Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor P Hodson.

To approve the minutes of the Resources and Performance Panel held on 24 March 2015 (previously circulated).

The Minutes of the Resources and Performance Panel meeting held on 24 February 2015 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of an interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a disclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the Member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is disclosed.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on an item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider any business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposes to accept as urgent under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chairman of their intention to do so an on what items they wish to be heard before the meeting commences.  Any Member attending the meeting under Standing Order 34 will only be permitted to speak on those items which have been previously notified to the Chairman.

Councillor Mrs K Mellish.

There was none.

To receive comments and recommendations from other Council bodies, and any responses subsequent to recommendations, which this Panel has previously made.  (N.B.  some of the relevant Council bodies may meet after dispatch of the agenda).

At the Cabinet meeting held on 31 March 2015 the following responses were made to the recommendations from the Resources and Performance Panel meeting held on 24 March 2015.

Cabinet Report:  Corporate Apprenticeship Scheme

RESOLVED:  That the Panel support the recommendations to Cabinet as set out in the report.

CABINET RESPONSE:  The comments of the Panel were taken into consideration when Cabinet considered the item.

Cabinet Report:  Staff Pay Award

RESOLVED:  That the Panel supports the recommendation to Cabinet as set out in the report.

CABINET RESPONSE:  The comments of the Panel were taken into consideration when Cabinet considered the item.

Exempt Cabinet Report:  Proposed Acquisition – Former Grain Silo Site at South Quay

RESOLVED:  That the Panel support the recommendation to Cabinet as set out in the report.

CABINET RESPONSE:  The comments of the Panel were taken into consideration when Cabinet considered the item.

Panel Members noted the responses made by Cabinet at its meeting held on 31 March 2015 to the recommendations made by the Resources and Performance Panel at its meeting held on 24 March 2015 in respect of the following items:

·        Corporate Apprenticeship Scheme.

·        Staff Pay Award.

·        Proposed Acquisition – Former Grain Silo Site at South Quay.

The Panel is asked to review and note the Council’s 2014/2015 Performance Monitoring Report and agree the actions outlined within the Action Report.

The Personnel Services Manager presented the report which contained information on the corporate performance monitoring undertaken during 2014/2015 and provided background information for new Councillors present.

Members were reminded that the Council’s Performance Framework included quarterly monitoring and reporting of performance.  Each quarterly performance report was presented to the Resources and Performance Panel and was available to all Councillors and Portfolio Holders for information on the Council’s Intranet, Insite.

The Panel was informed that the indicators monitored were reported in full on the Performance Monitoring 2014/2015 report which was attached at Appendix A.

The Personnel Services Manager explained that at the Resources and Performance Panel held on 24 February 2015, questions were raised in relation to the Q3 performance monitoring report in respect of the following indicators:

·        CE1 – Percentage of known licensable Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) with a current licence.  How is the indicator monitored to ensure that all HMO’s were known and licensed.  An explanation was set out at 3.2 of the report.

·        CO2 – Household waste recycled and composted – what was included in the figure?  An explanation was set out at 3.3 of the report.

·        RE5/RE8 – Rent arrears on retail/industrial units – What was the procedure for handling outstanding arrears?  An explanation was set out at section 3.4 of the report.

Members’ attention was drawn to the key points from the 2014/2015 monitoring report.  The graph at 4.1 showed a decrease in the percentage of indicators that had improved for 2014/2015 compared to 2013/2014, and an increase in the percentage of indicators where performance had worsened.  It was highlighted that of the 34 eligible indicators for 2014/2015, 13 improved, 16 worsened and 5 stayed the same.  The graph at 4.2 showed that 71% of the performance indicators met the annual target set, this was an improvement compared to 2013/2014.  A quarterly breakdown for 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 was shown for comparison.  Of the 34 eligible indicators, 24 met the target set and 10 did not.

In conclusion, the Personnel Services Manager advised that the indicators set out in the table at section 5.1 met the 2014/2015 individual targets as well as improving performance levels compared to the 2013/2014 full year figure.  The indicators set out at section 5.2 of the report did not meet the 2014/2015 targets set, and the performance achieved was not as good as the 2013/2014 full year figure.

The Panel was invited to agree the actions outlined in the Action Report.

Councillor Devereux referred to the staff achieving savings towards the Council’s budget and commented that this was a key driver and asked therefore why it had not been included as an Indicator in the Council’s Performance Plan.  In response, the Leader explained that the Council continually measured financial forecasts and this information would be included in the Monthly Monitoring Report which was available for all Members to view on the Council’s Intranet, Insite.

In response to questions from Councillor Blunt regarding the setting of key indicators, the Personnel Services Manager  ...  view the full minutes text for item RP:8:

The Panel is asked to review and note the Council’s Quarter 4 2014/2015 Corporate Business Plan Monitoring Report.

In presenting the report, the Personnel Services Manager explained that the Corporate Business Plan Monitoring Report had been developed to demonstrate progress against the Council’s Corporate Business Plan.  The report contained information on the corporate performance monitoring undertaken during Q4 2014/2015.

The Panel was advised that the Council’s Corporate Business Plan was adopted in November 2011 and set out the Council’s priorities for the period to the next local elections in 2015. 

The Personnel Services Manager explained that from the adoption of the plan, it was agreed that a report would be prepared quarterly, setting out progress against the work plan – including details of any completed or new work key actions.  The report was brought to the Resources and Performance Panel on Quarters 2 and 4.  However, it was highlighted that all quarterly reports were available to Members on the Council’s Intranet, ‘Insite’.

It was noted that the report contained an Executive Summary on the first page provided an overview of progress against the six outcomes set out in section 1.2.

