Agenda item

The Committee gave consideration to the Progress and Delivery Quarter Two 2022/2023 and Performance Improvement Plan report, as previously presented to the two policy committees. The minutes of each meeting were included within the report and it was explained that Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee were required to scrutinise the challenge of the two policy committees to the content of the council’s Progress and Delivery reports.

This report also included, for the first time, the performance improvement plan, which provided further context and the extra level of assurance the Committee had requested alongside the policy committees. It explained why measures within services were reporting as underperforming, with the plans showing what was being done in direct response to this. The additional information was welcomed at both policy committees and the Chairman also welcomed the additional and in-depth information the improvement plan provided.

Debate ensued, and Members commented on the condition, accessibility, and perception of the district markets, along with shopping trends within the district. There was also a concern raised regarding a perceived lack of measurement of the Council’s overall performance.

In response to a query on the measurement of market stalls and green bin purchase statistics, the Change, Projects, and Performance Officer explained that these targets were to assist in improving the teams’ performances in both services. There was a focus on discerning the commercial activities for the authority’s focus, especially in a market orientated focus, with the acknowledged hope for a vibrant market. These Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were to ensure that the specific focus of several teams within the authority could monitor the situation as compared to previous years.

A Member raised a query about the new performance measures captured with Everyone Active, following the previous meeting’s scrutiny. The Change, Projects, and Performance Officer explained that she had met with Everyone Active, and gave assurance that the activities fed into the report and were included in the overall narrative.

There was discussion regarding the impact of the work from market stalls and recycling policy generally. These details were clarified and acknowledged, with Members being informed that a new Towns Manager had been appointed, and that future consideration of green waste was a specific focus for the Council.

Responding to a query regarding the KPI covering the average number of days to pay invoices, it was explained that this was to form part of the annual review at the upcoming Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to bring the KPI in line with the contractual 30 days.

A Member brought up a request to include the trends of previous years’ results. The Change, Projects, and Performance Officer explained that she was happy to consider trend graphs in future reports presented to the Committees. Responding to a suggestion by Members, it was suggested that an invitation be extended to the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership to attend a future meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with a specific focus on the roll out of the purple-lidded bins. It was noted for this to be included in the Matters Arising Schedule, to be considered in the new Civic Year.

The Chairman read aloud the recommendation within the report and Members expressed their satisfaction with the contents as presented. Having been moved and seconded, the Chairman took the vote and it was unanimously

RESOLVED that the Committee had examined the responses given to the report by the Corporate Policy and Resources and the Prosperous Communities Committees and had assured themselves that the appropriate level of challenge had been made by those committees to the information contained in the report.