Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Kirk and Dickinson.

To approve the minutes from the Corporate Performance Panel held on 7^th January 2026 and 9^th February 2026 (to follow).

RESOLVED: The minutes from the previous meeting held on the 7^th January and 9^th February 2026 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

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 discussed.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on any 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 proposed to accept as urgent under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was none.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chairman of their intention to do so and 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.

There was none.

There was none.

There were no call-ins to consider.

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The Senior Corporate Governance Officer presented the report and provided information on progress against the Council’s Corporate Strategy and Key Performance Indicators and outlined those indicators which had not met target. 

The Chair thanked the Senior Corporate Governance Officer for the report and  invited questions and comments from the Panel. The relevant Assistant Directors were present at the meeting to provide information on targets as required.

Councillor Jones queried the reduction in outreach activities.

The Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture explained that budget constraints and seasonal attendance dips, particularly over the Christmas period, led to streamlined sessions. She noted plans to adjust profiling of outreach activities in future quarters to better reflect seasonal trends and maximise resource use.

In response to a question from the Chair, the Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture clarified that the cost recovery KPI aims for 100% cost neutrality, with current figures impacted by high utility costs and ageing buildings. The energy usage target was set with expectations from the REFIT programme, but the anticipated benefits have not fully materialised, prompting ongoing work with property services to optimise equipment and improve outcomes.

The Assistant Director for Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer updated the Panel on efforts to improve purchase order compliance, outlining the introduction of stricter enforcement from April and the establishment of a finance task group. Internal communications are underway to ensure spending departments understand and comply with the new requirements. He emphasised that the changes are not intended to harm supplier relationships or delay payments, particularly for local organisations, and that prompt payment remains a priority.

In response to questions from Councillor Ryves, the Assistant Director for Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer explained that while the target was to minimise non-compliance, certain exceptions such as utility bills and professional subscriptions are unavoidable. The task group would clarify and communicate these exceptions, aiming for a realistic target that accounts for legitimate cases.

Councillor Spikings requested an update on the progress of  the building condition surveys. The Assistant Director for Property  explained the delays in the building condition survey due to software issues, with a new solution pending IT approval. The technical team and inspection programme are ready, and surveys would commence once the software was operational.

In response to a further question from Councillor Spikings, the Assistant Director for Property confirmed there are 81 unregistered land interests, which have caused delays in property transactions. He has proposed hiring a paralegal to address the backlog, particularly in preparation for Local Government Reorganisation.

The Assistant Director for Environment and Planning highlighted that major planning applications with extensions of time have improved from red to green status, though results may fluctuate due to low application volumes. The team was focusing on further speeding up both major and non-major applications.

The Chair, Councillor Long asked for clarification regarding planning fees being returned. The Assistant Director for Environment and Planning explained that if  ...  view the full minutes text for item CP99

To receive the Annual report and to respond to a request from Councillor Sayers.

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The Interim Corporate Governance Manager gave a presentation detailing historic FOI compliance rates, actions taken to improve performance, and forthcoming changes to complaints and data protection processes. A copy of the presentation is attached.

The Portfolio Holder, Councillor Beales highlighted some of the FOI requests included data which was available to the public via the website and commented on the importance of directing customer to the Council’s website.

The Chair invited questions and comments from the Panel.

Councillor Jones questioned if the use of AI had been considered and commented on educating the users to find the information being requested.

The Interim Corporate Governance Manager commented the use of AI would be explored and highlighted a FOI library to include frequently asked questions was being developed to provide further information to the public.

In response to Councillor Spikings, the Interim Corporate Governance Manager explained some FOI requests are received following a Complaint and Officers had a duty to respond unless an exemption can be applied depending on specific circumstances.

Under Standing Order 34, Councillor Sayers thanked the Interim Corporate Governance Manager for the report, presentation and for responding to additional questions he had asked prior to the meeting.

RESOLVED: The Panel noted the contents of the report.

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The Democratic Services Officer presented the report which included updated documents including protocols, guides, work programming advice, and role profiles, aiming to clarify expectations and improve scrutiny effectiveness, especially for new councillors. Scrutiny training sessions are scheduled to support the rollout of the new guidance and Members attendance was encouraged.

The Chair invited questions and comments from the Panel.

Councillor Beales as Portfolio Holder commented these documents encouraged scrutiny and highlighted the reference to the scrutiny and executive protocol on page 65 of the agenda to be removed to avoid confusion before publication.

Councillor Bhondi commented these documents were useful for all Members, current and new.

RESOLVED: The Panel commented on and endorsed the following documents;

·       Scrutiny and Executive Protocol

·       Scrutiny Guide

·       How to Select Scrutiny Work Topics and Work Programming

·       Terms of Reference for Sifting Meetings

·       Role Profile

·       Scrutiny Chair

·       Summary of Call-in procedure.

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The Chair asked for an update on the recent Motion from Council on Lynnsport. The Assistant Director for Transformation and Change explained the notice of motion referred from Council is targeted for the April or June meeting, depending on preparation time.

RESOLVED: The Panel Work Programme was noted.

RESOLVED: The Cabinet Forward Decisions List was noted.

RESOLVED: The Shareholder Committee Work Programme was noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Corporate Performance Panel is scheduled to take place on 15^th April 2026 at 4.30pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall.

The next meeting of the Corporate Performance Panel was scheduled to take place on 15^th April 2026 at 4:30pm in the Town Hall, Saturday Market Place.