Agenda item

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

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s comments on the Council Plan Performance Tracker and COVID-19 Recovery Tracker for Quarter Two of 2020/21 be NOTED. 

82.1          The report of the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, circulated at Pages No. 13-101, asked Members to review and, if appropriate, take action on the observations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee following its review of the Quarter Two 2020/21 Council Plan performance tracker and COVID-19 recovery tracker information.

82.2          Attention was drawn to the observations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, and the Council Plan performance tracker, attached to the report at Appendix 2. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chair reminded the Executive Committee that this quarter’s information had been wholly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 corporate recovery plan performance tracker was attached to the report at Appendix 3 and the financial information for the quarter was attached at Appendices 4-7.

82.3          Members had been provided with a summary of the key areas discussed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Chair of that Committee indicated that Members had found it difficult to offer meaningful scrutiny given the fact that the entire quarter had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee had asked that it be made more evident within the documents which areas or actions were impacted as a result of COVID-19 on the basis that if any ‘business as usual’ activity was not performing as well as expected then that may be an area for questioning. It had been made clear though that Members were encouraged to ask questions irrespective of whether they thought COVID-19 was impacting delivery.  The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had also highlighted concern about planning performance in all three indicators - processing of major, minor and other applications; the Head of Development Services had explained that this was down to a number of factors namely the increasing demand on the service, the service adapting to new ways of working and pockets of sickness absence - it was hoped that some improvements would soon be seen. Members had also had some questions about the Tewkesbury 2021 celebrations, particularly because the Executive Committee had approved £25,000 to support the project in November, and the Community and Economic Development Manager had explained that the Council was represented on the project steering group so had regular contact with it. The pandemic had significantly impacted progress, particularly around the planning of live events, and online opportunities were being looked at but it was recognised that the impact may not be the same. Members would be updated as appropriate. A Member had noted that bringing the management of the homeless property portfolio in-house had been deferred with the current contract having been extended and he questioned what the cost of this was to the Council. In response, the Head of Finance and Asset Management had advised the saving would be £18,000. There had also been a question about Council Tax collection and the fact that the collection rate against target was down 1.8%. It was explained that formal recovery action was not effective due to disruption to the Magistrates Court service. In terms of the impact on the budget, Officers were positive that a surplus would still be retained, albeit at a much-reduced level. The general feeling was that the overall impact of Council Tax collection and recovery, on both the Council and taxpayers themselves, would still be felt over the next couple of years.

82.4          A Member expressed concern about the apparent shortage of staff in the development section, particularly in relation to enforcement. In response, the Head of Development Services indicated that the vacant posts were being recruited to. The Council had no control over the timing of planning applications being submitted and had to deal with them as and when they were received so there was no way to delay/slow down applications. The Chief Executive advised that he recognised the comments made and reiterated that all services were working very hard at the moment. There were some shortages but, in addition, some staff had been redeployed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic which meant significant challenges were faced.  Members understood the pressure everyone was under due to the pandemic and it was