Agenda item

To receive and respond to the findings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee‘s review of the quarter two performance management information. 

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s comments on the Performance Management Report for Quarter Two of 2017/18 be NOTED.   

74.1           The report of the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, circulated at Pages No. 13-50, asked Members to review and, if appropriate, take action on the observations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee following its review of the 2017/18 quarter two performance management information.

74.2           Attention was drawn to the observations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, and to the Council Plan Performance Tracker, attached to the report at Appendix 2.

74.3           The Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chair explained that the Committee had noted the performance management report which included key activities achieved in the quarter. These were highlighted in Paragraph 2.3 of the Executive Committee report and included additional property investment; commencement of the refurbishment project; an excellent peer review outcome for the Housing Team; and, since the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, approval of the Joint Core Strategy. The Committee had also noted those Council Plan actions that were not progressing in accordance with the timetable and they were summarised in Paragraph 2.4 of the report including the regeneration of the Spring Gardens site; working in partnership to redevelop Healings Mill; and a slight delay to the target date for the completion of the refurbishment project. It was recognised by Members that, overall, delivery of the Council Plan was on track but, inevitably, some actions may not progress as smoothly as expected. The Committee had looked through the performance tracker page by page to gain assurance on the accuracy of reporting and to obtain more detailed information where appropriate. The questions raised by the Committee were attached at Appendix 1 to the report and, in particular, it was recognised that the Property Team had acquired three new properties as part of the Council’s property investment portfolio; assurance was sought that a review of the trade waste service would be moving forward as, to date, timescales had not been achieved; clarification was provided as to the role of the Council in relation to the development of the Healings Mill site and Members were advised that the new target date of January 2018 was when a broad outline and brief of the site would be developed; the performance in processing minor planning applications had been challenged – this had been reported positively but Members struggled to see how a 90% target could be achieved based on an outturn of 66.04% and 68.29% for quarters one and two; assurance had been provided that there would be no further slippage in the target date or completion of the refurbishment project; and it had been recognised that the Environmental Health and Planning Services needed to be fit for purpose - a revised target date of April 2018 would ensure enough time was available to look at these services. In addition, concern had been expressed by Members as to the level of sickness absence and the Committee had been advised that a review of the Absence Management Policy was a pending item in the Committee’s work programme and was likely to be undertaken in February.

74.4           In addition, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chair advised that there would possibly be a detailed Scrutiny Review on the serious water main leak that had occurred recently and he invited the Chief Executive to provide some information on this. The Chief Executive advised that on 15/16 December there had been a serious water main burst in Tewkesbury. This had raised a number of issues over things that had gone well/less well but, in addition, it had been the second large supply disruption within six months. He had discussed the matter with the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chair and the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council and it had been agreed that Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be asked if it wished to undertake a review in public to look at the reasons for the interruption in supply and the way in which the disruptions had been handled by all of the agencies involved. He had spoken to Severn Trent which was supportive of the review. He had also written to the Chief Constable and the Chief Fire Officer from whom responses were awaited. The way in which the review would be carried out was for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to decide but, in the first instance, the matter would be raised at the next meeting to see if it was something the Committee wished to take forward.

74.5           Referring to economic development, a Member questioned when the Council’s vacant Tourism Officer post would be filled. In response, the Head of Development Services explained that this was being considered as part of the overall review of Development Services. It was anticipated that the outcomes of the review would be available for Members’ consideration shortly. The Member emphasised the importance of tourism to Tewkesbury Borough and felt this needed to be addressed as a priority. The Head of Development Services agreed that tourism was of the utmost importance. She was acutely aware of the need to ensure the Council was responding to the tourism industry in the best and most effective way and this would be at the heart of any decisions made on how best to approach tourism in the future. In addition, the Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that all aspects needed to be considered before the post was filled on a ‘like for like’ basis. There was certainly not an intention to dilute the Council’s tourism offer but there may be options to deliver it in a more effective way and this was what would be considered within the review and then, in due course, by Members.

74.6           In response to a Member query, the Overview and Scrutiny Chair commented that, in his view, the scrutiny of the performance information had been extremely thorough and Members had been content that the Council’s performance overall was heading in the right direction. A Member referred to the Council’s commercial property investments and questioned whether the government’s announcements on how the rules on this might change would affect it. In response, the Deputy Chief Executive advised that, at this stage, the rules had not changed but it was understood that the Department for Communities and Local Government was exploring the issue and looking at how Councils across the country were approaching property investments. One of the key things was governance arrangements which was something Tewkesbury Borough Council was very good at; it had a Commercial Investment Board which comprised six Members and was tasked with looking at each investment carefully to understand what the investment was and why the Council was investing as well as ensuring that it was investing proportionately and that risks were being mitigated.

74.7           Accordingly, it was