Agenda item

To consider the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the Performance Monitoring Report for the firstquarter of 2010/11 (April to June) relating to the Environment, Culture and Communities Department.  An overview of the second quarter will also be provided.

Please bring the previously circulated Performance Monitoring Report to the meeting.  Copies are available on request and attached to this agenda if viewed online.

The Director of Environment, Culture and Communities gave a presentation in respect of departmental performance with reference to the Performance Monitoring Report for the 1^st quarter (April to June) of 2010/11.  The presentation outlined the Department’s revenue and finances as at June 2010.  Staffing, key highlights, fees and charges and a forward look were also included.

Major variances on revenue included £30,000 income from the Cemetery and Crematorium, £100,000 received from planning applications, £32,000 from the Safer Roads Partnership. Additional rates at Longshot Lane and Smallmead resulted in a £56,000 loss.

The Panel was advised that the Department’s year end staff turn over rate as at 6 June 2010 was 10.84%, a 3.4% reduction on the same period last year.  Sickness rates averaged 1.14 days per fulltime employee for the quarter, compared to 2.31 days during the same period in the previous year.  This fall in sickness levels was attributed to better staff management particularly in those cases where there was a risk of long term sickness for example through the use of earlier referrals to occupational health services.

Key highlights for the Department included: the removal of Regional Planning Strategies, the removal of Area Based Grants, a reduction in income from car parks and Downshire Golf Course, the re-opening of Edgbarrow Sports Centre, the extension of funding to continue the free swimming scheme over the summer holidays, Trading Standards’ identification of over 100 items in a store that were past their ‘use by date’, continued work on the Severe Corporate Weather Plan, the replacement of over 100 litter bins across the Borough and the use of a felled tree to provide a giant picnic table in Lily Hill Park.

Arising from Members’ questions and comments the following points were noted:

·         Planning pre application enquiry fees had been reduced significantly for applications of less than 250square metres

·         The maintenance of verges on derestricted roads required lane closures to protect those working on the verges and due to budget constraints the frequency of these operations had been reduced

·         Clarification would be given on the nature of the offence that resulted in a local company contravening the Consumer Credit Act and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations

·         Contact would be made with all applicants who haven’t yet bid for property through the BFC My Choice system to find out their reasons for not doing so

·         Work on the forecourt of Bracknell Railway Station was now complete.  Any decisions on additional improvements to the station’s frontage or the development of possible retail opportunities on the forecourt were the responsibility of the rail operator and Network Rail

·         Traffic Managers had a monitoring role to ensure that street works were completed within stated timescales.  The Department endeavoured to get contractors to give as much advance notice of potential works as possible to enable sufficient advance publicity to occur

·         It had been felt that there had been insufficient time to give residents notice of plans to switch off street lights and the project had been delayed until next summer

·         Clarification would be sought over the length of time parks had held Green Flag Awards and which ones had been entered for awards this year

·         A varied programme of arts events had been run in all libraries and details would be forwarded to the Panel

·         Two Arts Posts were being held vacant as part of the budget savings

·         A number of arts projects had been put on hold pending the outcome of the budget review

·         Approval had been received for the purchase of a salt barn.  This would be located in the Bracknell Lorry Park

·         Clarification would be sought over the complaints made to the Local Government Ombudsman

·         Following the abolition of the Playbuilder Scheme the Government expected local authorities to return the money they had received for projects that had not yet been started

·         It was confirmed that Queen Anne’s Gully was located near Caesar’s Camp

The Panel thanked the Director for his report.