Agenda item

The Scrutiny and Overview Committee reviewed a report analysing the Council’s Quarter Two (Q2) operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and 2020-25 Business Plan.

The scrutiny review focussed on the following Key Performance Indicators and aspects of the Business Plan:

AH215 – Successful homeless preventions as a proportion of all homeless cases closed

The Committee welcomed the significant improvement in this KPI.

AH245 – Percentage of SCDC homes with active HHRS Category 1 or 2 damp and mould cases

The Committee noted that this was a new KPI and that it was still too soon to identify trends. The Leader of the Council reminded Members that the provision and maintenance of high standard housing was one of the Council’s strategic priorities.

CC307 – Average call answer time

In response to a comment, the Leader of the Council described the Contact Centre as the Council’s ‘shop window.’ She thanked Contact Centre staff for their hard work and commended the pride they had in undertaking their responsibilities.

ES414 and ES418 – Household waste

In response to enthusiasm for the recent food waste trial in the Milton and Waterbeach ward, the Lead Cabinet Member for Environment assured Committee members that the Council was already preparing for the mandating of separate food waste collections and was confident that behavioural change among residents was achievable. With particular reference to ES418 (Percentage of household waste sent for re-use, recycling and composting) the Head of Climate, Environment and Waste said that results were best considered on an annual basis because of the impact made by weather on the composting element of the KPI at various times of the year.

PN519 – Average time to determine validated householder planning applications in weeks

In response to a comment about this KPI, the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development said that ten weeks was the total for determining an application rather than simply validating the application. He reminded Members that this was not a Government target and the important thing for the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service was to gauge the overall householder experience.

SH332 – Percentage of emergency repairs in 24 hours

The Committee noted the incredible success of this KPI.

Business Plan Objective 1a – delivery of new high quality Council homes

The Lead Cabinet Member for Housing was confident that the Council would be able to compensate in future years for any shortfall in the number of new homes delivered in 2023-24. The Leader of the Council reminded Members that the Council was not itself a landowner but welcomed a reversal of the recent decline in the availability of exception sites.

Business Plan Objective 1bii – Planning policies that address climate and ecological emergencies

The Leader of the Council agreed that training around Biodiversity Net Gain should be as wide-ranging as possible and include all South Cambridgeshire District Councillors and partner organisations such as Parish Councils.

Business Plan Objective 2a – Supporting start-ups and small businesses to set up and grow

The Leader of the Council updated the Committee on progress towards providing space at South Cambs Hall. In terms of timescale, the Chief Operating Officer said the aim was to make such space available from April 2024.

Business Plan Objective 3b – Nature recovery

In relation to water scarcity, the Leader of the Council assured the Committee that the Secretary of State was aware of water shortage in the eastern region. The expectation was that South Cambridgeshire District Council would receive Government funding to help it to encourage residents to use less water.

Business Plan Objective 5b – Grants aiding the provision of Electric Vehicle Charging Points in parishes

In response to a question about whether more could be done to support local communities, the Deputy Leader said that the Council’s website was constantly being updated to increase awareness and understanding at Parish Council level.

Business Plan Objective 6c – Creating areas where people feel safe, and communities thrive

The Committee noted that an event at Milton Country Park aimed at helping teenagers with their mental health had been postponed due to a lack of referrals. A suggestion was made that it would be useful to work with primary and secondary schools in an effort to identify mental health issues early on and before any formal referral process.

The Scrutiny and Overview Committee commended to Cabinet the KPI results and progress against Business Plan actions detailed in the appendices to the report.