Agenda item

To present the Annual Performance Report for 2016/17.

The report of the Corporate Head of Transformation incorporating the Annual Performance Report for 2016/17 was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The report looks back at the performance of the Council for 2016/17 and specifically the progress made against the improvement objectives set out in the 7 key areas in the 2015/16 Annual Delivery Document.

The Portfolio Member for Corporate Services reported that the Annual Performance Report conveys a positive message about the Council’s performance in 2016/17. The Authority succeeded in continuing to deliver on many of its commitments in a number of priority areas in the preceding year including Adults’ Services, Education, Economic and Community Development and Housing; these successes are expanded on in the narrative of the report. Over 64% of the Council’s Performance Indicators (PIs) improved during the year and whilst some PIs declined in performance, the percentage of those is also down from 45% in 2015/16 to 24% in 2016/17. The Portfolio Member for Corporate Services said that he was very gratified to be able to report that the Isle of Anglesey County Council is for the first time ever within the top four local authorities in Wales as regards overall PI performance and seventh out of the 22 local authorities as regards PIs in the top quartile performance. This is undoubtedly a significant and commendable achievement particularly in the context of the changes that have occurred at the Council in recent years as well the increasingly challenging financial climate.

The Leader said that the previous Council had worked committedly over the course of its term to take the Council forwards; in so doing it has set a challenge to the new Council to maintain the momentum of progress. She noted that thanks are due to all who have contributed to the success to which the Performance Report is testimony.

The Committee considered the report and noted the progress made in fulfilling the objectives which the Council had set in 2016/17 which also marked the end of the period of the 2013/17 Corporate Plan. The Committee further noted that whilst one of the Council’s stated aspirations was to “drive community regeneration through developing holistic town and community plans for the Island’s main settlements prioritising Holyhead, Llangefni and Amlwch”, there was no mention made of the plans for Amlwch as one of the named priority settlements and neither was it linked to the schemes referred to in the list of achievements. Additionally, the Committee noted that there was no reference to community regeneration plans for Beaumaris as the primary town in the south-east corner of the Island which it believed should also be included in any renewal programme.

The Committee noted that the period which the Performance Report covers pertains to the previous Administration at the Council prior to the May 2017 local government election and asked that this be clarified within the report.

Having considered the report the Committee resolved that it agreed that a final version of the 2016/17 Performance Report be published by the statutory October deadline, and that it be completed by Officers in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for publication on the Council’s website with the proviso that it be clarified that the report refers to a period pertaining to the previous Administration.

ADDITIONAL ACTION PROPOSED: The Head of Service (Community Regeneration and Economic Development) be invited to report to the Committee on the progress of community regeneration plans for Amlwch as a named priority settlement, and whether there are plans in the offing for Beaumaris.