Agenda item

To receive a report of the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement on the Leeds Strategic Plan Performance Report for Quarter 2 2008/09.

The Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement submitted a report regarding the Quarter 2 performance indicators (PIs) in respect of Environment and Neighbourhoods. The report and appendices charted progress against targets across the raft of individual performance indicators in this area, and highlighted areas of under-performance and/or concern in relation to improvement priorities and actions being taken to remedy matters.

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:-

Councillor L Carter, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing

Councillor S Smith, Executive Member for Environmental Services

Andrew Mason, Chief Environmental Services Officer

Stephen Boyle, Chief Regeneration Officer

John Statham, Strategic Landlord Manager

Superintendent Simon Whitehead, Leeds Area Community Safety Officer

Debra Scott, Head of Service Improvement

For ease of reference, the Chair went through the appendices, page by page, inviting Board Members to comment on those areas of under performance and/or of concern in relation to the improvement priorities.

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues as clarification to questions raised:-

·  Improvement Priority Progress around ’Increasing the number of affordable homes’ (PI Ref TP1b) – details on how the department intended to improve this target in view of the current financial restraints

·  Improvement Priority Progress around the ‘EASEL Regeneration Scheme’ – clarification of the timescales/ funding/ success rates of the scheme and the need for a breakdown of employment and apprenticeship figures in relation to all regeneration schemes

(The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing and the Chief Regeneration Officer responded. The Board noted that a full report on EASEL would be presented to the Executive Board in February 2009.  In relation to the breakdown of employment figures for regeneration schemes (including the Aire Valley Employment Team), the Chief Regeneration Officer agreed to prepare a report on this issue for submission to the Board)

·  Improvement Priority Progress around the tension tracking Improvement Plan – clarification of its success and on the further pilot areas to be identified

·  PI Ref LKI HAS4 ‘the number of homeless acceptances made in the year’ – clarification of the change in the Asylum process (NAM) which had resulted in an increase in the volume of presentations and the need for information to be provided to the Board on where the anticipated increase of 120 acceptances in 08/09 are to be rehoused

(The Chief Regeneration Officer responded and agreed to forward the relevant details to the Board)

·  Overall assessment of progress around the improvement priority to ‘reduce worklessness across the city with a focus on deprived areas’

–  clarification of the membership in relation to Worklessness Strategic Outcome Group and the Area Worklessness Groups

–  the need to engage with other major employers within the city, particularly within the Area Worklessness Groups

–  the need for key providers to work collaboratively and move away from the fragmented approach

–  the need for the Board to be supplied with examples of cases where existing support services/resources have made a positive long term impact on the future of individuals and their families

–  the need for further detail of the Yorkshire Forward business case and developer/employer packages to be developed by task groups, including Regeneration, Park Lane College and Job Centre Plus

(The Chief Regeneration Officer responded and agreed to forward copies of the relevant information, as referred to above, to the Board)

·  PI Ref NI15 ‘Serious violent crime rate’ – the target for this indicator was considered too low

·  PI Ref NI29 and NI 34  - the need for district level data to be supplied to the Board in relation to gun crime rate and domestic violence – murder

(The Leeds Area Community Safety Officer responded and acknowledged the importance of this missing data)

·  PI Ref NI49b ‘the total number of fatalities due to primary fires per 100,000 population’ – the need to continue to monitor this indicator on a regular basis

·  PI Ref LK1 CS8A ‘addressing domestic violence’ – clarification of the  recording practices used when incidents of domestic violence are reported

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.