Agenda item

(CSP: All)

Purpose:

1.    To report quarter two outturns for the Key Accountable Measures which monitor performance against the 2016/17 Council Performance Framework.

2.    To provide assurance to Members that the Strategic Priorities laid out in the Council Strategy and other areas of significant/importance across the Council are being delivered.

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

4.    To recommend changes to measures/targets requested by services.

Resolved that:

·         Progress against the Council Strategy Priorities for improvement and acknowledge the key achievements in all service areas be noted.

·         Those areas reporting as ‘amber’ or ‘red’ were reviewed to ensure that appropriate action is in place.

·         Targets for the following measures were amended:

            (i) Milestone - Market Street Redevelopment: Submit detailed planning       application to WBC Planning Committee

REQUEST: To redefine the target as November 2016 (currently September           2016)  as the planning application will be submitted, albeit slightly behind schedule, following additional work by Highways Officers to deliver an improved scheme.

(ii) Subject to examination, adopt the Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) by December 2016:

REQUEST: To redefine the target as June 2017 (currently December 2016). Following the oral hearings the planning inspector has asked for main modifications which require further public consultation, therefore there is insufficient time to be able to complete the adoption by December 2016.

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) concerning the Quarter Two outturns for the Key Accountable Measures which monitored performance against the 2016/17 Council Performance Framework. This report served to provide assurance to Members that the Strategic Priorities laid out in the Council Strategy and other areas of significance/importance across the Council were being delivered. The report also presented, by exception, those measures/milestones behind schedule or not achieved and cited any remedial action taken and the impact (if any) to allow the scrutiny and approval of the corrective or remedial action put in place. Amendments were also sought in the report to the targets for two measures.

Councillor Roger Croft highlighted that much positive progress had been made with improving educational attainment and closing the educational attainment gap.

Councillor Croft then stated that 26 of the 32 reported measures were reporting as either Green (22 measures) or Amber (four measures). Of the six Red measures, two were reporting Red due to relatively minor delays and it was these two areas where amendments were being requested.

Councillor Croft made the point that targets should be challenging and it should not be the expectation that all targets would be met.

In terms of the amendments being sought, the first of these related to the submission of a detailed planning application to the Western Area Planning Committee for the Market Street Redevelopment. This was delayed and there was therefore a request to redefine the target as November 2016 which was achieved (delayed from September 2016).

The second change sought related to the measure to adopt the Housing Site Allocations Development Plan Document (HSA DPD) by December 2016. The request was to redefine the target date as June 2017; this followed the Planning Inspector asking for main modifications to the document which required further public consultation, meaning the original date could not be achieved.

Councillor Croft gave thanks to relevant Officers and Members for the achievements outlined in the report.

Councillor Marcus Franks advised that the Thatcham Vision had been signed off and an Action Plan was being produced.

Councillor Alan Macro queried whether there was confidence that the revised deadline to adopt the HSA DPD of June 2017 was achievable. Councillor Croft responded on this point by stating that the date for adoption of the HSA DPD was to a large extent in the hands of the Planning Inspector. He added the comment that work on the document was progressing well.

Councillor Macro then referred to the exception report for the amber measure to increase the number of West Berkshire premises able to receive Superfast Broadband. This noted that the contractor, Gigaclear, had overcome a number of technical challenges, but a three month delay had been caused and Councillor Macro queried if the target of 100% complete delivery before 31 December 2017 was realistic. Councillor Dominic Boeck stated that 100% delivery was the brief for Gigaclear, and they had a plan in place to recover the delay. Councillor Macro felt this would be a challenge.

Councillor Macro then turned to the delays with the Market Street Redevelopment. He felt that the issues identified with traffic modelling should have been identified at an earlier stage and the delay reduced or removed. Nick Carter responded on this point and explained that additional time was needed to fully analyse the traffic data. The delay was unfortunate but it was important to ensure that the application was right before being considered by the Planning Committee.

RESOLVED that:

(1)  Progress against the Council Strategy priorities for improvement be noted.

(2)  Those areas reporting as ‘amber’ or ‘red’ were reviewed to ensure that appropriate action was in place.

(3)  Targets for the following measures be amended:

          i.       Market Street Redevelopment: submit detailed planning application to WBC Planning Committee. Target redefined to November 2016 (previously September 2016) (for the reasons explained in the report and the minutes).

         ii.       Subject to Examination, adopt the Housing Site Allocations Development Plan Document by December 2016. Target redefined to June 2017 (for the reasons explained in the report and the minutes).

Other options considered: none.