Agenda item

To receive a report from the Group Manager for Governance, Performance and Data Security providing Members with an update on performance against the Corporate Plan and local service targets for 2018-19 as well as providing an update on the key business risks.

To also consider the response of the Homes Policy Development Group following a request from the Committee that it consider the performance indicator in relation to ‘the average number of days to re-let a property’, otherwise known as ‘void turn around’.  The Policy Development Group at its meeting on 13 August 2019 discussed the issue and agreed that the performance indicator was acceptable and that the target for the average number of days to re-let a property remain at 14 days.

The Committee had before it, and NOTED, a report * from the Director of Corporate Affairs & Business Transformation providing it with an update on performance against the Corporate Plan and local service targets for 2019-20 as well as providing an update on the key business risks.

It was explained that this report had been to all four Policy Development Groups as well as the Cabinet and there had been no issues of concern raised.

Discussion took place with regard to:

·         Whether there was any information available regarding not only the Council’s capital programme with regard to carbon footprint issues but also its operational aspects. The Committee also asked whether there was any feedback available regarding the Devon County Council meeting on 23 July 2019 and its work towards establishing Devon-wide definitions. It was explained that there had been some progress but that a formal update had missed this round of PDG’s. It was expected that an update would be provided for the next round of meetings.

·         The Private Sector Housing Team were congratulated for exceeding the target in relation to bringing the number of empty homes back into use.

·         The Council’s responsibility in relation to the provision of Affordable Homes was very complex matter, involving Section 106 monies and responsibilities upon developers. However, there was a Community Led Housing Fund available and enquiries should be made through the Housing Options Manager for more information in addition to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration. The Chairman confirmed that he had been successful in bringing a Motion to Council such that Ward Members were now consulted if a planning application had been passed and the developers were ready to proceed. This would mean that Ward Members could contribute to negotiations regarding Affordable Housing.

·         Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and whether the Audit Committee could monitor the number of decision notices issued and whether any FOI’s had been refused in more detail. It was explained that this information was already reported on the website but that additional information could be included in the risk report to the Audit Committee in future. This was AGREED.

·         Once more was known about the Devon wide targets in relation to Climate Change this would be communicated to all Members.

·         The number of Affordable Homes delivered for the current quarter was just below target.

·         It was AGREED that the Audit Committee ought to have sight of the Performance and Risk information in relation to Leisure Services going forwards accepting that this part of future reports would need to be in Part II given the commercially sensitive nature of the data.

·         Review notes in relation to the Corporate Risk Register were still missing in some areas and there was an increasing instance of this. It was explained that the column in relation to ‘Mitigating Actions’ now contained much of the information that would previously have been included in the review note. The Chairman commented that this was not clear to the Committee and that in future there needed to be a comment along the lines of ‘See mitigating actions’ in the review note or something to indicate that action was being taken. The Committee did not want to receive the report with missing information in the future given that it had brought this issue to light on several previous occasions. 

Note: * Report previously circulated; copy attached to the signed minutes.