Agenda item

This Mid-Year update report outlines South Kesteven District Councils performance against the Corporate Plan Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the year of 2023/24.

The report was presented by the Head of Corporate Projects, Policy and Performance. 

The South Kesteven Corporate Plan 2020-23 was approved by Council on 1 

October 2020.  It was agreed by the Council that actions, key performance 

indicators (KPIs) and targets would be developed by the relevant overview and scrutiny committee, which would retain oversight of the performance management arrangements at a strategic level.  These actions and indicators were presented to this committee and agreed on 26 January 2021.  The Year End report for 2022-23 was presented to the Committee on 11 July 2023 and outlined the performance 
against the Corporate Plan for the previous financial year.  This report built on these historical reports to provide an update on performance to the mid-year point of the 2023-24 financial year.  It incorporated the changes recommended by the last KPI review to outline areas of the council’s performance which were successful and to advise where challenges may lay.  

2023-24 was the final year of monitoring theseexisting KPIs.  A refresh of the Corporate Plan was currently underway and was still within the public consultation period for considering priorities (over 550 responses had been received so far).  All Members had the opportunity to engage in the development of the new Corporate Plan, which will be adopted in January 2024.  To accompany the new Corporate Plan, a new suite of KPIs will be developed to reflect the priorities, ambitions and actions of the new Plan.  These KPIs will be approved by each Committee and reporting will commence from April 2024. 

The actions were summarised as follows:  

• 6 of the actions are rated Green. These are actions which are on or above target

as planned.  Examples given included the Council’s carbon footprint and the garden waste service.  The Council was rated above its target for electric vehicle charging points and the new clean and sustainable Depot had a planning application 
underway. 

• 1 action: A Clean & Sustainable 6 - Work with the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership to reduce waste and further improve recycling, is rated Not Reported.  The KPI requires information provided by Lincolnshire County Council (LCC). There had been a delay on LCC’s provision of the required data.  As of the approval deadline of this report to be presented to this Committee, the data was unavailable. 

During discussion, Members raised the following points: 

•      All actions were rated as green.  This was welcomed. 

•      A Member informed the Committee that they had received a number of 
complaints in reference to missed bins and asked how this had translated to a 

green action, confirmed as ‘on target’.  Some residents were experiencing delays in the completion of repairs too which may have translated as not meeting the needs of the residents. 

•      Some of the KPIs needed to be better matchedto the work that had been completed.  As an example, the Tree Strategy could monitor how many trees 

had been planted and how many had been lost.  It should be intended to confirm a net gain within the targets.  A report on air quality could be included within the KPIs. 

•      Did the Council offer a recycling service for commercial waste? 

•      Had the consultation on the Queen Elizabeth Park, Grantham been completed and why was the required satisfaction rating lower than that expected for 

Wyndham Park, Grantham, at 80%? 

•      What innovations to waste management were being undertaken? 

•      How had the savings in carbon emissions dataof ‘6,840 tonnes’ been calculated?   

•      If a growth was expected in the green bin collection service, was an increase in price to be expected in the near future? 

•      A Member asked that air quality should be measured within KPIs in addition to the current reports produced in accordance with current legislative requirements. 

The Head of Corporate Projects, Policy and Performance confirmed that the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee would scrutinise the Housing Repairs targets.  The targets on missed bins were not being monitored through the current Corporate Plan but this could be looked at as part of the next Corporate Plan KPIs.   The Officer confirmed that a breakdown of the data on carbon emissions including comparisons with electric vehicles was available to be circulated to Members. 

The Council does offer a recycling service for commercial waste, the cost for the green bin collection would  be considered at the budget setting overview and scrutiny committee where an increase was likely to be proposed.  

ACTION: 

A breakdown of the data on carbon emissions including comparisons with electric vehicles was to be circulated to Members of the Committee. 

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste informed Members that the number of bins missed for emptying was consistently monitored.  Each month, approximately 326,000 bins were collected in all weathers and only a few hundred missed collections were logged, confirming success in 99% of collections.  The latest data could be provided to Members.  It was a difficult job and the operatives should be thanked for their work. 

The Assistant Director for Culture and Leisure informed Members that the Queen Elizabeth Park consultation had been launchedbut no data could be confirmed until it had concluded.  The target set for Queen Elizabeth Park was historical and Wyndham Park had always scored slightly higher. 

ACTION: 

The latest data on bin collections to be circulated by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste to Members of the Committee. 

The Chairman confirmed that a later item on the agenda for today’s meeting included an update on the tree and woodland strategy. 

The Head of Service for Public Protection confirmed that an annual report for air quality was produced by the Council, as required under legislation.  The most recent report was to be brought before the Committee in Spring 2024.  The report would be published on the website too. 

The Deputy Leader of the Council informed Members that the Council had a trade waste service that was working to capacity.  This was considerably successful.  The purchase of another vehicle would be required in order to increase the current capacity and further customers would be required.  The Deputy Leader confirmed that a ‘purple bin scheme’ was about to be implemented across the district and also a battery-recycling scheme.  The Cabinet Member considered both the schemes to be ‘innovative’.  The ‘green bin scheme’ was considered highly successful, enabling residents to dispose of compost waste in their gardens and reducing the need for collecting.  The reduction in collections further reduced carbon emissions and this was the ultimate target rather than looking to issue higher amounts of green bins.  

The Chairman welcomed the discussion, confirming that the Council should always strive to improve. 

It was proposed, seconded, and AGREED that the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee: 

1. Reviewed and scrutinised the performance against the Corporate Plan Key Performance Indicators in relation to the delivery of the Corporate Plan priorities and outcomes and recommended that KPI’s for residential bin collections, air quality data and tree planting data be added.  

2. Used this report to inform and support the ongoing work programme of the Committee.