Agenda item

Pat Jukes, Business Manager, Corporate Policy and Nathan Walker, Senior Corporate Performance and Engagement Officer (Acting) presented the updated Lincoln City Profile for 2018/19.

a)    Highlighted the following key opportunities:

-       Median annual earning for full time worker increased to £24,976

-       Over 90% of new businesses were surviving their first year of trading

-       There were less council tax support claimants – down to 8,598 as of April 2019

-       The number of affordable homes delivered in 2018/19 was 231, which was an increase of 21 on the previous year

-       The average price paid for a property increased for the 6^th consecutive year to £164,372

-       The number of people on the housing waiting list dropped to its lowest figure since 2013/14 to 1,172

-       Lincoln performed at the expected level against the Police Audit Family.

-       Gas and electricity consumption decreased for the 6^th consecutive year

-       Commercial and domestic Co2 contribution decreased for the 4^th consecutive year

-       Household waste per person in tonnes decreased to 0.36pp, which was lower than both England and East Midlands.

b)    Described the following key challenges:

-       More people (both male and female) were claiming benefits such as universal credit

-       Both female and male life expectancy dropped by 0.9 and 0.4 years respectively whilst the English averages were static or improved

-       Lincolns rate of people aged under 75 with cardiovascular and cancer related deaths continued to be the highest and second highest (respectively) in comparison to our nearest neighbours.

-       The prevalence of obesity and excess weight in children increased

-       The average Attainment 8 and Progress * scores had both reduced

-       The total reported offences had increased (more than that of East Midlands and England)

Explained the changes in the 2018/19 edition by introducing new information on Climate Change and merging the Environmental chapter to create a single chapter.

Invited members’ comments and questions.

Comment: Members commented that the Lincoln City Profile was outstanding and the visuals were really good to look at. The raw data was attached in the profile with links.

Comment: Members felt that it was disturbing to see rape, sexual assault and hate crime had increased. This rang alarm bells for performance as Lincoln was considered a great place to live.

Response: Officers were very concerned about this and it had been discussed amongst management. The crimes seem to have increased as victims were being encouraged to report them through an awareness campaign. Weapon crimes didn’t appear on the figures but did nationally.

Question: Members asked whether the statistics for the crimes had incident numbers associated with them?

Response: If the description stated ‘incident’ then this would have an incident number associated with it.

Question: Members asked whether data was available for how many people were registered disabled and received a state pension?

Response: This data was available and the percentage would be added.

Question: Members asked how the Lincoln City Profile would be disseminated as there would be a lot of groups that would be interested in a copy?

Response: The Lincoln City Profile needed to go to Executive to be approved. This would then get sent out electronically to businesses that wanted a copy and the voluntary centre services would send it out to charities. The profile would be put on our website.