Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive

Councillor Duggins, Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive, which set out the Council’s progress against the Council Plan for the first half of 2016/17. A copy of the performance report was attached as an appendix to the report. The report had already been considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 3^rd January 2017. Councillor Duggins, Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership, attended the meeting for the consideration of this item and indicated that he had requested that future Council Plan performance reports be considered by Scrutiny before Cabinet, in order for the Committee’s comments to be taken into account.

The Council Plan set out the Council’s strategic direction and priorities for the next ten years. The current plan was last reviewed in July 2016 and set out the Council’s vision for Coventry to be a top ten city where everybody, including the city’s most vulnerable residents, could share in the benefits of growth.

The performance report provided a high-level summary of the progress made towards the Council Plan from April 2016 to September 2016. It set out the Council’s performance across all areas and used indicators, along with contextual and comparative information to describe and explain how the Council and the city’s performance compared to previous years. Where possible, the report compared progress with previous years and it was noted that where previous data was unavailable, the data would form a baseline against which to measure future progress.

In summary, at the half year point, performance was reported on 49 of the 67 indicators in the Council Plan.  Of these, progress was made or maintained in 34 indictors (69%) and 11 indicators had got worse (23%).  There were also 4 indicators where it wasn’t possible to record whether progress had been made or not.  It was acknowledged that there were 18 indicators where progress was unable to be recorded because they were annual indicators.

The Committee noted that the Council had continued to make progress despite continued and sustained reduction in overall resources available. This year the Council had received £887 in government grant funding per household compared to £1,642 per household in 2010/11, a reduction of £755 even though the number of households in the city had increased.

The Committee questioned the Cabinet Member and officers present on a number issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  In connection with creating an attractive, cleaner and greener city, additional information about the Council’s plans for further improving air quality in the city

·  Regarding making communities safer, a request that Councillor Duggins raise the issue of increased cases of domestic violence when he attends the next Police Crime and Safety meeting

·  Concerning helping local people into jobs, a request for further information relating to the number of apprentices in the city, in particular the age range of apprentices, the number of LAC in apprenticeships, and the employers who provide apprenticeships

·  The intention to hold a Skills Summit to address the issues surrounding apprenticeships

·  Regarding reducing health inequalities, additional information about life expectancy in the city being lower than average, the reasons for the inequality gap remaining and the issue of improving healthy life expectancies

·  Additional information about the work being done to tackle the issue of Coventry having the highest rate of HIV infection in the region

·  An observation that the Friargate building when operational would help the Council save £800,000 a year on buildings, which was also the cost of refurbishing the new Committee Rooms

·  A suggestion that the Friargate building be named after the first female leader of the City Council

·  Information about the new app developed by Coventry University which provided reminders to members of the public about their bin collection day

·  A request for information about the recording of footfall in the city centre

·  A request for information about fly-tipping and enforcement

·  The importance of having a co-ordinated plan for developing the whole of the city centre.   

RESOLVED that:

(1) Having considered the half year performance report, the progress made towards the Council Plan from April to September, 2016 be noted.

(2) A briefing note be circulated to Members detailing additional information relating to the number of apprenticeships in the city including the age of apprentices, the number of Looked After Children in apprenticeships and the employers in the city who provide apprenticeships.

(3) Future Council Plan performance reports to include the No 10 bus route scenario providing information on life expectancies in different areas of the city including healthy life expectancies.

(4) A briefing note to be sent to members providing information on the work relating to HIV in the city.