The Personnel Services Manager advised that Members should note that outcomes which were completed prior to Q4 had been removed from the report and were contained in a separate archive report which was available to view on the performance pages of Insite.  Any outcomes indicated as now completed on the Q4 report would be removed from the next monitoring report and added to the archive report.

In conclusion, the Personnel Services Manager explained that the 2014/2015 Quarter 4 report, detailed progress with agreed actions.  The Executive Summary for the 2014/2015 Quarter 4 performance report indicated that key actions in the 6 outcome areas were progressing well and that performance was on track.  Five actions had been completed during the quarter and one action had been cancelled.  Target dates for some key actions had been revised which were reflected in the report.

In response to questions from Councillor Blunt regarding who made the decisions on the key actions set out in the Corporate Business Plan, the Leader outlined the process and explained that the Plan arose from the Conservative Manifesto which was viewed by the Management Team and who would analyse the content and draft a strategy and action plan which would then be translated into the Corporate Business Plan.  Once the Corporate Business Plan had been agreed it then passed back to the political level to monitor its progress.

Following further questions from Councillor Blunt regarding improving communications and the infrastructure required, the Leader advised that this important issue had been included in the Manifesto and would appear in the Corporate Business Plan.

Councillor Devereux commented that he was surprised that no financial information had been included in the Corporate Business Plan and asked if such detail would be provided in the future.  The Chief Executive outlined the process involved when drafting the Corporate Business Plan and explained there was opportunity for Member input through the Panel meetings.  The Corporate Business Plan was then presented to Cabinet and  ...  view the full minutes text for item RP:9:

The Panel are requested to consider the report and make any appropriate recommendations to Cabinet.

The Chief Executive presented the report and informed the Panel that in 2014 a Corporate Peer Challenge was undertaken at the Borough Council.  One of the issues which emerged quite strongly from the review was a fairly widespread concern amongst the Members who participated that the current Overview of Scrutiny arrangements were not particularly effective.  An in depth review of the Council’s overview and scrutiny function was subsequently commissioned from the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS).  The report summarised the main findings and recommendations arising from the review and recommends a way forward to seek to enhance the effectiveness of the Overview and Scrutiny arrangements.

The Panel was advised that the review, conducted by the CfPS concluded that:

·        Overview and Scrutiny arrangements were not working as effectively as they could do in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

·        There were examples of the scrutiny function working well, such as with the development of the Tuesday Market Place Scheme, but that these were the ‘exception rather than the rule.’

·        There was almost universal dissatisfaction with how the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee operated.

·        Panel agendas tended to be dominated by Cabinet Reports and often little value was added by their consideration.

·        The scrutiny process had been used for party political purposes on occasion.

·        There was positive desire from the Administration and opposition parties to change overview and scrutiny and address these issues.

The Chief Executive outlined the potential improvements put forward by the reviewers as detailed in the report.

Members’ attention was drawn to the Summary of Recommendations set out in the report.

The Chief Executive advised that the most radical/fundamental proposal put forward was the abolition of the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee and its replacement with a new Corporate Performance Scrutiny Committee.  If adopted this would require some consequential changes to the Terms of Reference for the Resources and Performance and Regeneration, Environment and Community Panels, which might incorporate a rebalancing of the workloads between the two Panels.

The Panel was informed that the proposal to decouple the Audit and Risk Committee from the new Resources and Performance Panel had a clearer and stronger rationale in this context.

Members were advised that in terms of methodology of working, the most significant recommendation was perhaps recommendation 8, which sought to move the Panels from the current practice of primarily focused on pre-Cabinet Scrutiny of Cabinet reports conducted a week or so prior to the Cabinet meeting itself, towards a more self-generated, developmental, work programme.  The proposed approach would incorporate some of the positive aspects of the old ‘Committee’ regime whereby the Panels would be involved in the development of policy and initiatives rather than merely commenting upon fully developed reports a few days before each Cabinet.

In conclusion, the Chief Executive explained that whilst it would be an option to present the recommendations straight to Cabinet and Council for determination, given their significance in terms of the role of Members, in particular in relation to policy formation included in these proposals, it was felt to  ...  view the full minutes text for item RP:10:

To consider the attached Work Programme.

N.B. In considering the Work Programme, Members’ attention is drawn to the attached Cabinet Forward Decisions List.

The Panel considered its Work Programme and the Cabinet Forward Decisions List as it related to Resources and Performance.

Councillor Collop referred to the items scheduled to be considered on 29 September 2015, Hunstanton Sailing Club Progress Report and asked if a written report could be presented by the Borough Council Officers and that representatives from Hunstanton Sailing Club be invited to attend to enable Panel Members to ask questions.  In response, the Chief Executive advised that a written report from the Regeneration Team would be presented to the Panel and that representatives from the Hunstanton Sailing Club would be invited to attend.

The Chairman, Councillor Humphrey explained that Members that they could ask for specific reports to be included on the Panel’s Work Programme.

The Chairman, Councillor Humphrey reminded Members that there were a number of financial related training sessions included within the Induction/Training Programme which had been included in the Members Induction Folder.

RESOLVED:  (1)  That the Work Programme be noted.

(2)       A written officer report be presented to the Panel on 29 September 2015 and a representative be invited to attend.

To note that the next meeting of the Resources and Performance Panel will take place on Tuesday 23 June 2015 at 6.00 pm in the Committee Suite, King’s Court, Chapel Street, King’s Lynn

The next meeting of the Resources and Performance Panel would be held on Tuesday 23 June 2015 at 6.00 pm in the Committee Suite, King’s Court, Chapel Street, King’s Lynn.