Agenda item

The Committee considered the quarterly monitoring report of the quarter January to March 2023, providing performance information and progress against the performance indicators and key objectives.

The report highlighted four indicators showing a status of concern:

·        Number of households living in temporary accommodation

·        Working days lost due to sickness absence

·        Percentage of Stage 2 complaints responded to within stated timeframes

·        Days taken to process new Housing Benefit claims and Days taken to process changes to Housing Benefit claims

Actions to mitigate those indicators were set out in the report.

The report also listed seven key service objectives showing a status of concern:

·        Continue to collect and spend Community Infrastructure Levy monies to deliver the infrastructure needed to support new development

·        Improve void turnaround times and review the Void Standards for properties being re-let as part of our Price Per Void contract and ensure that a suitable lettable standard is achieved for new tenants achieving “right first time”

·        Review compliance procedures by an external body to drive continuous improvement

·        To report on our delivery of high quality new and improved play areas, open spaces and sports pitches funded from development proposals

·        Working with the neighbouring land owner to deliver a masterplan for the Hayne Lane site in Honiton December 2023

·        Review of Taxi Policy to help seek to meet climate change targets, to reduce emissions and incorporating the national standards recommended by the Department of Transport

·        Revising the Cemetery Regulations to ensure an updated and fit for purpose regime for burials by December 2022

Actions to mitigate those delays were set out in the report.

Discussion by the committee included:

·        Lack of post holder to liaise between local councils and others to deploy s106 monies means that some money cannot be released, particularly with time sensitive linked funds, so concern that money will be lost; the issue of resourcing was still present and further enquiries will be made to try to establish what can be done to remedy the situation.

·        Work signed off by contractors on housing stock where the work has not been completed.  In relation to voids, clarification will be sought from the Housing service for the committee.

·        Revising the cemetery regulations – are the team any nearer to completing this or is additional resource needed to get this achieved?  Cllr Whibley, as Chair of Licensing, outlined the extensive increase in work for the Licensing team and the pressures for prioritising work. If there is any scope to add additional resource to the team, this would be welcomed.

·        S106 money delays the delivery of parish play areas and this has been ongoing for some time and should be prioritised to avoid loss of funds. Parishes are getting frustrated and some recommendations should be made to Cabinet to either resource correctly or relax the schemes to permit some schemes to proceed;  The Chair suggested debate under their forward plan item to undertake some research into the situation before coming up with recommendations to Cabinet.  A report was expected from Ed Freeman on this issue which would be taken into account.

·        Manor Pavillion attendance figures and ticket sales clarification requested;

·        Fly tipping incident increase clarification – was it a seasonal issue or just a general increase? In response, there had been changes to the way these are reported which may have generated the rise, but will be investigated to provide clarification to the committee; in response the Portfolio Holder commented that he kept a close eye for last eight years, overall there had been a downward trend, including Devon wide, so will look at the reporting mechanism to see how to correct to give a clear picture to the committee.

The Chair outlined how the report presented to the Committee would be reviewed, involving a small task force from the committee.  Cllrs Whibley and Barlow volunteered to work with the Chair on this review.