Issue - meetings

Quarterly Performance Report (Q4 2018/19)

Meeting: 20/06/2019 - Executive (Item 16)

16 Quarterly Performance Report (Q4 2018/19)

To consider the Quarterly Performance report for Quarter 4 2018/19.

Supporting documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that:

(i)            The Council’s performance for the fourth quarter of financial year 2018/19, outlined in the report of the Head of Projects and Performance, be noted

(ii)          The requests from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (6 June 2019) that it had an opportunity to review Key Performance Indicators for service delivery for 2020/21 before they are adopted, and that affordable housing targets be reported by type, be accepted.

Minutes:

A report was submitted which presented the headline issues in relation to the Council's overall performance for the period up to the end of Quarter 4 (January to March) of 2018/19. It was noted that no new strategic risks had been identified during the quarter. 

Councillor T. Schofield, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance, highlighted that nine of the fifteen Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were on target or within agreed tolerances for the period.  In response to questions, Councillor Schofield explained KPIs 4-8 were contextual homelessness indicators, introduced to reflect changes required under the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017). It was noted that the performance in 2018/19 had influenced the targets set for 2019/20.

In relation to the number of affordable home completions, it was explained that KPI 3 was off target at the end of Quarter 4. It was noted that against a target of achieving 100 affordable home completions by the end of the year, 68 had been achieved. It was explained that achieving this target was heavily dependent on delivery across a few large sites. It was therefore recognised that this figure could change from quarter to quarter as affordable homes were often completed at these sites in bulk. Councillor Schofield informed the Executive that at the end of Quarter 4 there were 55 affordable dwellings under construction and a further 5 commenced within the quarter. It was also highlighted that in the four financial years since 2014, when the Core Strategy was adopted (2014/15 - 2017/18), the delivery of affordable homes within the borough had averaged at just over 100 per year (407 in total).

It was highlighted that the report before the Executive had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 6 June 2019.  Councillor N.D. Harrison, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, explained that the Committee had made several observations on the report. These had been captured in the minutes of the meeting. In addition, the Executive was informed that the Committee had made two recommendations which concerned key performance indicators. It was explained that the Committee had requested an opportunity to review the revised KPIs for 2020/21 before they were adopted and for affordable housing targets to be reported by type.

During the discussion a number of issues were considered with questions being answered by the Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance, the Executive Member for Community Partnerships, and the Executive Member for Housing and Benefits.

RESOLVED that:

(i)            The Council’s performance for the fourth quarter of financial year 2018/19, outlined in the report of the Head of Projects and Performance, be noted

(ii)          The requests from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (6 June 2019) that it had an opportunity to review Key Performance Indicators for service delivery for 2020/21 before they are adopted, and that affordable housing targets be reported by type, be accepted.

Reason for decision: To consider the performance for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2018/19.

Alternative options: None.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16


Meeting: 06/06/2019 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 8)

8 Quarterly Performance Report (Q4 2018/19)

To consider the key service performance indicators for the fourth quarter of 2018/19.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Quarterly Performance Report for quarter 4 of the year 2018/19.

The report was introduced by the Executive Member for Corporate Direction and Governance, Councillor V. Lewanski. He outlined the Council’s performance from January to March 2019.

Section 1 looked at Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Of the 15 KPIs reported in this quarter, 9 were on target or within agreed tolerance. Five KPIs were contextual homelessness targets introduced to reflect changes required by the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017). As the impact of the legislation is uncertain, no target was set in 2018/19.

KPI 3 – relating to the government’s target to build a set number of affordable homes completed – was reported as off target at the end of quarter four. The target was 100 and the actual number built was 68. It was identified that achieving this target was largely outside the control of the Council as it was significantly dependent on private developers in a few large sites.

Section 2 on risk management identified no new strategic risks in quarter 4.

Section 3 covered Internal Audits completed in quarter 4 on: GDPR Governance, Governance Arrangements for Property Investment Company, Commercial Governance Framework and Grants Funding.

The Committee considered and discussed the report. There were a number of questions and comments, relating to the following topics:

Section 1 - Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

·    Affordable housing – A number of Members questioned the reasons for the affordable housing target (KPI3) as the Council had limited control over this target which is set in policy. Members felt that this was an arbitrary target as the Council does not have legal powers to force a developer to build affordable housing so in practice there could be zero affordable homes built in one year. It was noted that the Council is committed to increasing the number of affordable homes going forward.

The target of 100 is set in the Council’s Core Strategy which is agreed by the independent Planning Inspectorate. Members expressed a desire to assess this target’s applicability.

It was noted that this topic was discussed at a recent Corporate Plan workshop on the Council’s housing strategy. Members recognised that it could not only rely on private sector developers to build affordable housing. If it wanted to deliver the level of affordable housing it wanted, then working with partners such as Raven Housing Trust would be a way forward.

Members observed that if developers say they cannot afford to build a higher number of affordable homes through their cost and expenses appraisals, the Council should intervene. It should be more critical about developers’ written plans or have an overage (a future payment made to the seller of the land, by the buyer of the land) written into plans. If developers made more money on the sales, then the Council should receive a proportion of this to use to build affordable housing.

The Council regards its aims of delivering affordable homes in this context through shared equity and help to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8