Agenda item

To review the attached FY 21/22 quarter 2 Corporate performance report.

C Graham, Project Manager (Performance), introduced quarter 2 and reported on projects at red or amber status (exceptions). The KPI data now showed comparisons to the previous quarter. Performance project officers were relooking at the KPI data in its entirety to understand the processes behind them and she would share any information on this at a future meeting.

The Committee scrutinised the following areas.

(1)          Status and Progress Report: Key Corporate Projects

(a)          Community Health and Wellbeing service area

Waltham Abbey Community and Cultural Hub

Why was the project on hold? A Small, Strategic Director and 151 Officer, replied this was in relation to cost of project queries.

(b)          Planning Policy and Implementation service area

Green Infrastructure Strategy

On the draft paper that had been developed for the implementation of the Roding Valley Recreation Ground and Theydon Bois to Loughton/Debden Public Rights of Way Network, there was no reference to working with Loughton Town Council that held the land under a 125-year lease. C Graham noted the information. The project came under the Planning Services Director, N Richardson. N Dawe, Chief Operating Officer, replied that as a site visit was imminent with EFDC officers and other interested parties, he would ensure this information was passed on, so the Town Council could also be informed of the planned site visit.

(2)          Quarterly KPI Reporting

(a)          Community Health and Wellbeing service area

Number of families in B&B accommodation for 6 weeks+

How difficult was it for the Council to meet this legal requirement? Councillor H Whitbread, Housing Services Portfolio Holder, replied that the people needing temporary accommodation were being housed in our housing stock and the good news was that Norway House was under occupied largely because of the work around homeless prevention.

If the Council was meeting the requirement by housing the homeless from its own stock, had that increased waiting times for other people and was Norway House’s future under question? Councillor H Whitbread replied that there was a wait of up to two years for larger accommodation and we had to make sure the right stock was being provided; this was being looked at under the Council housebuilding programme. Regarding plans over Norway House’s future, there were no immediate plans to close it but it was being looked at as part of a wider project on temporary accommodation. Norway House was a good facility, well run and ingrained in the North Weald community, although it was not the most modern accommodation. She encouraged members to engage in the Housing public consultations, as member feedback was useful.

(b)          Stronger Place KPIs

Contracts waste – recycling

In the new waste collection leaflet, it stated that cardboard waste should be put into recycling bags to be collected or loose card taken to a recycling centre but information on where these centres were had not been provided. Did this mean that if residents put out cardboard on its own, it would no longer be collected? If this was the case, why had there been a policy change? N Dawe replied the volume of card had increased since the lockdowns and there was more pressure on the waste collection service, but further information would be provided after the meeting.

(Post meeting update: J Warwick, Acting Service Director (Contracts), advised there had been no changes made to cardboard refuse collection, any proposed changes to policies and collections would need to be signed off by the Waste Management Partnership Board and/or Cabinet. Members might have misunderstood the comments of Councillor N Avey, Environmental and Technical Services Portfolio Holder, when he advised members that it was better if cardboard packaging was placed in recycling sacks if possible but did not say there was a prohibition on large cardboard packaging being collected. Cardboard placed loose outside of any waste containers was still being collected and there were no plans to stop this at present.

Housing Management – rent arrears

Should this KPI come under Stronger Communities rather than Stronger Place? C Graham noted this comment and would investigate it further.

Electric vehicle charging points

Following a presentation on EVC points at the recent Stronger Place Select Committee, a new trial was taking place in Oakwood Hill East car park in Loughton that would also assist air quality. Would there be a KPI for EVC points? N Dawe advised C Graham to contact S Lloyd-Jones who was in charge of this project, initially for commercial vehicles, and to contact N Liniham for broader issues on air quality.

(c)       Stronger Council KPIs

People – Diversity and Inclusion – % of workforce by ethnicity

There was a high rate of ethnicity not being declared by staff and could this be investigated? C Graham replied that she had fed this back when it was raised at the Committee’s last meeting. The People Team was trying to improve the process to encourage more feedback, but this data was given voluntarily by staff.

People – Sickness Absence – average number of days per employee

It was noted that there had been an increase in mental health sickness that was being managed by team managers.

RESOLVED:

That the committee reviewed quarter 2 Corporate Performance.