Agenda item

This report informs and updates the Budget Panel on the progress of the Corporate Strategy 2006-2010. The report confirms that progress to date has been strong in some areas, but that in others the pace of progress has been slower than anticipated with a number of projects currently at the “work in progress” stage of delivery. In all cases this reflects the complexity and cross-cutting nature of the projects and recent improvements to our partnership arrangements should facilitate improved performance in the future. 

Cathy Tyson (Assistant Director, Policy) briefed the Panel on the progress of the Corporate Strategy 2006-2010, setting out achievements under the following headings, relating to aspects of the vision and priorities set out in the strategy.

A great place –there was a total of 212 individual targets around this strand of corporate vision, of which 31% had been achieved, 62% were in progress and 7% were unlikely to be achieved or were no longer relevant. With the environment as a major focus, there had been significant achievements on reducing enviro-crime. For example, performance had been good on the removal of abandoned vehicles and graffiti removal, and 96% of street lights working. Crime and community safety was a major area of improvement, with a 21% reduction in crime. The level of fear of crime had also come down, and satisfaction rates on how police and the Council dealt with crime had gone up to 97% (target 81%). The number of domestic fires and road accidents was also down.

A clean place –Local Area Agreement (LAA) targets on the cleanliness of roads had been achieved. While 16 accessible toilets had been installed, this was below target. The target for recycling waste was now up to 31%, a major achievement, and recycling had been extended to schools and Council offices. Two new district parks had been created, and play pitches improved in existing parks and 3129 new trees had been planted.

A lively borough – sports provision and participation had been a significant focus, and 87% of young people were taking part in sport for at least two hours a week at school. Library satisfaction rates had exceeded the target of 77%

Borough of opportunity – areas of achievement included:

• over 1000 residents had gained jobs through Brent in2Work
• public consultation on North Circular Road and Wembley regeneration had been kept on track
• significant improvements in adult social care with more people able to remain in their own homes, the introduction of direct payments, and reduction in delayed discharges from hospital
• progress  of the transformation of adult social care
• 2000 new homes built and 283 private homes returned to use
• decent homes target met ahead of schedule
• 13 children’s centres and extended schools programme rolled out
• 80% of children’s facilities assessed as satisfactory or better by Ofsted
• significant investment in educational achievement had led to 72% of pupils achieving five A-Cs at GCSE, significantly above average and well above average in comparison with statistical neighbours
• educational achievement at key stages 1 and 2 was above average, with a high proportion of schools rated good or better
• the mechanism for the new Civic Centre was in progress, with partners involved
• the latest residents’ attitude survey had showed improved levels of satisfaction with the area in general – now 83%
• gains had been made in the speed of assessments, which were currently down to an average of 21 days for council tax and housing benefit
• £26.4m of efficiency savings had been made, and a high level of council tax collected – 95%
• The majority of LAA stretch targets had been achieved and the level of council tax increase over the period had been 17th lowest in London.

Turning to challenges still faced, and answering questions from members, Cathy Tysonreported disappointment around the level of adult participation in sport, informing the Panel that, where sports facilities had been made available, adults had used them. However, finding investment opportunities in this area had been a challenge. She added that the Council would also have liked to achieve more in improving roads and pavements.

While the number of looked after children was down from 400 to 350, the stability of placements was not ideal, and not as many in-borough carers had been recruited as the Council would have liked. This was largely because of the ongoing issue of independent foster agencies and carers, with independent agencies recruiting successfully, partly because they were able to offer better support than the Council.

Progress on some of the health and wellbeing targets, reducing the number of teenage pregnancies, for example, had been disappointing, as had progress on some services for carers, for example, assessments for respite care.

Challenges for the future included the ongoing low levels of adults’ skills and qualifications, with the ensuing impact on poverty and income levels. The demand for school places would also continue and, although good progress had been made around housing, this area would be an increasing challenge in the future, and the Council needed to be more creative in involving the private sector in this area.

Asked how much it would cost to bring pavements and roads to the desired standard, Duncan McLeod reported that this could cost up to £10m a year. In view of the importance of this issue to residents, the Panel agreed to add a recommendation on prioritising footways to its interim report.

The Chair thanked Cathy Tyson for her comprehensive briefing.

RESOLVED:

(i)            that the verbal update be noted

(ii)          that, in view of its important to residents, the issue of prioritising the improvement of footways be added to the Panel’s interim report as a recommendation.