Agenda item

The Committee will receive an update on the Council’s performance after the third quarter. This report will focus on the ‘Keep SK Clean, Green and Healthy’ and the ‘Leisure, Culture and Arts’ priorities.                                                                                                                  (Enclosure)

The Head of People, Projects and Performance presented the quarter 3 performance report, which had a focus on the Council priorities of ‘Keep SK Clean, Green and Healthy’ and ‘Leisure, Culture and the Arts’. Included with the report was a summary of the council’s performance against priority projects and performance indicators and a summary document which was targeted at members of staff and the public. The Committee agreed that the leaflet was a good tool for staff and the public but felt that the performance information that sat behind it was most useful to the committee in fulfilling its role scrutinising the Council’s performance.

Councillors were shown a short film, which highlighted key achievements against corporate priorities in 2012, including: Gravity Fields; improvements in Westgate/Market Place, Grantham; the green waste scheme; Olympic torch relay; well-being week for staff; the Local Authority Mortgage Scheme; Bourne Community Access Point; Bourne Core Area and Grantham Growth Point projects. Several members of the Committee congratulated the staff who had supported the successful delivery of the projects.

The video also included a brief feature on the British Racing Motors (BRM) Day in Bourne. SKDC officers had provided advice on running the event and shared lessons learned from the torch relay. Details of volunteer stewards from the torch relay were shared with organisers and barriers were loaned to them.

Councillors supported the work that was being undertaken to promote the district nationally. It was suggested that the video shown to councillors could be used to help attract people to the district. Officers advised that this external promotion would form part of the Destination SK project.

Some members asked how the success of the Gravity Fields Festival would be measured. They highlighted the importance of assessing the longer term impacts of projects. Officers advised that a full project evaluation for Gravity Fields was being produced; the committee requested that it be presented to them.

Action Point:

That the Gravity Fields project evaluation be included on the agenda for a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Development Management Service Manager responded to questions about planning performance indicators on the length of time taken to determine applications. A number of measures to improve performance were discussed, including the scheduling of additional meetings to deal with the backlog.

Mr Reid explained that the previous customer-focused approach had been revised. Applicants were now given deadlines to submit additional information whereas previously they could reply when they wanted. The Development Control Committee received regular reports on applications awaiting determination. Mr Reid reported that the format of this report had been updated to include a precise date on which the application was scheduled to be determined and the reason it was outstanding.

A member spoke about the validation of applications and referred to a previous suggestion that only complete applications should be validated. However it was noted that the Government had begun consultation on an approach that would see the validation of applications at the earliest point possible following submission. Mr Reid responded that while awaiting the outcome of the consultation, the team would keep requesting as much information as possible before validation. He also added that applicants were encouraged to seek pre-application advice from planning officers regardless of the size of the development.

Some discussion ensued on the ‘Clean, Green and Healthy’ priority. Members were advised that income raised from the green bin scheme had been used to pay for additional street cleaning services. One councillor raised concerns about street-cleaning needs which were a consequence of the night-time economy. The Head of Environmental Services invited feedback on trouble spots to help target resources. Members were encouraged to report any issues to the local area office. The Committee also talked about the number of requests the council had had to remove fly-tipping. They commented that self-reporting via the website was not straightforward and that the facility should be made more easily accessible for members of the public.

Action point:

Supply a breakdown of income from the green waste scheme and how it has been spent to improve the cleanliness of the street scene.

Mr Taylor also talked about the new dry recyclables contract into which the council would enter from August 2013. The new contract included a fixed contamination rate (this was an agreed percentage). The Council would be charged for any contaminated loads above this level. Educational campaigns were planned to reduce the impact of this.

11:13-11:19 – the meeting adjourned