Agenda item

To consider the attached report.

The Acting Chief Executive introduced the Council’s key strategic document, the Corporate Plan, this sets out its priorities over a four year period, with strategic themes reflecting those of the community strategy for the district.

The annual identification of key objectives provides an opportunity for the Council to focus attention on how areas for improvement would be addressed, opportunities exploited and better outcomes delivered during the year.

The key objectives for 2017/18 were adopted by the Cabinet at its meeting in September 2016. The achievement of the objectives was supported by a range of individual deliverables and actions, with target dates spread throughout the year (and beyond in some instances). Some of the deliverables could only be achieved incrementally or were dependent upon the completion of other actions, and were intended to be fluid to reflect changes in priorities and other influencing factors.

At the end of the year:

·         Achieved:                                  28 (56%)

·         Under Control:                           15 (30%)

·         Behind Schedule:                        6 (12%)

·         Pending:                                                  1 (2%)

Total    50 (100%)

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was requested to review year-end progress against the key objectives for 2017/18.

Objective 1.b – item 11: Councillor Bedford requested an update on the St. John’s Road site development. He was told that the council had recently received a draft document that had been agreed by the Town Council. Officers were now looking at the final draft and hoping to have it sealed by the end of this week.

Objective 1.b – item 12: Councillor Bedford asked about the comments in Q4 and what was happening. He was told that a report would be going to the June Cabinet meeting.

Objective 1.b – item 3: Councillor Neville asked when would the work start on phases 4,5 & 6 of the council house building programme and how many would be offered at an affordable rent. He was told that the Portfolio Holder would get back to him on the details and the rents would all correspond to the council’s rent code as this would all be District Council housing stock.

Objective 1.b – item 6: Councillor Murray asked if the relocation of the Housing Repairs Service to Oakwood Hill could remain behind schedule as he was worried about losing all the greens in Loughton. Oakwood Hill estate was a densely populated area of the district and now the council wanted to take away the green. The Leader of the Council replied that he wanted this back on schedule as soon as possible as it would be a benefit to our district, our residents and save money. Loughton had a lot of investment, more than any other area. Locating the service made sense and would save us £3million in doing so, by not having to build a further new depot.

Councillor Wixley said that he did not think that this was a good idea, building a car park that was not necessary.

Objective 1.b – item 7: Councillor Sartin asked if the Pyrles Lane nursery was on the market as yet? She was told that it had not as yet been put on the market.

Objective 2.c – item 3: Councillor Dorrell asked if the new leisure centre in Waltham Abbey was on target. He was told that it was on schedule but had not been achieved as indicated on the plan.

Objective 3.b – item 2: Councillor Sartin queried if this should be classed as ‘achieved’. Councillor Lion said that it was on target, not achieved.

Objective 3.c – item 2: Councillor Sartin noted the status was under control but it had an old target date. She was told that this would be reset.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee noted the position of the Council’s Key Objectives for 2017/18.