SCRUTINY AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
13 MARCH 2014
Subject:
Corporate Performance report – Outturn report for third
quarter (October – December 2013)
Director/Head of Service:
Assistant Director for Strategy and Democracy
Decision Issues:
These matters are within the authority of the Executive
Decision type:
Non-key
Classification:
This report is open to the public.
CCC Ward(s):
All
Summary:
This report provides an analysis of the council’s
performance for the third quarter (October – December)
of 2013/14
To Consider:
The Scrutiny and Audit Committee is asked to note
the councils performance and consider:
Next stage in process

Successes and any areas of concern

Any specific areas the committee may wish
to review or consider at a future meeting

Recommendations to be made to Executive
Committee on 10 April
Any recommendations from Scrutiny and Audit
Committee will be reported to the Executive Committee
on 10 April
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
1.
Introduction
This report sets out the council’s third quarter performance (October to December)
for 2013/14 for those measures that are monitored monthly or quarterly. The
analysis, appended to this report, shows where performance indicators are:
Red
Target not met – under-performing
Amber
Target not met but within an acceptable
threshold of performance
Green
Target met or exceeded
1
2.
Detail
Overall most of the performance indicators are within target for this period. However,
there are five indicators that are under-performing. The reasons for targets not being
met and the action being taken to improve performance is set out below:
 Percentage of council tax collected
The outturn for the 3rd quarter was 86.00% against a target of 86.04%
The target was only very narrowly missed during quarter three (by only 0.04%) this
was due to outstanding student exemptions to be added. Performance for the month
of January is now exceeding target so there are no real concerns.
 Number of museum visits
The outturn for the 3rd quarter was 131,031 against a target of 138,348
Visitor numbers to The Beaney decreased by 10,744 between November and
December. This was due to the fact that there would have been a spike in interest
when the Beaney initially opened. This year’s figures will provide a better benchmark
for future years’ performance and profiled targets for future years will be set
accordingly. We also need to better understand performance trends within the
Beaney, including the library, to provide a better understanding of performance of the
different functions Galleries, Special Exhibitions, Front Room, Café, Retail and Visitor
Information Centre. This work is being developed for 2014 / 15.
We are programming high profile exhibitions which have popular appeal. The latest
exhibition at The Beaney is the National Gallery Manet Masterpiece Tour which has
been very successful since opening on Friday 17th January attracting 10,000 visitors
to the exhibition gallery alone so far. There has been a strategic regional marketing
campaign for this exhibition, with a poster campaign at stations on routes between
Canterbury and London and at selected stations in the capital. There are other high
profile exhibitions scheduled for later in the year, including a family friendly Teddy
Bear exhibition from the V&A and The Beaney will be the only gallery in the SE
outside London to exhibit the National Portrait Gallery’s Taylor Wessing Photography
exhibition which has been a huge success in London. Both of these exhibitions will
have an accompanying marketing campaign to attract a wide range of audiences.
2
Visitor numbers to Whitstable Museum increased by 920 between October and
December and shows how special exhibitions, in this case, the British Wildlife
Photography exhibition, can have a positive impact.
Visitor numbers to Canterbury Heritage Museum and Herne Bay Museum decreased
between October and December by 837 and 954 respectively. The lower footfall
during this period shows how difficult it is to attract visitors during the winter, hence
the introduction of seasonal opening
.
3
 Number of visits to leisure centres
The outturn for the 3rd quarter was 215,054 against a target of 217,443
The performance at individual leisure centres has been mixed. Footfall has been up
at the new Whitstable Swimming Pool and Gym (an increase of 16,000 on previous
numbers). Herons and Whitstable Swimming Pool have also shown substantial
increases in attendance. However, Whitstable Sports Centre and Kingsmead have
shown a substantial decrease in attendance.
The plans for a refurbishment of Kingsmead Leisure Centre will support continued
growth in the number of visits through an improved customer experience going
forward.
 Processing minor and other planning applications in 8 weeks;
The outturn for the 3rd quarter for minor applications was 57.45% against a
target of 65.00% and 78.80% against a target of 80.00% for other applications.
Performance for both minor and other planning applications, although improving on
quarter two performances have not met agreed targets for quarter three. However, as
the diagrams below show, performance is improving and targets have been
exceeded for the month of December for both minor and other applications.
4
The improvement in performance from quarter two to three reflects increased staffing
levels in Autumn 2013. However there is still a staffing resource issue and caseloads
for individual officers are high, slowing down progression of applications. Recruitment
and retention is already proving to be an issue and it likely to become more of a
challenge as the building industry recovers.
The improvement in the housing market has seen an increase in the number of large
complex major applications. The diagram below shows the income generated
through planning applications is significantly exceeding target. This is down to the
increase in larger scale applications. Between one third to a half of planning income
is derived through major applications.
5
It is, therefore not the volume of planning applications that is increasing but rather the
scale of the major applications which has a significant impact on the level of input
required from officers as illustrated in the table below:
Scale of major applications
Small - up to 50 units
Medium – 50 to 200 units
Large – 200+ units
Time required form
planning officer (approx.)
15-20 hours
60-80 hours
Full –time planning officer 9
months – 1 year
Fee (approx.)
£7000
£20,000
£80,000
A good indication of future demand on planning services is the significant increase in
pre-applications registered and the income for pre-application advice. There are a
number of large scale major proposals currently at the pre-application stage with
indications that more will be submitted therefore this trend is likely to continue into
2014/15.
Action is being taken to increase staffing in both planning and legal services to preempt the increase in workload. This is to be funded through the reinvestment of
planning income.
 External customer satisfaction;
The outturn for the 3rd quarter was 78.2% against a target of 90%
155 people took part in a customer satisfaction survey from September to December
2013 this compares to only 29 people in the second quarter of 2013/14. This increase
in responses has been achieved through promotion and encouragement of
customers to provide feedback and through the introduction of a customer
satisfaction questionnaire that appears at the end of many online transactions.
6
An analysis of the comments received indicates that one area of dissatisfaction
relates to some of the forms on our website. For example, some of the comments
made about the council tax change of address form included:
“The self-service form was terrible”, “poor validation” “lost data”.
A project is underway to purchase a new forms package and a decision will be made
in April 2014. The introduction of the new online forms should result in an improved
customer experience.
3.
Relevant Council Policy/Strategies/Budgetary Documents
Corporate Plan
4.
Consultation planned or undertaken
Consultation has been undertaken with residents to better understand which
measures are important to them. This will inform the new suite of measure for
2014/15.
5.
Options available with reasons for suitability
The performance indicators represent an overview of the council’s performance for
the first nine months of the financial year 2013/14.
6.
Reasons for supporting option recommended, with risk assessment
The data provides an overview of the council performance against key service
targets linked to achieving Corporate Plan priorities.
7.
Implications
(a)
Financial Implications - none
(b)
Legal Implications – the annual performance outturns are one way of the
council demonstrating it is committed to fulfilling its Best Value statutory duty.
Other implications
None
8.
Conclusions
Overall, performance is holding up well against targets. However, steps have been
taken to improve five indicators which are currently under performing.
Contact Officer:
Lorna Ford
Telephone:
7
862068