Agenda item

Report No: PAS/WS/19/010

The Service Manager (Finance and Performance) presented Report No: PAS/WS/19/010, which set out the performance for quarter one and the forecasted financial outturn position for 2019-2020.

The report showed the current Performance Indicators for the first quarter of 2019-2020, as set out in the following appendices, attached to the report:

-      Appendix A: 2019-2020 Performance Indicators, Commentary;

-      Appendices C to E: Performance Indicators by Strategic Priority;

-      Appendix F : Income and Expenditure;

-      Appendix G: Capital Programme;

-      Appendix H: Earmarked Reserves.

Members considered the report in detail and asked questions of the Assistant Directors on their indicators, to which comprehensive responses were provided.

In particular discussions were held on:

Appendix C – (F3: Number of households in temporary accommodation, and F4: Number of households prevented from being homeless).  Members questioned what were the councils plans to support and assist in improving performance.

Members were informed that the temporary accommodation target had been red for some time due to the change in legislation in April 2018 which had resulted in an increase of people who were eligible for support.  In response to that the council had predicted an increase in demand and therefore had increased its temporary accommodation provision.

Members were informed that with regards to preventing homelessness, there had been a number of staff changes over that period.  Whilst people had continued to be supported and prevented from being homeless,  not all cases had been physically closed on the system to enable them to be recorded.   The priority had been to support people as opposed to completing the administration and closing cases.  However training had been provided to ensure cases were closed in a timely way.  The council was also looking at how it compared nationally.  Over the first three quarters of last year,  West Suffolk had successfully prevented homelessness in 77% of cases, compared with the national average of 58%.  It was noted that the full year’s figures had yet to be published by the government but once it is available, it will be reported to members.

Further questions were raised as to the cost of temporary and bed and breakfast accommodation.

Appendix C – (F8: Number of flytipping incidents recorded in West Suffolk).  Members raised a number of questions around flytipping, to which responses were provided as follows:

-      The increase in incidents was due to improvements which had been made to the recording process and the targeted enforcement which had been carried out in hotspot areas, which had raised awareness of reporting incidents.

-      The vast majority of flytipping incidents reported were on a small number of our urban housing estates.

-      The council was developing its communication channels all the time through its website and officers were open to exploring language options.

-      The Cabinet Member for Operations informed members that he would continue to ask the Suffolk Waste Partnership to look into the issue of flytipping and the charges / opening hours at Suffolk County Council Recyling Centres. 

Members were pleased to see that the council had recently prosecuted an offender.

Appendix D – (H4: Number of long term empty homes brought back into use per annum)

Councillor Mary Evans felt the council was being too harsh on itself and that the colour rating should be amber and not red because in the first quarter the council had brought back 58 homes, with the annual target being 64.

In response members were informed that last year 50 homes were brought back into use and this year the target has been increased to 64.  Officers confirmed that the new target would be exceeded.  The target was based on 1,000 properties, but only a small proportion might be suitable to bring back into use.  The Council was constantly working with owners to bring homes back into use.

There being no decision required, the Committee noted the Quarter 1 performance for 2019-2020.