Agenda item

Report of Chief Executive and Corporate Strategy and Performance Manager

 

Summary

 

This report covers the Council’s performance in 2010/2011, as measured through the Corporate Performance Management Framework.

 

Recommendations

 

The Executive is recommended:

 

(1)               To note that, despite tough performance targets and a challenging economic environment, the Council has met or made satisfactory progress on 97% of the performance targets in the Corporate Scorecard (the basket of priority measures) and met or made satisfactory progress on 95% of the performance targets in the Corporate Plan which sets out activities and targets under each of the Council’s four strategic priorities. 

 

(2)               To note that the Council has delivered a challenging programme of improvement projects and value for money reviews. Of the 22 projects and reviews scheduled for 2010/11 21 were completed with good or satisfactory outcomes and only 1 delayed due a changing government policy. The improvement programme has directly contributed to the delivery of savings and efficiencies to balance the Council’s budget.

 

(3)               To note the progress in delivering the Council’s strategic objectives and the many achievements referred to in paragraphs 1.4 and 1.5

 

(4)               To request an update on the issues highlighted in paragraph 1.6 in the first quarter report of 2011/12.

 

 

Approved, with the additional resolution that officers be requested to produce a one page summary of the performance highlights for circulation to all Members.

The Chief Executive and the Corporate Strategy and Performance Manager submitted a report which presented the Councils performance in 2010/11, as measured through the Corporate Performance Management Framework.

 

The Executive commended officers for the continued operation of performance monitoring and requested that a one page summary of the highlights be produced for circulation to all Members.

 

Resolved

 

(1)               That it be noted that, despite tough performance targets and a challenging economic environment, the Council has met or made satisfactory progress on 97% of the performance targets in the Corporate Scorecard (the basket of priority measures) and met or made satisfactory progress on 95% of the performance targets in the Corporate Plan which sets out activities and targets under each of the Council’s four strategic priorities. 

 

(2)               That it be noted that the Council has delivered a challenging programme of improvement projects and value for money reviews. Of the 22 projects and reviews scheduled for 2010/11 21 were completed with good or satisfactory outcomes and only 1 delayed due a changing government policy. The improvement programme has directly contributed to the delivery of savings and efficiencies to balance the Council’s budget.

 

(3)               That the progress in delivering the Council’s strategic objectives and the following achievements be noted:

 

Cherwell: A District of Opportunity

 

·        Contributing to the creation of new opportunities in the district: In spite of challenging economic circumstances the Council has focused on supporting local residents and businesses through its activities. The successful job club partnership has continued with targeted events to improve access and an apprenticeship scheme targeted at young people not in education, employment or training has been continued. The Council’s work in this area has been recognised as national good practice and its approach cited by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies.

 

·        Local Housing: The Council has delivered 370 new homes, 126 affordable houses, including 40 extra care units, maintained the low number of residents in temporary accommodation at 29, and invested £950,000 in better quality housing for vulnerable people including warm front top up grants, and emergency repairs.

 

·        Regeneration and Growth: The Council has secured funding to make progress on the Eco Town demonstration projects, worked with developers to begin the Bicester Town Centre Redevelopment Programme, and made progress on Local Development Framework Core Strategy in spite of significant national policy change and reduced resources. High profile projects such as the Miller Road Self-Build scheme are supporting local people to develop new skills and employment opportunities whilst providing affordable housing and work has started on the South West Bicester development.

 

A Cleaner, Greener Cherwell

 

·        Waste and Recycling: The Council has implemented a food waste recycling scheme and exceeded its recycling target. Recycling in Cherwell is now at over 57%.

 

·        Clean Streets: The Council hasmet all its targets for dealing with litter, graffiti, and fly posting, improved enforcement and continued to undertake local environmental ‘blitzes’ reducing even further the low level of environmental crime.  Residents’ satisfaction with green spaces in Cherwell has also improved.

 

·        Climate Change: The Council has improved its environment credentials by rolling out a new scheme at its depot. This includes greatly improved insulation, low energy lighting and energy saving controls, photovoltaic solar panels, a biomass boiler for heating, a water recycling vehicle wash to save water, together with a much improved fuel installation. This initiative has been short listed for the Environment and Energy Awards for the Best Energy-Efficient Project 2011.

 

The Cherwell Climate Partnership has undertaken communications activities to inform local people about the impacts of climate change and further reductions in the Council’s Co2 emissions from its fleet and offices have been made.

 

 

A Safe and Healthy Cherwell

 

·        Sports and Leisure: During 2010/11 there were over 1.2 million visits to Cherwell leisure centres and nearly 700 new participants in activities for older people.  The ‘Play Well’ project has been completed and assessed as outstanding, the ‘Get Oxfordshire Active’ project (aimed at increasing adult participation in sport) has seen 1840 participants and high levels of satisfaction with the programme. Usage of the Council supported sports sites at the NorthOxfordshire Academy and Cooper School have also increased during the year with over 75,000 visits recorded.

 

·        Reducing Crime and the Fear of Crime: The Cherwell Community Safety Partnership continues its focus on tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and working to combat fear of crime. Crime figures for 2010/11 show a 20% reduction in serious acquisitive crime and 30% reduction in serious violent crime (in comparison with 2009/10). In relation to fear of crime the residents’ survey shows that 88% of residents feel safe in their community and at home up from 82% in 2009/10. In terms of Anti-Social behaviour Thames Valley Police have recorded a 15% drop in incidents when comparing 2009/10 and 2010/11. This has been achieved through effective enforcement and a strong partnership between the local policing team and the Council.

 

·        Health and Wellbeing: The Council has continued to work closely with partners to press for the best possible services for the district. A variety of health improvement activities have been delivered including, health trainers working to address health inequalities issues in higher risk wards, the health bus providing a one-stop shop services, increased visits to sports centres and an accessible range of activities such as women only swimming sessions.

