Agenda item

Members considered the reports within the District Executive agenda for
7 September 2017 and made the following comments:

Corporate Performance and Complaints Monitoring Report 2017/18 – 1st Quarter (Agenda item 6)

·           Para 8 - Scrutiny noted that there was still no reference to performance monitoring from a customer perspective. There is a need to know when changes are implemented if and how it is affecting the public.

·           It was acknowledged during the transition through Transformation it would be difficult to produce statistics at ‘in between’ stages. Members sought reassurance that there would be more Performance Indicators in the future, and that indicators should be easily understood.

·           It was felt the indicators need to be reviewed and perhaps using the Council Plan as a starting point. Outputs, especially regarding customer service, need to be monitored.

·           Members were pleased that baseline measures will be maintained to be able to monitor trends.

Westlands Entertainment and Conference Centre Refurbishment Project (Agenda item 7)

·           Scrutiny sought clarification that Westlands is projected to be cost neutral or better, and queried the timeframes envisaged until the facility breaks even or makes a surplus.

·           It was noted this report was the first statement of actual overspend and members commented it would be useful to see a full reconciliation to indicate how the overspend affects the overall SSDC accounts.

·           Members sought clarity about whether the following were included in the project spend as detailed in para 41:

o  Dealing with aspects of vandalism which had not been possible to claim under insurance

o  Work to the first floor to enable office space to be let to a tenant.

o  Work to the sports hall and fitness suite

o  Artists Walkway

·           Members sought reassurance that the risk management is up to date.

·           Members express disappointment that Bingo groups were still awaiting a licence to use Westlands.

Business Rates Relief – New Local Discretionary relief (Agenda item 8)

·           Scrutiny endorsed the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group. No further comments were made.

Financial Strategy and Medium Term Financial Plan (Agenda item 9)

·           Para 15 – the table refers to service prioritisation as TBC. Scrutiny queried that as there is a wish to not cut services, how are the savings going to be identified?

·           Referring to a recent LGA Enterprising Councils document, members noted that key learning points from other authorities in particular Sevenoaks that had gone through similar transformation processes, had been to talk and engage with the public. This didn’t seem to have been done yet here, and it was queried if there was intention to consult with the public, and if so how and when?

·           Regarding an increase in fees and charges, members queried what would happen regarding fees where there is less opportunity to make changes due to legislation?

·           Scrutiny sought reassurance that Transformation is on target to deliver the projected savings.

·           Members raised concern that changes to car parking fees were being considered at a time when many ‘pay and display’ spaces in Yeovil seemed to be under-used during peak weekday lunch break hours.

District Executive Forward Plan (Agenda item 10)

·           Members queried the report due to October regarding ‘Consideration of Local Plan Review Issues and Options Document for Consultation’. Scrutiny members were unclear about the purpose of the report and requested that all members be kept informed about reports due to come forward regarding the Local Plan.