35 Quarterly Service Report (QSR) PDF 953 KB
To
consider the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of
departmental performance as reported in the QSR for the second
quarter of 2014/15 (July to September 2014) relating to
Environment, Culture and Communities.
An overview of the third quarter of 2014/15 will also be
provided.
Please bring the previously circulated Quarterly Service Report to
the meeting. The QSR is attached to
this agenda if viewed online.
Minutes:
The Panel considered the latest trends,
priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as
reported in the QSR for the second quarter of 2014/15 (July to
September 2014) relating to Environment, Culture and
Communities.
The QSR showed a projected underspend of £265,000 against budget but
this was expected to reduce to around £100,000 at the year
end. The main variances were on:
- Concessionary fares
– additional £119k
- Planning policy
– additional £105k
- Waste disposal
– additional £61k
- Downshire Golf Course – additional
£35k
- Waste recycling
– reduction of £55k
- Public realm
contracts – reduction of £265k
On the Capital Programme, it was anticipated
that about 60% of the programme would be spent at the year end, the
remainder being carried forward. In
particular some £150k on disabled facilities grants and
£200k on both maintenance of car parks and car park
improvements would be carried forward.
Other
points highlighted in the report or arising from questions were as
follows:
- Staff
turnover was running at a satisfactory 11 to 12% per annum, with an
average vacancy rate of 7.4%. Some
difficulties in recruiting Planning staff had been experienced and
the measures being put in place to overcome these were
explained.
- Staff
sickness continued to be very low, averaging less than 5 days per
employee per year.
- Recruiting volunteers for the Great Holland’s Library had
been a great success allowing the opening hours to be
increased.
- Applications for planning permission had increased by 20 –
25% and while additional resources had been required to deal with
the workload, there had been a corresponding increase in fee
income.
- Additional pressures were also being created by the high number
of planning appeals and challenges to the Council’s Sites
Allocation Plan. A significant test of
this policy was expected from the decision (expected in February
2015) from the Public Inquiry held into the Council’s
decision to refuse permission for 74 dwellings at Tilehurst Lane, Binfield.
- The
Council had in place its five year land supply for housing, which
required review at least annually. Efforts were made to ensure there were as
few obstacles as possible for developers to progress schemes, using
Local Plan policies to secure affordable housing wherever
appropriate.
- The
Panel was pleased to note that Magistrates had dismissed the appeal
by McDonalds against the Council’s decision to refuse to
allow additional opening (all day) hours at its restaurant in
Wildridings. Further detail would be included in the next
QSR.
- With
regard to complaints, it was requested that some detail be given
about complaints that had been upheld.
- For
performance indicators, it was suggested these be kept under review
to ensure they remained relevant and informative. A request that information be included on the
number of agency staff hours bought in would be looked
at.
- The
Land Registry’s proposal to take over provision of the Local
Land Charges Register removing this service provision from all
local authorities was unlikely to take effect until
2017.