Agenda item

Quarterly Service Report (QSR) - Information Item

To update the Panel in respect of the latest available departmental performance as reported in the QSR for the fourth quarter of 2015/16 (January to March 2016) relating to Environment, Culture and Communities.  An overview of the first quarter of 2016/17 will also be provided.

 

The Chairman has asked that any detailed or procedural questions arising from the QSR should be referred to the Director of Environment, Culture and Communities in advance.  Only issues of strategic importance or of wider implications need then be raised at the meeting.

Minutes:

The Panel considered the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the QSR for the fourth quarter of 2015/16 (January to March 2016) relating to Environment, Culture and Communities.  The report highlighted exceptional performance, remedial action being taken against under performance, significant changes in risk, significant customer feedback and inspections and significant changes in service use and the associated financial impact.

 

The Director of Environment, Culture and Communities presented to the Panel a number of highlights from the report, including an update on those areas where the position had moved on since the end of the last quarter.  The outturn for the net revenue budget was £22,255,984, an underspend of £1,089.016.  The Director outlined where the major variances had occurred, a number of which arose from higher than expected income, with the most significant being a saving of £310,000 on waste disposal costs due to lower tonnages.  Capital spending during the year amounted to £14,939,408.  This meant that there was a small underspend on projects together with a carry forward of £7,183,400 for projects either delayed or re-programmed.  In future it was proposed to monitor and report on capital spending on the known spend on projects as they proceeded.

 

The percentage rise in the average staffing vacancy factor to 9.48% was queried and the Director undertook to clarify the figure.  Staff turnover for the year was 10.78%, slightly up from the previous year but still at a very satisfactory level.  Staff sickness at an annual average of 5.54 days per employee remained at an excellent low level, reflecting the well managed monitoring of sickness absence by managers.  Departmental changes arising from the departure of the Chief Officer: Leisure and Culture meant that Leisure and Recreation Services now reported directly to the Director and Parks and Countryside now reported to the Chief Officer: Planning and Transport.

 

Looking forward, the Panel noted that the contract for the Coral Reef refurbishment project had been signed on 4 July 2016, but on the basis of a letter of intent the contractor had made an early start on site and was making very good progress.  The gateway reviews being carried out under the Transformation Programme were proceeding with the leisure review and libraries review next to be undertaken.  The Director proposed to brief the Panel at its next meeting about options for a Shared Public Protection Service with other Berkshire Authorities coming forward for consideration.

 

Arising from questions, the Panel noted:

 

  • The changes in the operation of Edgbarrow Sports Centre were as a result of decisions taken by the school to reduce the hours available for community use from 1 January 2016 and then cease all daytime community use before 5.30pm from 1 September 2016.  The current public consultation concerned the options for future management of the Centre and the Director confirmed that the Joint Management Committee would have the opportunity to feed into this, if necessary through holding an additional meeting, before a report was made to the Executive.
  • The 50% recycling target for 2020 derived from EU wide waste targets but it seemed unlikely this would be relaxed by a UK Government outside of EU membership.  Irrespective of this, there was a PFI target for the RE3 partnership to recycle 50% of all waste by 2031.
  • The Green Deal Communities funding (which had assisted 276 households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes) had now run out.  The Department of Energy and Climate Change had confirmed no further grants were available at present.
  • A new e-book supplier had been engaged to provide the service where library members could download e-books from the Library website.
  • The new Coding Club commencing at Bracknell Library was a computing club and the Panel would be provided with further details.

Supporting documents:

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk