The Head of Regeneration provided an outline of the current performance of Regeneration and Environment (as at 31 July 2013) against the Directorate Plan for 2013/2014. The report translated the priorities set out in the Directorate Plan into a coherent and measurable set of performance outcome measures and targets that would be used to evaluate the achievement of Directorate priorities over the next year of the plan.

The development of the Directorate Plan would be an iterative process during 2013/2014 based upon the feedback and requirements of Members and portfolio leads. The latest version of the report contained –

(i)  Key finance information

(ii)  Year-end forecast position

(iii)  Exception reports (a). To maintain local environmental quality (LEQ) of litter, detritus, dog fouling in main gateways and shopping areas and (b). 60% of all major planning applications determined within 13 weeks.

The Strategic Director indicated that the Directorate Plan linked directly to the Corporate Plan and set Directorate objectives in national and local context. The indicators contained within the Plan formed a hierarchy underneath the high level indicators specified in the Corporate Plan. He had signed off the indicators contained within the performance report and agreed the following parameters which underpinned on-going performance management –

·  2013/14 Plan

·  2013/14 Plan trajectory

·  2013/14 Performance tolerance levels (determine RAG [Red, Amber, Green] status

·  Head of Service responsible for delivery of target

He highlighted the importance of the report providing Members with the information required to evaluate the delivery of the key priorities identified by the Directorate Plan and he requested that the Committee use the information contained within this report to inform its future work programme.

Within the Plan, the following indicators were marked as Red –

·  % of Major Planning Applications determined within 13 weeks

·  To Maintain local environmental quality (LEQ) via the street cleansing of litter, detritus and dog fouling in main gateways and shopping areas

The Head of Regeneration and the Head of Environment and Regulation provided an explanation of the issues that contributed to the downward trend of each of the indicators and set out the corrective activities which were now in place to secure improvement.

Resolved – That the report be noted and the thanks of the Committee be accorded to the officers for the informative training provided to Members in relation to performance management.