Agenda item

1.       That the progress achieved during Q4 of 2023/24 be noted and the contents of the report CAB3457 be endorsed.

2.       That the performance measures in Appendix 4 of report CAB3457 be adopted as the strategic key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress against the Council Plan 2020 to 2025 from 1 April 2024.

Councillor Cutler introduced the report and highlighted that the next financial and performance monitoring report would be produced in a shorter, more concise format.  He stated that all councillors had been invited to comment on the existing set of strategic key performance indicators (KPIs) and to propose any new ones and to date, no comments had been received.

Patrick Davies spoke during public participation as summarised briefly below.

He reiterated concerns raised at previous meetings that he believed that the council was taking too many decisions in private rather than at public meetings.  He referred to the Appendix 3 of the report which listed progress on the council’s major projects, including Central Winchester Regeneration, Station Approach, the Local Plan and the Movement Strategy and believed that there had been a lack of information available at public meetings on such projects.

Councillor Tod thanked Mr Davies for his comments which would be addressed during discussions below.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Horrill and Lee addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Horrill

She highlighted that the report would usually have been considered by Scrutiny Committee prior to Cabinet and emphasising the importance role of scrutiny, she requested assurances that any comments by Scrutiny Committee on this report would be considered by Cabinet at a later date.  She raised two areas of concern, namely the failure to meet annual targets on both the retrofit programme and the level of complaints responded to within 10 working days, and asked what measures would be introduced to address this.  She also believed that, aside from the proposed changes in relation to the fly-tipping KPI the proposed changes to KPIs outlined in Appendix 4 did not reflect feedback from Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Lee

He suggested that alternative methods should have been utilised to canvas all councillors on the proposed changes to KPIs to ensure better engagement and asked whether there would be another request for input into refreshed KPIs for 2024/25?  He welcomed the proposed change to the KPI on fly-tipping but believed measures should be introduced to ensure incidences were dealt with in a more timely manner.  He suggested additional indicators were required on a number of matters including the introduction of electric vehicle charging points and the “greening” of procurement processes and supply chains.  He welcomed the introduction of more streamlined reports which focussed on quantitative measures.

Councillors Cutler, Porter, Learney, Westwood and Tod responded to comments made, as far as they related to their Cabinet Member responsibilities.  Their response included emphasising that updates on the various projects and programmes raised had been considered in public at the appropriate meetings of Cabinet Committee: Regeneration, Health and Environment Policy Committee and Cabinet Committee: Housing.

Cabinet noted that the appropriateness and relevance of KPIs would continue to be reviewed.  Councillor Tod confirmed the important role of Scrutiny Committee and that Councillor Cutler would attend the next meeting and report any comments back to Cabinet.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out in the report and outlined above.

RESOLVED:

1.                That the progress achieved during Q4 of 2023/24 be noted and the contents of the report be endorsed.

2.                That the performance measures in Appendix 4 of the report be adopted as the strategic key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress against the Council Plan 2020 to 2025 from 1 April 2024.