Agenda item

(Commercial and Regulatory Services) To consider the attached Qualis Quarterly Monitoring Report for Q1 2020/21, which covers the period from 1 November 2020 to 31 January 2021.

Mover: Councillor A Patel, Commercial and Regulatory Services Portfolio Holder

The Chairman advised that this report had been to Cabinet and the Select Panels and suggested that Members go straight to questions. Were Members in agreement or would they like the Portfolio Holder to present the report to Council.

Councillor S Heap asked how many positions in the Qualis Group benefit from a bonus scheme and what was the expected total of the bonus scheme this year.

Councillor A Patel advised that he was not in a position to answer this question and would find out the information and come back to Councillor Heap outside of the meeting.

Councillor Heap stated that positions had been advertised with a bonus scheme related therefore, what was that bonus scheme which should have been known by the Portfolio Holder before the question was asked.

Councillor Patel reiterated that he did not have that information to hand and would have to report back to Councillor Heap at a later date.

Councillor S Murray stated that his question related to two sections of the report, page 102, section 10. Operational Performance, Qualis Management and page 103, section 12. Key Actions for completion in the next quarter, both of which refer to housing maintenance especially page 103 where it had referenced, Complete fine tuning of Housing Maintenance SLA and final confirmation of operational and financial KPIs. He stated that as Housing Management was a key frontline service, had any thought been given as to how members, going forward on those issues, would be able to exercise any scrutiny. The reason behind the question was that he regarded the housing repair service to the Councils tenants as a frontline service and although Qualis were now delivering this service for the Council it still must be scrutinised. Therefore, what level of member input will there be in the Service Level Agreement and scrutiny going forward.

Councillor A Patel stated that he believed Councillor Murray had already asked that question at a different meeting and therefore just to clarify as was stated at that meeting that he was happy for a report to come forward to the relevant Select Committee and to discuss the achievements of the maintenance team in relation to their KPIs. I suggest this report should go to a later scrutiny meeting on the year anniversary of when the service was transferred to Qualis.

Councillor C C Pond referred to page 87, 3.7. Roundhills and Pyrles Lane Delivery Plans to Board and advised that he spoke to someone who claimed that they had heard a conversation regarding the Pyrles Lane site which implied that the scheme would be delivered at a much greater intensity than the consented scheme which Area Plans Sub-Committee South gave permission for a few years ago. Therefore, would the Portfolio Holder like to deny that.

Councillor A Patel advised that in terms of the actual details of this scheme at present there was no scheme. A business case would have to be made to Cabinet for a transfer of the land and therefore I am unable to comment of what may come about.

Councillor D Wixley referred to the last point Councillor Pond had just raised it had been recorded in a previous agenda, I don’t recall exactly when, but what Councillor Pond had been told was accurate. This question has cropped up before and there was considerably more units than what was given permission for a few years ago at an Area Plans South Sub-Committee. That planning permission has now exceeded the three year period.

Councillor A Patel reiterated that until a business case was made there were no details for him to be in a position to answer that question. When it gets to that stage, he advised that members would be able to comment on the proposals from Qualis.

Report as first moved: ADOPTED

RESOLVED:

(1)   That Members agreed that as this report had been to Cabinet and Scrutiny that the Portfolio Holder did not have to present the report again and that it should now go straight to questions; and

(2)   That the Qualis Quarterly Monitoring Report – Q1 2020/2021 be agreed.