Agenda item

To consider a report of the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement on the Leeds Strategic Plan Performance Report for Quarter 1 2009/2010.

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) for Quarter 1 which related directly to City Development priorities.  The report and appendices provided an overall assessment of progress against the improvement priorities relevant to the Board and, in addition, provided performance indicator (PI) information for the full National Indicator Set and locally agreed indicators that were appropriate. Performance indicator targets were included across the range of priorities 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 officers were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:-

Jean Dent, Director of City Development

Phil Crabtree, Chief Planning Officer, City Development

Paul Maney, Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement, City Development

The Chair invited Board Members to comment on those areas of under-performance and/or concern in relation to the improvement priorities.

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

·  clarification of whether or not the department were aware of a letter sent by the Conservative Party to Conservative Councils requesting them to ignore local spatial strategy targets at the present time, and the effects this would have on this authority

(The Chief Planning Officer responded and informed the meeting that he was not aware of this correspondence.  He outlined the current Regional Spatial Strategy objectives for the information of Board Members)

·  (Ref PI NI LSP – TP1e) – clarification as to why the target was so low in relation to increasing the number of new customers on low incomes accessing credit union services

(The Director of City Development responded and informed the Board that the target reflected current difficulties being faced by the credit union.  She was confident that it would achieve its target of 3,500 new customers for the total year)

·  the need for a report on planning enforcement and whether there was a mechanism for achieving more Section 106 monies within the Council

(The Chief Planning Officer responded and informed the meeting that a report on planning enforcement would be submitted to the Board in the autumn.  In relation to Section 106 monies, he outlined a number of incentives being offered to encourage house builders to get back into business on those brown-field locations which could result, in the short term, in the Council cutting back on their Section 106 aspirations)

·  (Ref PI NI 157 – Majors) – the need for the Board to look at this target in more detail and to be supplied with a list of those major schemes and to address the reasons why some major planning applications had not been determined in time/on time

(The Chief Planning Officer briefly explained the reasons and protocol behind the major planning applications.  Following discussions, it was agreed that a report would be submitted to the Board in six months time with a view to focussing on two major planning applications which had achieved the target, together with looking at two major planning applications which had not achieved the target, for whatever reason, to allow the Board to form a conclusion in this regard)

·  (Ref PI NI LK1 215b) – the need to address this target with the aim of reducing the number of street lights which were switched on during daylight hours

(The Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement responded and outlined the historic delays between SEC and Yorkshire Electricity which were outside of the department’s control.  It was noted that there had been a considerable improvement in repairs to street lighting, but a number of contact problems still remained at this present time)

RESOLVED –

a)  That the content of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That a report be brought back to the Board in six months time relating to the target (NI 157 – Majors)

(Councillor C Beverley left the meeting at 11.50 am during discussion of the above item)

(Councillor S Armitage left the meeting at 12.10 pm during discussion of the above item)