Agenda item

To present the report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation.

The report of the Head of Profession (Human Resources) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Scorecard for Quarter 1, 2021/2022 was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Dafydd Rhys Thomas, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business introduced the report which is the first scorecard report for 2021/22 and it is considered within the context of the additional pressures emanating from the Council’s response to the pandemic during Quarter 1. At the end of Q1 it is encouraging that the majority of the 85% of the performance management PI’s continue to perform well against targets or within 5% of their targets.  He referred that the Public Protection service has been under immense pressure during the pandemic and it was noted that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued guidance for action in terms of food safety and that new businesses should be prioritised.  To date, no confirmation has been received on how inspections will be prioritised post-pandemic from a national perspective and therefore it is recommended that this indicator is removed from the Scorecard for the 2021/22 year and monitored in-house.   The indicator with regard to written response to complaints within 15 days received by the Social Services continues to be RED. The Portfolio Member explained that verbal responses are afforded within the specific target but written response to complaints are dependent on responses from outside organisations.   The Portfolio Member referred to indicator 35 – percentage of all planning applications determined in time which is RED with 73% against a target of 82%.  He noted that capacity issues within the Planning Department has occurred within the service and was noted within the report.  However, he said that there has been an improvement within the Enforcement Team in the Planning Department. 

The Portfolio Member for Corporate Business further referred that indicator 32 – percentage of waste reused, recycled or composed is RED with a performance of 64.55% against a target of 70% for the quarter.  This performance is down on the 67.07% seen in Q1 2020/21 and the 72.79% seen in Q1 2019/20.  The pandemic remains one of the reasons due to a reduction in the use of Household Waste Recycling Centres and an increase in black bin household waste as more people work from home.  Other factors includes the difficulty in obtaining outlets to recycle some materials as is noted in the report.  It was noted that other local authorities are facing similar issues with recycling specific materials.  The Portfolio Member also referred that following the new chargeable Green Waste service implemented from April 2021, there has been a decrease in the tonnage of green waste collected. To mitigate the current underperformance, a new Steering Group has been established with representatives from the WLGA and WRAP Cymru with an aim to evaluate the current working practices and identify how to improve performance and work towards the targets set by Welsh Government by 2025.  The Portfolio Member considered that a representative from the Corporate Scrutiny Committee be appointed on the Steering Group. 

The Programme, Business Planning and Performance Manager said mitigation measures were discussed in the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on 13 September, 2021. He further noted that a workshop with Elected Members was held on 13 July, 2021 where it was agreed that two new indicators be introduced for the 2021/22 scorecard reporting year – customer satisfaction with the Council’s telephone system and managing climate change.

The Leader said that the Corporate Scorecard Q1 report was submitted to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on 13 September, 2021 and the Committee considered the mitigating actions within the report.  She noted that the Executive agreed that the representative from the Corporate Scrutiny Committee should be nominated on the newly established Steering Group to examine green waste and recycling issues.  She also referred that the Scrutiny Committee referred that attendance at work figures needs to be monitored.

Councillor Bob Parry OBE FRAgS the Portfolio Member for Highways, Waste and Property wished to clarify that green waste figures across North Wales have been affected due to the pandemic and the only authorities that collect black bin waste on a monthly basis have seen an increase in waste collection figures.  He noted that as Portfolio Member he would welcome a representative from the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on the newly established Steering Group. 

Councillor Richard A Dew, the Portfolio Member for Planning and Public Protection said that capacity issues within the Planning Department has been a factor as regards to all planning applications determined in time which is RED with 73% against a target of 82%.  He noted that capacity issues within the Planning Department has occurred within the service and was noted within the report.  However, he said that there has been a significant improvement within the Enforcement Team in the Planning Department with dealing with enforcement applications.  The indicator has risen from 74% and 91% and he wished to thank the Enforcement Team for their achievement in this regard.

It was RESOLVED:-

·           to accept the Scorecard monitoring report for Q1 2021/2022, to note the areas which the Senior Leadership Team are managing to secure improvements into the future and to accept the mitigation measures outlined in the report;

·           to nominate a representative from the Corporate Scrutiny Committee to be a member of the newly established Steering Group comprising the WLGA and WRAP Cymru to examine recycling and green waste issues.