Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive attached.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Paul Foster) and the Chief Executive presented a report which outlined the Council’s performance against the delivery of the Corporate Strategy projects and objectives during Quarter 3 (October-December 2021).

Overall, performance of the projects was good with 11 of 14 being on-track, 2 complete and 1 forecasted as delayed. Of 8 key performance indicators (KPI’s) reported, 3 were above target; 1 performing worse but within the 5% threshold; and 2 were outside of the threshold.

The report referred to a digitisation review within the Planning department and members queried whether this had already been done with the Planning Portal system. It was clarified, in response, that the digitisation review would incorporate a different software to the Planning Portal to enable tracking and management of applications.

Members also raised issues around being unable to access the Planning Portal to view and make representations on planning applications and asked that an update be provided on the technical issues outside of the meeting.

The delivery of the joint digital strategy was identified as amber/delayed in the report and the panel queried if this should be marked instead as red or off-track.

In response, it was explained that the rating of project performance is the judgement of officers and that fundamental changes in resourcing and progress would be reported in the next quarter.

The panel also requested that further ICT training be made available to Members, following some technical issues experienced by individuals.

Clarification was sought as to the impact of self-service channels on the number of telephone calls and in-person visits to Gateway.

It was acknowledged that the current software used was not fit-for-purpose although the call abandonment rate had recently improved to 4%. More detailed customer service performance data would be included in the next quarterly report which members welcomed.

The panel noted that many of the projects within the ‘Thriving Communities’ corporate priority related to young people and queried what support and programmes were available for the wider population.

Members were assured in response that the My Neighbourhood Community Hubs provide a range of support to their wider communities and that this would be identified in a Cabinet update report on the Hubs.

The panel also expressed a desire for future quarterly performance reports to provide examples of successes from across the Borough.

Assurances were also provided that the mental health support programme could be extended if there was sufficient need.

Some of the discussion focused around the Community Wealth Building programme, which had made good progress in the quarter.

Members queried the tangible benefits of the programme and were advised that a social value portal for procurement had been established, training delivered to officers and suppliers and that a credit union had opened in Leyland.

Members felt that clarification was needed that the Council had established a credit union branch in Leyland and asked that the report be updated to reflect this.

A request was also made that further consideration be given to communicating the roles of the county council and district council and the service they provide to ensure clarity amongst residents.

The panel also commended the Council’s efforts in bringing the management of leisure centres in-house and in forming the leisure company.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the Scrutiny Budget and Performance Panel:

1.    thanks the Leader and Chief Executive for attending, their detailed report and answering questions;

2.    asks that an update be provided on the technical issues affecting the Planning Portal;

3.    looks forward to an update on the Digital Strategy performance;

4.    requests that further ICT training be made available to Members;

5.    is grateful for the offer to provide more detailed customer service performance date in the next quarterly report;

6.    would like to see future reports provide examples of successes from across the Borough and celebrate the work of all the Community Hubs;

7.    asks that further consideration be given to communicating the roles of the county council and district council and the service they provide.