Agenda item - PERFORMANCE INDICATOR REPORT

Agenda item

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR REPORT

Report of the Executive Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) and accompanying presentation providing performance indicator data collected for services within the Committee’s remit for Quarter 2 of 2017/18, along with comparative information. 

Minutes:

Report of the Executive Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) and accompanying presentation provided performance indicator data collected for services within the Committee’s remit for Quarter 2 of 2017/18, along with comparative information where possible.

 

Members considered the performance indicators and raised the following points during the discussion which ensued.

 

Performance Indicator – 18 Percentage of household waste collected and sent for reuse, recycling and composting

 

Members expressed disappointment that the target had been set at a lower rate than the previous year as they would have expected it to have risen as a direct result of the introduction of the garden waste service charge.

 

Officers confirmed that this year the recycling target had been reduced to take account of the introduction of the garden waste collection service.  However the aim was to increase the amount of household waste being recycled year on year. This was the first year following the introduction of the garden waste collection service. 

 

Officers advised that there had been a reduction in total waste collected overall and various initiatives were being introduced to provide residents with opportunities to reduce food waste and home compost.

 

Performance Indicator – 22 - The percentage of reported / justified missed bins in the Borough

 

Members commented that the work to keep the number of missed bins to a minimum must not lose momentum as a lot of work had been done in this area and performance had been doing so well. 

 

The missed bins were considered to be as a result of large lorries being unable to gain access into narrower roads due to parked vehicles.  Members asked that the fleet of refuse trucks be reviewed as part of the procurement process with a view to the provision of smaller, narrower lorries being able to access the roads known to be problems.

 

Performance Indicator – 23 - Completion rate of all tree maintenance work within the planned programme

 

Members expressed the view that the results shown in the graph may be misleading as it did not state how many jobs had been completed within the last quarter.  Without specifying the amount it was not possible to carry out a comparison.

 

Members asked that the unsightly stumps of trees which had been felled be removed. 

 

Members were advised to report to Officers any tree stumps identified, who would arrange their removal.

 

The Chairman congratulated the team responsible for achieving the target 100% and asked that figures of the completion of all the tree maintenance work undertaken be provided in future.

 

However, some Members expressed disappointment that the target had been reduced without prior consultation or notification to Members of the changes.  Members were not aware when or by how much the targets had been reduced and were of the view that there had been a drastic reduction.  The target should be made more challenging.

 

Members went on to express the view that they should be informed of any significant changes to targets before implementation. 

 

The Chairman concurred with this view as it was relevant to all Members of the Council, whether the target was increased or reduced.

 

The Executive Director undertook to inform the Head of Policy and Culture of the views of the Committee.

 

Performance Indicator – 27 - The level of planning appeals allowed

 

The number of planning appeal decisions allowed against the authority’s decision to refuse on planning applications, as a percentage of the total

 

The Chairman reminded Members that a greater proportion of the appeals had been made as a result of the Development Management Committee voting against the Officers’ recommendations which had resulted in the increase of appeal decisions allowed.

 

Members commented that where a target had not been achieved a strong case needed to be made as to the reasons why this was the case and should not just be reported back to Committee for noting. 

 

The Chairman acknowledged this point and stated that the majority of the Performance Indicators were met or exceeded.  In view of the work loads and recruitment issues in certain areas, Officers needed to be encouraged and supported and by the recognition by Member of what had been achieved rather than what had not.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)     That the performance indicator data collected and reported for Quarter 2 of 2017/18 in the report be noted.

(2)     That figures of the completion of all the tree maintenance work undertaken be provided in future reports.

(3)     That all Members of the Council be made aware of any changes to the Performance Indicators irrespective of whether they are increased or reduced.

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