Agenda and minutes

Venue: Reception Room

Contact: Helen Lee  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

47.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Sandra Barnes.

48.

To approve, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2019. pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the above meeting, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record.

 

49.

Declaration of Interests.

Minutes:

None.

50.

Council Plan 2018/19: Overview of Quarter 4 and Year End Performance pdf icon PDF 201 KB

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance presented a report which had been circulated in advance of the meeting informing the committee about the position against improvement Actions and Performance indicators in the 2018/2019 Gedling Plan at the end of 2018/19.

 

The report informed Members about the status of the indicators and actions at year end and a presentation provided additional information.

 

A range of mechanisms are used to find out how the authority is performing including consultation with the public, customer complaints and compliments, benchmarking and financial appraisal.

 

Examples of particularly positive performance from leisure were highlighted including the increase in attendance at the Bonington Theatre and the rise in the number of children attending swimming lessons. Other areas of positive performance were also discussed including 94.3% of calls to the contact centre answered against a target of 90%, the improvement in the length of time to process planning applications and the reduction in residual household waste.

 

It was explained that whilst overall performance was good there are still concerns and challenges relating to:

 

·        Levels of crime, anti-social behaviour has exceeded target

·        The average length of time in temporary accommodation was higher than the target of 8 weeks at 11.1 weeks

·        Provision of new and affordable homes was below target with 50 affordable homes delivered out of 286 additional homes

·        Business support and apprenticeships was below target.

 

Members asked for clarification regarding the setting of targets and were informed how targets are identified by service managers, and that they are also considered by the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that they are challenging.

 

The target for attendance for the Bonington Theatre of 28,000 was identified as insufficient as numbers have increased from 37,297 to 55,552.  Members asked for further information regarding why the target was set so low and how attendances have increase far in excess of the target.

 

During discussion members raised concerns about a number of issues and asked for additional information relating to:

 

·        The number of fly tipping prosecutions

·        The number of visits to the Carlton Contact Centre

·        The availability of temporary accommodation

·        The shortfall in the number of additional homes provided.  The number of planning applications approved for new housing and the failure of developers to deliver. How are targets for this set and what is being done to encourage developers to build

 

RESOLVED to:

 

·        Thank Mike Hill for his presentation

·        Note the progress against Actions and Performance Indictors in the 2018/19 Gedling

 

·        Request additional information relating to:

 

§  How the target for the Bonington Theatre was established

§  The number of fly tipping prosecutions

§  The number of visits to the Carlton Contact Centre

§  The availability of temporary accommodation

§  The shortfall in the number of additional homes provided.

 

51.

Scrutiny Work Programme pdf icon PDF 98 KB

Report of the Democratic Services Officer.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

SCRUTINY REVIEWS 2018/19

 

Members discussed the Wellbeing of Young People review and decided that as there were only two members of the working group still on the committee to conclude this work and terminate the working group.  The evidence gathered and the draft conclusions would be made available to the Portfolio Holder for Young People and Equalities, the former chair of the working group, to use in her new role.

 

WORK PROGRAMME 2019/2020

 

Members agreed that the programme of Portfolio Holder attendance should continue.

 

It was decided that when inviting Portfolio Holders that rather than concentrating on what has happened in the past that information about what they would like to achieve in the future would be requested. It was agreed that Councillor McCrossen, Portfolio Holder for Young People and Equalities would be invited to the next committee to discuss her hopes and expectations of the new role and what she would like to achieve.

 

After discussion it was decided that working groups would be set up to:

 

·        Develop an executive – scrutiny protocol which will define the relationship between the Cabinet and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

·        Examine what initiatives are being taken to support economic growth in the borough. The focus, and what the review hopes to achieve, will be identified at the first meeting of the working group when a project plan will be developed.

 

Membership for these reviews will be requested from members of the committee and the wider Council membership.

 

Concerns regarding housing and homelessness were discussed as a possible area for examination. Prior to a working group being established it was agreed that an officer would be invited to the next committee to supply members with initial information.

 

RESOLVED to:

 

·        Conclude the Wellbeing of Young People review and forward the findings to the Portfolio Holder for Young People and Equalities

 

·        Continue the programme of Portfolio Holder attendance

 

·        Establish working groups to

 

a.     Develop an executive- scrutiny protocol

 

b.     Examine economic development in the borough

 

·        Request additional information relating to housing and homelessness.

 

52.

Reports and Notices received by the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee as required under the Constitution or Law. pdf icon PDF 48 KB

Report of the Democratic Services Officer

Minutes:

Members considered a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, which included information on items referred to the chair as required by the Constitution.

53.

Any other item which the Chair considers urgent.

Minutes:

None.