Agenda item

Report of Assistant Director Customer Focus

Purpose of report

To report to the committee the council’s performance position at the end of Quarter 1 2024-25.

Recommendations

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves:

1.1           To consider the contents of the council’s performance Quarter 1 report and agree comments to the Executive for consideration.

Resolved

(1)       That having given due consideration, the Council’s Performance Monitoring Report Quarter 1 2024 - 2025 performance be noted, and no recommendations be submitted for Executive consideration.

The Committee considered a report from the Assistant Director – Customer Focus that detailed the council’s performance position at the end of quarter 1 2024-2025.

In introducing the report, the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services advised that 50 of the 57 Business Plan measures had been achieved, 6 were operating slightly behind target and 1 being behind target. The one measure that was operating behind target related to temporary accommodation where 68 households were reported in temporary accommodation against the maximum target of 45. It was reported that the number of new placements was now comparable to the number of moving out into other housing options, therefore the reported increase had shown a slight slowing down.

In response to a question regarding how the council defined the term “vulnerable” the Assistant Director – Housing and Wellbeing alongside the Strategic Housing Team Leader advised that it was considered in the broadest possible sense, but Housing legislation included specific set of criteria that helped determine if a person or household was “Vulnerable” which ensured a consistent approach.

In response to a question regarding the relationship between the green rating for delivered affordable housing and the red rating of homeless households in temporary accommodation, and what the council was doing to reconcile the difference, the Assistant Director – Housing and Wellbeing alongside the Strategic Housing Team Leader advised that the ratings related to annually set measurable targets and indicated the council’s position on achieving said targets. With regards affordable housing, the Assistant Director Planning and Development that the overall housing target and qualifying target for affordable housing would be reviewed as part of the Local Plan process and would have regard to the Council motion to target 50%. It was important to balance the target with what was viable to ensure housing delivery occurred.

In response to a question regarding BP1.2.10, % of Major Applications overturned at appeal and the cost to the council, the Assistant Director Planning and Development advised that the national target of 10% was the indicator whilst the actual for quarter 1 was 18.8%. The council was also measured nationally over a two-year period and this figure was 11.2% as reported to Planning Committee. The Assistant Director Planning and Development explained that the number of appeals this year had been higher than previous years resulting in more appeals being allowed. This was being reviewed and Planning Officers would work with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development Management and Planning Committee to ensure recommendations were sound, grounds for refusal were as defendable as possible, and that the council’s decision making process was robust. The cost of appeals varied greatly and were subject to many factors The Chairman reminded the Committee that Planning Application Appeals would be a substantive agenda item at a future meeting.

In response to a request that the red and amber indicators on the EDI Action Plan action plan be considered at the first meeting of the EDI working group, Committee endorsed the request.

Resolved

(1)                That having given due consideration, the Council’s Performance Monitoring Report Quarter 1 2024 - 2025 performance be noted, and no recommendations be submitted for Executive consideration.

(2)                That it be delegated to officers to arrange the EDI performance indicators be added to the agenda of the first meeting of the EDI Working Group.