Decision details

(Time: 10.06m to 10.16am)

The Executive received and considered report 158/06 of the Directors' Group reporting on Corporate Governance for the third quarter of 2006/07.  The report looked at progress with corporate priorities, performance of Best Value and Local Performance Indicators, financial information and key staffing data for the period. 

Members noted progress on the corporate priorities:

• The new website had been implemented, designed to facilitate more interactive services and be compliant with the highest standards of accessibility
• The Abingdon Air Quality Management Area Declaration had been made
• There had been progress with the review of enforcement policies which in turn would lead to an improved score for Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) 166 (Environmental Health Enforcement Checklist)
• New appraisal schemes had been introduced, linking more explicitly to corporate priorities with a focus on improvement
• The management development programme had been commenced
• The Ridgeway Shared Service Partnership had been commenced
• Action planning had been commenced to address issues raised in the Staff Attitude Survey in June 2006
• Responding to a request from the Scrutiny Committee, those issues where the Directors were concerned about progress had been highlighted in red in the appendix to the report
• Service review meetings would be cascaded down to third tier level

The Executive also noted the latest position with the Best Value Performance Indicators in the bottom quartile, and noted updates from Portfolio Holders, which were tabled at the meeting:

·         BVPI 2a and b: Equalities - limited progress had been made regarding equalities.  BVPI 2a had been re-evaluated and the percentage score had been reduced from 47% to 31.6%.  Development work, including an update of the Council’s Race Equality Scheme, would take place by the end of March. The target for the end of March was 63.2%.  The post of Equalities Officer had been filled and the successful candidate would start in mid-March.  Filling this post was key to driving forward improvements for these performance indicators

·         BVPI 9 and 10: Collection Rates for Council Tax and Business Rates; BVPI 79a: Benefits, % of cases where calculation was correct – the BVPI data was audited nationally within guidelines set by the Audit Commission.  Within the guidelines there were variations in the calculation methodology.  In outsourcing the collection operations to a contractor (BVPI 9 and 10), and bringing together the client teams (BVPI 79a), the calculation methods had been modified which had an adverse effect on our performance indicators compared with those previously reported

·         BVPI 64: Number of vacant private sector dwellings returned to occupation – a revision of the method used to calculate this indicator, in line with other Councils, had improved performance

·         BVPI 82a(ii): Total tonnage of waste recycled – this indicator was contrary to waste minimisation

·         BVPI 82b(i): Percentage of household waste composted – this indicator was contrary to Council policy to encourage homeowners to compost their own waste.  This Council had achieved much success in persuading 62% of homeowners in the Vale to do so

·         BVPI 109a, b, c: Processing planning applications – the significant improvement in performance reported at the end of the second quarter had been maintained.  All three parts of this indicator had made further significant improvements in performance during the third quarter

·         BVPI 166: Environmental Health Checklist – the work programme was on course to exceed 83.3% target score for 2006/07, based on exceeding 2004/05 bottom quartile of 79.1%.  Following public consultation, draft enforcement policies were reported to the Council in December 2006 and approval was delegated to Strategic Directors to finalise in 2007. This, together with development and reporting of education and information programmes, would achieve 93% by the end of the year.  This extra score was considered a necessary contingency against the bottom quartile for 2005/06 increasing over the previous year.  This had occurred, and the bottom quartile had increased to 85%

·         BVPI 218b: Removal of abandoned vehicles – more work was needed to encourage the contractor to faster remove abandoned vehicles

The Executive also noted that budget holders had predicted that the budgets for whole authority at the year-end were estimated to overspend by just 0.1%.  Members were pleased to note the very small predicted outturn variance. 

RESOLVED

(a)        that the Corporate Governance Report for the third quarter 2006/07 be noted;

(b)        that all officers involved in the compilation of the report be thanked; and

(c)        that the Chief Executive be requested to write to the Audit Commission expressing disappointment at the continued use of Best Value Performance Indicators 82b(i) (percentage of household waste composted) and 82b(ii) (total tonnage of waste composted) as attempts to achieve "good" BVPI scores runs contrary to the spirit of the Government's own "waste hierarchy".