Agenda and minutes

(Assistant to the Chief Executive)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Panel noted that there were no substitute members.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

No declarations of interest were made.

To consider and agree the notes from the Panel held on 23 February 2010.

The minutes from the previous meeting held on 23 February 2010 were agreed.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference of this Panel and associated Work Programme. This is attached. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

The Panel noted their Terms of Reference and Work Programme.

It was noted that:

• for item 5 the Essex Local Area Agreement would be coming to the September 2010 meeting;
• the comments on item 7, should read Value for Money and not Value for Monday;
• item 10, Medium Term Financial Strategy to go to the February 2011 meeting;
• item 15, Customer Transformation T&F Panel work: a draft inspection report had been received on the Council’s benefit service highlighting problems with physical access and privacy at the Civic Offices, along with a need for satellite offices to be set up in the south of the district. It may be that future provision is made in Limes Farm Hall or the Debden Broadway, incorporating a Housing office as well. In addition, further research had been undertaken on avoidable contact which had identified a need for telephone improvement. The implications of these two issues will need to be factored into a future report on Customer Transformation for the Panel.

(Deputy Chief Executive) To consider the attached report.

The Panel considered the new set of Key Performance Indicators for 2010/11 at their last meeting and have now set targets for next year’s performance improvement. They noted that four indicators had been dropped for 2010/11, NI14, NI 170, NI 180 and NI 184, although officers would like to keep NI 14 (reducing avoidable contact) as a local indicator and refine it to make it more useful in a local context.

Councillor Bassett said that the Panel should decide if the Council should stick to all fifty eight indicators or narrow it down to the twenty eight he had listed in the report.

The Panel noted that the target for last year was 80%, which wasn’t achieved; it was closer to 60%. This year more time was spent on reviewing the targets and making them more relevant so, that the council was in better shape to meet any target that was set.

Councillor Jacobs recommended that a target of 75% was set for this year, but after a short discussion a target of 70% was thought to be better suited.

The Panel then considered the proposed indicators for 2010/11.

NI 157 (a)(b)(c) – processing of planning applications as measured against targets for (a) Major applications; (b) Minor applications; and (c) other applications. They discussed the relative merits of each indicator, a, b or c or a combination to assess this measurement.

AGREED: that NI157 (a) and (b) be kept as indicators.

NI 160 – local authority tenant satisfaction with landlord services. On consideration, the Panel agreed that this could be removed as it was not a focused indicator.

AGREED: that NI 160 be dropped.

NI 187 – tackling fuel poverty – people receiving income based benefits.  Noted this was an annual indicator and would be reported at year end.

AGREED: to keep and report on a yearly basis.

NI 188 – Planning to adapt to climate change. Noted this was an annual indicator and would be reported at year end.

AGREED: to keep and report on a yearly basis.

NI 189 – Flood and coastal erosion risk management. Noted this was an annual indicator and would be reported at year end.

AGREED: to keep and report on a yearly basis.

NI 195 (a) & (b) – (a) Improved street and environmental cleanliness (litter); (b) detritus.

AGREED: to keep as indicators.

NI 195 (c) & (d) – Improved street and environmental cleanliness (Graffiti); (d) improved street and environmental cleanliness (fly-posting).

AGREED: to drop as indicators.

NI 196 – Improved street and environmental cleanliness (Fly tipping).

AGREED: to keep as an indicator, but to ask the Safer Cleaner Greener Standing Panel to look at issues of overall street and environmental cleanliness.

The Panel then considered local indicators.

LPI 02 (a), (b) & (c) – (a) The percentage of premises Licence applications determined within thirty days; (b) The percentage of Temporary Event Licence applications determined within five days; and (c) The percentage of Hackney Carriage/Private Hire licence applications determined within five  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

(Deputy Chief Executive) To Consider the attached report. Please remember to bring your Place Survey Tracker 2009/10 report with you. This has been sent out separately to all Members.

The Market Research Consultation Officer, Mrs Val Loftis, introduced the report on the Epping Forest Tracker 2009 Research report. The report presented findings from the 2009/10 Place Tracker Survey conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Council and the Essex Partnership. The tracker survey compared the results of the previous years Place Survey and noted the changes in residents views.  The survey supplies data which currently informed 18 national indicators across a number of Government Departments. There were only five significant changes in public opinion, four of these were positive changes. The five were:

• NI 4 - the percentage  of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality, improved by 3.6%;
• NI23 – Perception that people in the area treat one another with respect and consideration, improved by 3.9%;
• NI37 – Awareness of civil protection arrangements in the local area, improved by 15.9%;
• NI140 – Fair treatment by local services, which improved by 4.4%; and
• NI119 – Self reported measures of people’s overall health and well-being decreased by 4.1%.

The report also showed that perception of crime and anti social behaviour had improved from 18% down to 15% of residents who believed that there was a problem. The reason behind this may be due to closer partnership working. The Safer Communities Partnership now operates an Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinating Group where agencies such as the Police, Youth Offending and cross Directorate Departments, i.e. Housing and Housing Associations, can bring individual cases to the Group to discuss issues in confidence.  The meetings provided an opportunity to share information and resources, to discuss trends in anti-social behaviour and to tackle issues in a multi-agency way. The Council also match funded six Police Community Support Officers and can now direct all PCSOs work in the District.

As not all Essex Partnership Authorities carried out a similar tracker survey this time around it was not possible to benchmark our results with theirs this time.

Councillor Bassett noted that the Council was going to be holding a Community resilience Consultation workshop at the end of May, looking at what role a Parish or Town Council can play in emergency planning. All Town and Parish clerks have been invited to this.

Councillor Mrs Wagland noted that the Council needed to get to the hard to reach residents for this survey. She also wanted to know where the predictive score came from. Mrs Loftis did not know but said she would find out and get back to her.

It was also noted that the results of the survey were being posted on the Council’s website.

            RESOLVED:

            That the Epping Forest Tracker Survey 2009 Research Report was noted.

To consider which reports are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

To report back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with a general update on the reports considered at this meeting.

To note the forward programme of meeting dates of the Panel for 2010-11, which are:

10^th June 2010;

09^th September 2010;

09^th December 2010;

17^th January 2011; and

10^th March 2011.

The meeting noted that this was the last meeting of this Panel for this municipal year. The Chairman offered his thanks to the members and officers for their hard work during the year. The Chairman was, in his turn, thanked for his chairmanship during the year.