Issue - meetings

(CSP: All)

Purpose:

(1)          To report year end outturns against the Key Accountable Measures contained in the 2015/16 Council Performance Framework and any additional performance intelligence.

(2)          To provide assurance to Members that the objectives laid out in the Council Strategy and other areas of significance / importance across the Council are being delivered.

(3)          To present, by exception, those measures/milestones not achieved and to cite any remedial action taken and its impact to allow the scrutiny and approval of the corrective or remedial action put in place.

Resolved that:

·         progress against the Council Strategy priorities for improvement would be noted and achievements celebrated.

·         those areas reporting as ‘red’ were reviewed to ensure that appropriate action was in place.

This decision is not subject to call in as:

·      Report is to note only

therefore it will be implemented immediately.

The Executive considered a report (Agenda Item 6) which outlined year end outturns against the Key Accountable Measures (KAMs) contained in the 2015/16 Council Performance Framework and any additional performance intelligence; provided assurance to Members that the objectives laid out in the Council Strategy and other areas of significance/importance across the Council were being delivered; and which presented, by exception, those measures/milestones behind schedule or not achieved and the remedial action taken/its impact.

Councillor Roger Croft explained that this report marked the end of the first year of the four year Council Strategy and reported that progress was being made in all priority areas. This was despite the financial pressures faced by the Council and increases in demand in some areas of activity. Councillor Croft added that a near to balanced budget had been achieved for 2015/16.

A key area of activity over the past year had been within Children and Family Services with significant effort being made to move from the ‘inadequate’ Ofsted judgement to ‘Good’. It was also the case that the outcome of the recently undertaken LGA Peer Review would soon be published and it was hoped that this would also show that the service was moving towards ‘Good’.

Councillor Croft also highlighted that an action plan would be developed to enable the Council to focus on enabling the delivery of 1000 affordable homes by 2020.

81% of the reported KAMs had been achieved for 2015/16 and were therefore ‘Green’, this compared to 78% achieved for 2014/15.

Five KAMS had been reported as ‘Red’ and Councillor Croft explained that plans were in place at service area level to address these.

Councillor Alan Law made reference to the Measures of Volume section of the report which highlighted that Business Rate growth was at an all time high and that the number of Jobseekers Allowance claimants in West Berkshire amounted to the second lowest unemployment rate in southern England.

Continuing with Measures of Volume, Councillor Hilary Cole pointed out the significant rise in the number of transactions made through the Council’s website. This demonstrated that a high number of transactions could be easily accessed and achieved online by residents. Councillor James Fredrickson added to this point by advising that the Council’s website received an overhaul around two months ago and this helped to enable the achievement of tasks online.

Councillor Marcus Franks advised that the number of crimes reported to Thames Valley Police (for West Berkshire) continued to reduce and the figure for Quarter Four 2015/16 was at the lowest point of the last three years.

Councillor Alan Macro noted that 158 affordable housing units had been completed during 2015/16, this was down from a figure of over 200 in 2014/15 and Councillor Macro queried whether the target of delivering 1000 affordable homes by 2020 was in jeopardy. This was particularly concerning when considering that the viability of affordable housing was reported as an issue for housing developers. In response, Councillor Croft reiterated his earlier point that an action  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23