Agenda item

Committee considered a report regarding the April to June 2021 quarter performance outturns against the Council’s Ambition 2020-2024 targets and relevant service indicators.

Aim: - Our Customers – Providing excellent and accessible services

There were 10 targets in total under this aim.  Eight targets were on track and two targets had been affected by Covid19, these were CUS 08 and CUS 07.

CUS.07 - Reduce average relet times for standard voids (council properties) to 20 calendar days by March 2021 and maintain thereafter.  Housing officers were aware that the outturn for this target was some way off and that there were issues to be addressed.

CUS.08 - Maintain high levels of tenant satisfaction with council housing and associated services.  Committee was advised that the Star Survey would be carried out in the current year and this would be an important piece of work to attain information from.

Aim: - Our Economy – by driving growth, promoting the District and being business and visitor friendly

There were 10 targets in total under this aim.  Six were on track and one target outturn for 2020/21, ECO.05 - Annually review housing delivery in the district and facilitate delivery to meet the annual target of 272 new homes, had been confirmed and achieved with the outturn being 446 dwellings, exceeding the target.

In response to a Member’s query regarding ECO.02 - Optimise business growth (as measured by gross Business Rates) by £2m by March 2023, the Head of Finance & Resources noted that business rates would only be affected if the business premises were unoccupied.  However, if the premises were occupied, the Council would receive income.  She added that the Council was still awaiting for the Government’s Business Reform which they had already delayed by 4- 5 years.  There was a lot of growth in the District for business rates and it would be bad news if the Government decided to carry out a full business rates reset because the growth the Council had accumulated since 2012/13 would be effectively lost.  The Portfolio Holder for Finance & Resources added that every effort was made by the Council to collect business rates.  Currently, the Council had a low base line and if this increased, it would be bad news for the Council.  It was important that Members understood what was happening and although the Council had been prudent in the past, it needed to be innovative to get money in. 

With regard to ECO.06 - Work with partners to deliver an average of 20 units of affordable homes each year, and ECO.07 - Deliver 150 new homes through the Bolsover Homes Programme by March 2024, Members queried the impact of substantial increases in the cost of building materials on the affordability of the houses being built under the Bolsover Homes programme.  The Head of Housing Management & Enforcement noted that the Council entered into an agreed contractual price at the outset and any increase in building costs would have to be met by the contractor.  However, for future schemes, the impact of the Members’ query would be seen - officers would work with the Head of Finance & Resources and look at this going forward.

Members queried why the houses and bungalows built in Whitwell under the Bolsover Homes programme were slow to be let.  The Head of Housing Management & Enforcement advised Committee that although the properties looked habitable from the outside, there were currently outstanding snagging works to be completed on some so valuation of the properties and the keys could not yet be attained.  However, some other properties had been advertised for let.

In relation to ECO.01 - Deliver a Business Growth Strategy by March 2021 that will support enterprise, innovation, jobs and skills and makes the best use of our assets, a Member queried if the Strategy would be updated.  The Scrutiny & Elections Officer advised Committee that the Business Growth Strategy would be reported to the Local Growth Scrutiny Committee on a quarterly basis along with the Action Plan where Members would scrutinise how it was working.  However, it needed to be remembered that Covid19 may have affected how the Strategy was now being delivered.

Aim: - Our Environment – protecting the quality of life for residents and businesses, meeting environmental challenges and enhancing biodiversity

There were 11 targets under this aim of which 8 were on track and 3 had been previously achieved.

Moved by Councillor Peter Roberts and seconded by Councillor Tom Kirkham

RESOLVED that the report be noted.