Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 50/08 of the Senior Management Team. 

Introduction and Report Summary

The Corporate Governance Report looks at the key areas of:

·        Corporate Priorities

·        National Indicators

·        Progress against Service Prioritisation Plans

·        Key staffing data (sickness levels and turnover)

·        Progress with Business Process Improvement Reviews

·        A Financial commentary

At its meeting on 21^st July 2008 the Senior Management Team (SMT) considered the first quarter 2008/09 Corporate Governance Report.This is an exception report which covers all of the aspects of corporate governance contained within this report. SMT agreed the exceptions (where performance / actions are not on target) to be reported to the Executive and agreed the comments / actions which have been included in this report. The full versions of the individual reports are available on the Council’s website. They can be accessed through the ‘about your Council / performance’ area of the website.

The contact officer for this report is Robert Woodside, Principal Performance Management Officer, telephone (01235 520202 ext 499).  Email address:  robert.woodside@whitehorsedc.gov.uk

Recommendation

That the Senior Management Team’s Corporate Governance exception report and proposals be noted. 

(Time: 2.51pm to 3.08pm)

The Executive received and considered report 50/08 of the Senior Management Team.  The Corporate Governance report looked at the key areas of:

·        Corporate Priorities

·        National Indicators

·        Progress against Service Prioritisation Plans

·        Key staffing data (sickness levels and turnover)

·        Progress with Business Process Improvement Reviews

·        A financial commentary

The Senior Management Team had considered the first quarter 2008/09 Corporate Governance Report: an exception report covering all aspects of corporate governance. The Senior Management Team had agreed the exceptions (where performance or actions were not on target) to be reported to the Executive. 

Members noted that the income from planning application fees was difficult to predict in the current economic climate as developers were not building homes until they had received firm customer orders.  This affected the Council’s income for completion of developments.  However, the Deputy Director would offset the loss of income by not recruiting to a vacant post and by using Planning Delivery Grant to meet any shortfall (i.e. not spending it for other purposes).  Members noted that the economy was also having an effect on Land Charges income due to a slow housing market. 

Conversely, Members welcomed the news that the Planning Delivery Grant had been awarded by the Government in the sum of £344,000.  The planning officers were thanked for their hard work, resulting in this grant award. 

Turning to performance indicators on the Council’s priorities, Members questioned whether the Council actively encouraged Parish Councils to recommend ‘Grot Spots’ to be cleaned up.  The Strategic Director agreed to check this and update Members outside the meeting. 

With regard to the payments for the brown bins service, Members asked that a smoother process was established. 

Members noted that the reason for the £60,000 budget variation in the Housing Service Area was due to the slow down in transferring clients from temporary accommodation to lower cost permanent accommodation because of the economic climate. 

RESOLVED

that the Senior Management Team’s Corporate Governance exception report and proposals be noted.