Agenda item

To consider a report from the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement on performance information for Quarter 4 2008/2009.

The Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement submitted a report which provided a strategic overview of performance against those improvement priorities in the Leeds Strategic Plan (LSP) which related directly to Environment & Neighbourhood priorities.  The report and appendices provided an overall assessment of progress against the improvement priorities relevant to the Board.

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

·  Councillor J Monaghan, Executive Board Member for Environmental Services

·  Neil Evans, Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods

·  Andrew Mason, Chief Environmental Services Officer

The Chair invited the Executive Member with responsibility for Environmental Services to outline some of the pressures and key priorities within his portfolio for the coming year and areas where the Board may be able to add value.

Councillor Monaghan thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak and pointed out the following issues:-

·  the need for the City Council to tackle climate change along with other public sector organisations in the city to ensure that all partners were contributing effectively to the reduction of CO2 emissions.  It was acknowledged that the City Development and City & Regional Partnerships Scrutiny Boards had also expressed an interest in this issue.

·  the need to ensure that all residents of Leeds had access to recycling facilities, acknowledging that different areas of the city require different solutions for their waste and recycling needs.  That as part of its inquiry into recycling, the Board could investigate the feasibility of kerbside collections for additional materials in certain areas of the city for example, glass in areas where access to bring sites were limited, or wider materials collected at the Household Waste sites. 

·  the need to provide additional facilities to collect items, for example, identifying schools as possible key points of collection. 

The Chair thanked the Executive Board Member for Environmental Services for his comments.  The Chair then invited Board Members to comment on those areas of interest within the performance indicators.

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

·   TP-3a -  Reduce Worklessness across the city with a focus on deprived

  areas.

-  Clarification was sought on whether the Council had enough strategies in place to reduce worklessness across the city with a focus on   deprived areas.

  (In response, the Director of Environment & Neighbourhoods informed   the meeting that the Council with its partners will continue to focus on   the challenge of long term unemployment and an innovative pilot,   was underway in areas of long term unemployment to develop a more   effective multi-  agency team with a   family support focus).

·  NI16 – Serious acquisitive crime rate

-  Members raised their concerns regarding the rise in the serious   acquisitive crime rates (up 4.3%), and particularly the rise in domestic   burglary rates (up 9.5%).

  (In response, the Director of Environment & Neighbourhoods informed   the meeting that with burglary in particular, there was a strong   commitment and willingness from strategic leaders to extend joint activity   and co-operation between partners and to build on the existing city-wide   burglary reduction plan to tackle these difficult issues.  Embedding   local processes as part of the Integrated Offender Management   scheme (targeting the city’s most prolific offenders) will be critical in   2009/10 especially within the context of the current economic climate).

·  BP-05C – Rent collected by the local authority

-  The Board sought clarification of the figures to show what proportion   of   the rents owed were considered ‘bad debts’ and could potentially be   written off.

  (In response, the Director of Environment & Neighbourhoods agreed to   supply this information).

·  PI BV-91B – Percentage of households served by a kerbside collection of at least two recyclables.

-  Councillor Blackburn raised the issue of collectors not leaving green   bags in areas where a collection service should be available. 

  (In response, Andrew Mason, Chief Environmental Services Officer   agreed to liaise with Councillor Blackburn after the meeting about her   specific complaint).

·  NI192 – Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting.

-  Members sought confirmation on the success of the two weekly green   bin collection.

  (In response, the Chief Environmental Services Officer informed the   meeting that a pilot kerbside collection scheme, increasing the collection   of dry recyclables for fortnightly (green bins) began on four routes in the   city in October 2008.  Whilst initial indications appeared to be positive,   the Council were now waiting to collate a full years data on the pilot   before considering rolling out the pilot scheme   across the city).

  A number of other issues were raised during the meeting in relation to   recycling which the Chair confirmed would also be picked up during the   Board’s inquiry into recycling.

·  NI15 - Serious violent crime/NI18 – Adult re-offending rates for those under probation supervision/NI28 Knife crime

-  Members acknowledged that the percentage of serious violent crimes in

  Leeds had decreased compared with previous years but felt that there was a need to target resources in hotspot areas across the city. 

·  NI4 – Percentage of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality

-  In relation to community consultation, Members felt that there was a   need to communicate feedback to members of the public more effectively.

The Chair thanked officers for their attendance.

RESOLVED - 

(a)  That the report and appendices be noted.

(b)  To address the issue of worklessness as part of the Board’s work   programme for this year.

(c)  To address the issue of the rise in serious acquisitive crime rates as   part of the Board’s inquiry into Offender Management.

Note: 

(a)  Councillor G Hyde arrived at the meeting at approximately 10.10 a.m.   during consideration of the above item and declared a personal interest in the above item in his capacity as a Director of East North East   ALMO.

(b)  Councillor J Jarosz declared a personal interest in the above item in   her capacity as a Probation Officer for the Magistrates Courts.