Agenda item

Committee considered a report informing them of the Quarter 4 outturns for the Council’s Ambition targets 2020-2024. Out of the 31 targets:

18 (58%) were on track

1 (3%) continued to be affected by Covid 19

1 (3%) achieved in 2021/22

1 (3%) failed in 2021/22

3 (10%) had been placed on alert

7 (23%) achieved previously.

The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager informed Members about the following Ambition Targets:

CUS.10 – the target of “Deliver a health intervention programme which provides 500 adults per year with a personal exercise plan” had been achieved.

CUS.07 – the target of “Reduce average relet times for standard voids (council

properties) to 20 calendar days by March 2021 and maintain thereafter” had been placed on alert as it was unlikely to meet its intended outturn in 2021/22.

ENV.08 – the target of “Bring 5 empty properties back into use per year through

assistance and enforcement measures” failed to meet its annual outturn. The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager explained that the target had been missed because it took a long time to bring properties back into use.

ENV.03 – the target of “Achieve a combined recycling and composting rate of 50% by

March 2023” had been placed on alert as it was unlikely to meet its intended outturn in 2021/22.

ENV.06 – the target of “Increase the number of fixed penalty notices issued for litter

and dog fouling offences by 20% over 5 years (2023/24)” had been placed on alert as it was unlikely to meet its intended outturn in 2021/22. The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager explained that the target had been impacted by staffing issues and the inability to carry out face-to-face enforcement controls.

The Scrutiny and Elections Officer explained how questions from Members had been raised on these missed targets in the pre-meet, and she circulated written responses to the questions gathered by the Information, Engagement and Performance Manager as follows:

CUS.07 (standard voids) - Question: Is a temporary revised target needed for 2022/23?

Response: We have discussed amending the target and are looking at alternatives. Once this piece of work is finalised, it will be presented to Members for consideration. (Assistant Director of Property Services & Housing Repairs)

The Chair noted the response and felt it was vital to ensure we had no unrealistic/unreasonable targets, particularly where we were currently affected by external issues, in this case supply of materials for works. 

ENV.03 (recycling) - Question: Why is the estimate based on actuals from 2019/20 instead of 2020/21?  

Response: The reason for using the 2019/20 data is because the 2020/21 data was substantially affected by COVID and the Wards recycling issue; hence, using the 2019/20 data which was more stable and reflecting service performance in 2021/22. An estimate is used because of the time lag in receiving the confirmed % from the Waste Data Flow system. Q4 actual will be known in July 2022 and then included on the performance report at Q1 2022/23. (Assistant Director of Streetscene)

ENV.06 (fixed penalties) - Question/Enquiry: Details were sought regarding the baseline from which the target is set.

Response: The baseline was the outturn for 19/20 – 56 FPN issued. Therefore the target by 2023/24 is 67 with interim targets of 59 in 21/22 and 62 in 22/23. There are discussions on withdrawing this target as it does not focus on outcomes. What we really want is a decrease in environmental crime. If we are successful in reducing it, we wouldn’t need to issue as many FPNs. (Assistant Director of Environmental Health)

It was noted that the service was likely to review the educational work it carried out in relation to environmental offences.

The Chair suggested that it would be beneficial to see targets other neighbouring authorities set (like North East Derbyshire District Council and Bassetlaw District Council) and have Council targets benchmarked against them, such as the standard voids target. The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager explained that the Council had put in a request to the East Midlands Performance Management Network, but a response had not been received.

Moving on to the Indicators section of the report, the Information, Engagement and Performance Manager also informed Members that target CSP 16 (% written complaints responded to in 15 working days) had been missed because of the flexible retirement of the Customer Standards and Complaints Officer.

(Mark Surridge - Mazars Director - Audit & Assurance entered the meeting at this point.)

The Scrutiny and Elections Officer referred to ENV.06 (fixed penalties) and asked if a separate target could be included on how many of the FPNs issued were for dog fouling.  The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager indicated she would discuss the possibility with the Assistant Director for Environmental Health.

Councillor Jen Wilson (Chair of Local Growth Scrutiny Committee) referred to some of the missed targets for rent arrears, and felt it should be considered that COVID was making it difficult for tenants to pay rent. The Information, Engagement and Performance Manager explained that the Council had reduced the number of rent arrears in the last year.

RESOLVED that the quarterly outturns against the Council Ambition 2020-2024 targets and relevant performance indicators be noted.