Agenda item

Performance Monitoring Report

The Committee is asked to consider the Performance Monitoring Report for the 2nd Quarter.

 

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, the Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance and the Business Improvement Officer (Policy) have been invited to attend for this item.

Minutes:

The Vice-Chairman-in-the-chair welcomed the Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, the Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance and the Business Improvement Officer (Policy) to the meeting, and went through the Balanced scorecard report for 2018/19 Quarter 2.

 

Corporate Overview

 

A Member drew attention to the improving sickness absence levels.  The Business Improvement Officer (Policy) confirmed the levels remained good going into Quarter 3.

 

Environment and Rural Affairs

 

There were no comments.

 

Finance and Performance

 

A Member sought clarification on why some large projects were amber and not green.  The Business Improvement Officer (Policy) advised that once a project had been delayed, it could remain amber if the information was based on the original target dates of the scheme.  The Vice-Chairman-in-the-chair suggested that a new schedule should be produced.  The Business Improvement Officer (Policy) agreed to look at this in the future.

 

In response to a question from a Member on why the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) was green, the Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance agreed to find out.

 

There was a discussion on the Transformation Team working on other projects.  The Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance explained that the staff had been diverted to work on the Council’s new website which was a key corporate priority.

 

Housing and Safer Communities

 

A Member highlighted  the increase in crime levels and asked what could SBC do? The Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance drew attention that figures for crime were now reported differently and this could have added to the increase.  A Member said that the figures still indicated that crime in Swale was worsening.

 

In response to a request from a Member, the Business Improvement Officer (Policy) agreed to provide figures for the breakdown of crime.

 

Planning Services

 

In response to a request from a Member, the Business Improvement Officer (Policy) agreed to provide performance data relating to Freedom of Information requests.

 

A Member asked what the additional, unpredicted, revenue from planning fee income was spent on?  The Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance explained that the money was retained and went into the General Budget or Planning Services budget.  He warned that, in some years, there had been an over-estimate of the expected revenue.  The Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance said that recruitment of Planning Officers was difficult.  A discussion ensued focusing on the statutory timescales for completing planning applications, and the Business Improvement Officer (Policy) clarified that there were statutory requirements to meet before a planning application became valid, but there might still be insufficient information to progress the application, which caused delays.

 

A Member asked about funding from developers as part of a Planning Performance Agreement to provide Planning Officers for major planning applications.  The Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance agreed to find out more information on this.

 

Regeneration

 

There was no discussion.

 

Health and Well-being

 

The Chairman sought clarification on the figures for staff receiving safeguarding training.    The Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance explained that the safeguarding training module had only just been updated to include the domestic abuse training module when the figures were submitted and by the end of Quarter 3, most staff had undertaken the training.

 

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, the Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance and the Business Improvement Officer (Policy) for attending the meeting.

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