 

An Accessible, Value for Money Council

 

·        Improving access: the Council continues to focus on improving access for customers, especially the most vulnerable. During 2010/11 over 60 community groups have been visited by outreach specialists to help improve access. 22 Parish Councils have been supported to develop websites helping to improve local information and the Council has also improved its online access to services with over 100 services now available along with a specialist youth website.

 

·        The Council has also continued to improve its engagement with harder to reach groups, supporting the establishment of a Cherwell Faith Forum with local partners and community representatives, embedding the equalities panel and running a ‘Knowing our Community’ programme for staff and partners, increasing the number of consultations available on the consultation portal and using consultation techniques to ensure the Council hears the views of vulnerable groups, including older and younger people and people from minority ethnic backgrounds. Innovative examples of consultation this year include developing a greater understanding of fear of crime issues in urban and rural areas, public budget consultation and the Connecting Communities programme in Banbury.

 

·        Delivering Value for Money: the Council has delivered its programme of Value for Money reviews, meeting the challenge of significantly reducing the Council’s budget whilst minimising the impact on frontline services. As a result the Council has exceeded its public pledge to reduce costs by £800,000. 

 

·        The Council’s innovative “invest to save” approach of creating a corporate procurement team with annual targets ensuring the operation is both self-funding and provides additional returns has secured cashable savings of £0.9m against a target of £625,000 from April 2008 to March 2011 with £306,000 achieved in year against a target of £225,000. Further non-cashable savings of more than £160,000 and capital savings of some £720,000 have been achieved over the same period. The cumulative total for contracts let for more than a year from April 2008 to March 2011 is £1.5m. The 2011/12 Procurement Strategy and Action Plan further develops the Council’s approach to long-term planning and collaboration – particularly with South Northamptonshire Council – allowing the  team to continue to be self funded and guarantee year on year savings.

 

In 2010/11 the Council adopted two additional cross cutting priorities reflecting the importance of the Eco Bicester project and a pilot programme of work which aims to tackle deprivation and disadvantage in Banbury.

 

·        Eco Bicester: The Eco Bicester Project is the Council's initiative to develop the town as a housing and employment growth location with improved infrastructure and facilities and a special environmental awareness and protection objective.   It encompasses the national Eco Town initiative, with a new Eco Town development proposed at North West Bicester and a number of demonstration schemes around the town.  The work is already having an impact in "putting Bicester on the map", with both national level and international interest.  It is fair to say that Bicester appears to be at the most advanced stage of planning amongst the four nationally designated Eco Towns.

 

Over the course of the year the project has continued to make strong progress.  Highlights are: approval by all three councils involved in the Strategic Delivery Board of "Eco Bicester - One Shared Vision"; Cooper School, the Garth Eco House, Catholic Church Community Hall demonstration projects approaching completion; award of an additional £3.3M of government pump priming money; the commitment of the Homes and Community Agency additional capital funding to make the early social housing happen; submission of the 400 home exemplar planning application.

 

There have also been a number of successful consultation and community involvement events including the Eco Bicester Day, the aim of which was to let people know more about the Eco Bicester concept. The event took place in Sheep Street, and outlined some of the things people can do to be more eco-friendly.   There was consultation over bus and cycle routes, and more than 200 people completed Love Food Hate Waste pledges.

 

·        Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation: during 2010/11 the focus of the Brighter Futures in Banbury programme has been supporting families, children and young people, particularly those not in employment, education or training, referred to as “NEETs”.  The Council continues to lead the Brighter Futures in Banbury Steering Group, a multi-agency partnership targetingissues of need and health inequalities in Banbury.

 

The programme is based on a significant review and analysis of the issues facing local communitiesthe group has secured additional funding to increase access to the family intervention project working directly to support the most vulnerable families, to develop a programme to prevent young people dropping out of college or employment, increased community engagement and access to services, public health campaigns and steps to address issues such as anti-social behaviour.

 

The programme is piloting improved multi-agency working and learning points will be rolled out across the rest of the district in the coming year. A full annual review of this programme has been undertaken was reported to Executive at its meeting on 23 May 2011.

 

(1)               That officers be requested to report in the first quarter report of 2011/12 on the following items where performance was below target or there are emerging issues:

 

·        Delivery of the Rural Strategy: A small number of activities programmed for 2010/11 have slipped and will be picked up in 2011/12. This area will be kept under review and a progress report given in the next quarterly briefing.

 

·        Reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill: At year end this measure is reporting amber. The target of reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill by 4000 tonnes is slightly off track with a reduction of 3700 tonnes. Reducing waste and increasing recycling remain strong priorities for the Council and continued focus will be given to meeting targets during 2011/12. It is worth noting that the national trend for the amount of tonnage is reducing and that Cherwell continues to set challenging targets for waste reduction and recycling. 

 

·        NI 187 (a & b) - Tackling Fuel Poverty: Both parts of this indicator are reporting red at year end this is not unexpected due to the rising costs of energy and benefits dependency. The housing team have undertaken a survey to increase understanding of the issue and is currently developing a series of anti-fuel poverty actions that will be included in the new housing strategy. Measures such as the £99 insulation deal have also been put in place to help support local residents.

 

(2)               That officers be requested to produce a one page summary of the performance highlights for circulation to all Members.

 

Reasons

 

The report shows the Council’s performance against the Corporate Scorecard and Performance Management Framework in 2010/2011. From this information the Executive can make a judgement about the progress the Council is making in meeting its objectives, identify the achievements it wishes to celebrate and the areas where action is required to improve performance. 

 

Options

 

Option One	To review current performance levels and consider any actions arising
Option Two	To approve or reject the recommendations