end of year report in relation to the above 2 targets would be presented to Members at a Budget Scrutiny Committee.

·         Implement an agile working programme within Environmental Health to increase efficiency and effectiveness by 31^st March 2021

It was agreed that this target required clarification to see how it would be measured.

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer advised that the Customer Service & Transformation and the Healthy Safe Clean & Green Scrutiny Committees had identified gaps in detail in relation to Council housing emergency repairs, satisfaction with disability adaptations, general satisfaction with Council housing, the housing allocations process and the housing waiting list (some of these may be service level rather than corporate level).  Further, from a targets point of view, Partnership activity and health & wellbeing had also been identified as a gap.  The Information, Engagement & Performance Manager confirmed that she had relayed these to the Head of Partnerships and Transformation and these were being looked at.

Our Priorities - Economy:

A Member raised that this Committee had previously discussed the Council having an Industrial Strategy for the District and also an identity of where the Council fitted in.  He noted that an area around East Midlands Airport was being promoted as a logistics hub in the UK but they were around 20,000 jobs short.  There was much logistic warehousing in the District, so there may be potential for those jobs to be redistributed within our area.  Committee had also discussed automation and green energy companies and the Council could have priorities in relation to what kind of industries and how it wanted to be perceived within the wider UK industrial strategy.  Also the new skills that were needed in the District and the Council’s role in these.

·         Supporting Enterprise: maintaining and growing the business base

A Member felt that the Council should help new start-up business in the District.  Particularly innovative businesses and the businesses using new technologies, which were part of the Council’s industrial strategies.  In relation to partnerships, the Council could look further into its partnerships with D2N2 and also at explicit partnerships with universities, AMRC or other funding bodies.

·         Prepare and adopt a Tourism Strategy by July 2020

A Member suggested that the Council could own and rent out holiday lets to aid the Tourism Strategy.  For example, there were 3 council owned properties in Bolsover Town Centre which Members felt were ideal for use as holiday lets.

·         Working with D2N2 and FE/HE partners to facilitate growth of the local skills base by 2023

A Member felt there should be a reference to secondary schools with regard to developing entrepreneurial skills. 

·         Through the Derbyshire Business Rates Retention Pilot grant scheme improve 40 shops fronts in Shirebrook town centre by 2020

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer advised that this target was specific to Shirebrook as it related to the Building Resilience Programme.

·         To add minimum of 5 new names to the register each Custom Self Build year (from November to October)

It was confirmed that this was a Government initiative which the Council had committed to support.

Our Priorities - Environment

·         Reducing our carbon footprint and supporting residents and businesses to reduce their footprint

A Member suggested that use of public transport be added into the above priority and more emphasis on enforcement.

A Member suggested that energy usage also be included and residents be encouraged to take up grants, for example, for solar panels.

·         Co-ordinate and facilitate car parking patrols outside schools within the District, working with Derbyshire County Council, Police and Education partners by 31^st June 2020

Members raised concern regarding the issue of parked cars ‘idling’ outside schools.  They also noted that illegal parking took place in all towns and villages throughout the District and not just outside schools.  The Information, Engagement & Performance Manager replied that this target had been included further to a successful car parking patrol pilot carried out at a school were awareness had been raised with parents on the impact on the environment from idling car emissions and also on the safety for school children.

The Information, Engagement & Performance Manager left the meeting.