Agenda item

Richard Gibson, Strategy and Engagement Manager

The Strategy and Engagement Manager introduced the Quarter 2 Performance report as circulated with the agenda.  He reminded members that the Corporate Strategy had been approved by Council in March and that the action plan had identified 84 milestones.  This report took information and data from the performance management system and aimed to provide members with an overview of how the council was performing.  Of the 84 milestones within the 2017-18 action plan, 19 (23%) were complete, 22 (26%) were on track to be delivered on time, 41 (49%) were amber, and 2 (2%) were red.  He took the opportunity to highlight the backdrop against which these performance figures were set in as much as the large number of projects, being undertaken across the organisation at this time, which included the launch of Publica, adoption of the JCS, the implementation of the new waste service and the redevelopment of the Town Hall, amongst others. 

The Strategy and Engagement Manager provided the following responses to member questions: 

·         The council has had a number of positive discussions with partner organisations and Cabinet in relation to the Place Strategy and the Strategy and Engagement Manager suggested that the committee might like to consider the Place Strategy at one of their early 2018 meetings, in advance of it being taken to Cabinet and Council in March. 

·         He confirmed that it was the Lead Officers that were responsible for marking any actions for which they were responsible, rather than the Strategy and Engagement Manager marking them on their behalf.  It was acknowledged that there were some grey areas between red, amber and green, but performance was monitored by Exec Board on a quarterly basis and this helped identify where resources needed to be focussed.

·         Delays in relation to the implementation of Solace were due to the vetting process having taken longer than anticipated.  A briefing note on progress was attached to the agenda and members were asked to contact the relevant officer for more information.  A further update would be scheduled for 2018. 

In relation to the commentary on the waste and recycling project, the Strategy and Engagement Manager would seek assurances from the relevant officers that there were no anticipated additional financial costs to CBC for the remainder of the project, given the wording “At present there are no additional costs currently required or anticipated during the remaining implementation phase of this project”.  The response would be circulated to members by email. 

The Strategy and Engagement Manager would also ask the relevant officer to confirm what was being done to support the cycling and walking strategy given the commentary “Despite 2 rounds of advertisement for recruitment we have been unsuccessful in recruiting to post.  Currently considering options of how this can be achieved.”  The response would be circulated to members by email.  As the Member Champion for ‘Cycling and Walking’, Councillor Wilkinson explained that the council had created the post in question to fill a gap created by the fact that Gloucestershire County Council, the responsible authority, did not have anyone in place to properly develop a cycling strategy.  It was disappointing that it had not yet been possible to fill the post but the Managing Director of Place and Economic Development was in discussions about how to address this issue.

A member voiced his frustrations that delays with the Transport Plan were holding up progress on so many other things and queried the reasons for the delays given that the modelling that had been put in place was working much as expected and the small issues that had arisen, did not in his mind, justify a delay. 

Members felt that the scale of undertakings by the council was particularly remarkable given the reduced number of staff and commended officers for their hard work and dedication.

No decision was required.