Issue - meetings

The report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Infrastructure Portfolio Holder

The Infrastructure Portfolio Holder presented the report. He highlighted a range of examples of positive progress against various KPIs. Planning KPI’s were again in excess of the targets for determining all types of planning applications, 80% of district food businesses now held a five-star rating in respect of Food Hygiene, a balanced budget had been agreed at full Council on 20 February 2025, and progress continued to be made on both the Transformation Programme and key regeneration projects.

There had been a fall in response times to customer complaints and this was being addressed through improved analysis of the causes of complaints to help prevent future occurrences, and complaint investigation training had been developed for managers which would commence shortly. Weekly reports on complaints progress were being sent to Directors where complaints were not being responded to.

The Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder welcomed the significant reduction in the housing repairs backlog during the quarter, and said that a more detailed update on this would be presented to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 13 March 2025 and then the Cabinet on 22 April 2025. He also set out in further detail the strengthening of the Council’s approach to handling complaints, and welcomed the introduction of a computer aided facility management system, to assist the Property Services Team.

The Business and Regeneration Portfolio Holder said that the quarterly performance report demonstrated that the Economic Regeneration Team were continuing to achieve their targets and progress with ambitious projects to regenerate the district.

The Planning Portfolio Holder welcomed the comfortably above target performance for dealing with planning applications in the quarter, a testament to the hard work of the Planning and Development Team, and advised that an upcoming all-Member briefing would explain to Members how the new Enforcement Plan operated.

The Strategic Director of Resources, on behalf of the Corporate Portfolio Holder, highlighted the continued progress to resolve the Statement of Accounts backlog, the commitment to enhance the organisation’s finance system and the continued work of the Transformation Programme to close the medium-term funding gap.

The Chair commended the contributions and said that the ethos of the organisation was changing.

It was moved by Councillor K Merrie, seconded by Councillor R Blunt, and

RESOLVED THAT:

The report be noted.

Reason for decision: To update members on the progress of the plan. It is the Cabinet’s responsibility to monitor the performance of the Council Delivery Plan.