Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement.

The Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement submitted a report updating the Committee  on performance against targets across a raft of statutory and local indicators, involving all the Scrutiny Boards’ areas of responsibility, and containing predicted CPA scores for 2007/08.

Steve Clough, Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement, attended the meeting and responded to Members’ queries and comments.  In brief summary, the main issues discussed were:-

·  Planning performance and the percentage of appeals allowed against the authority’s decision to refuse planning applications – Further to Minute No 32, 11^th September 2007, and Minute No 43, 9^th October 2007, the predicted improvement in the Council’s performance by Quarter 4 in 2007/08 was welcomed.  Members expressed frustration at being hidebound to a large degree by Government directives and guidelines on planning matters. The presumption in favour of approval and the restriction of local discretion in planning matters was not widely understood by the public, who often regarded Plans Panels as undemocratic if they did not accede to local objections, and did not appreciate the limited nature of Panels’ powers in these matters. The initiatives outlined by the Chief Planning Officer at the last meeting (Minute No 43 refers) were referred to.  Greater cognizance of local issues/conditions, and more Ward Member consultation, on the part of planning officers would be helpful;

·  Abandoned Vehicles – The use of a contractor based in Doncaster was queried, in view of the time limits imposed for the removal of abandoned vehicles in order to meet this performance indicator. Steve Clough undertook to pursue this issue, in terms of whether there were more local qualified contractors, and whether more than one contractor should perhaps be engaged;

·  Graffiti – The information set out in Paragraph 5.3.2 of the report was noted. It was suggested that the work schedule of the so-called ‘hot spot’ graffiti removal team should be reviewed in order that the frequency of their service matched the requirements of particularly bad areas, although it was accepted that, unfortunately, graffiti seemed to be a never ending  problem, and there needed to be an effective response in all parts of Leeds;

·  Teenage Pregnancy Rates – The Scrutiny Board (Health and Adult Social Care) had agreed to receive an update report on this issue (OSC Minute No. 31, 11^th September 2007 refers;

·  Direct Payments – Further to Minute No 44, 9^th October 2007, the improving situation in Paragraph 5.6.1 was welcomed

·  Steve Clough drew attention to the information on crime and drugs contained in Paragraphs 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 of his report;

·  BV174 and 175 – The number of racial incidents recorded by the authority per 100,000 population and the percentage of racial incidents that resulted in further action – Steve Clough confirmed that this was all about ensuring that the information was available at the correct time for monitoring purposes, and this was being addressed;

·  The briefing of Scrutiny Board Chairs prior to the commencement of the formal CPA inspection period.

RESOLVED – That subject to the above comments the report be received and noted.