Agenda item

Robert Marshall, Business Intelligence Analyst:

a)    presented a report to Performance Scrutiny Committee with an outturn summary of the council’s performance in Quarter 4 of 2021/22

b)    explained that the full report was attached as Appendix A of the report, with the Strategic Measures Dashboard attached as Appendix B and the Annual Measures as Appendix C

c)    invited members’ comments and questions.

Question: Members asked whether customers arrived at City Hall without appointments booked.

Response: Yes, customers did turn up ADHOC, but we were able to accommodate these customers and there had been no incidences of customers being turned away.

Question: Members asked whether there was still a part-time officer that dealt with allotments to check that they were not overgrown and were being used. Members also asked if residents could apply for an allotment city-wide or just in their catchment area.

Response: Officers would forward this information onto Committee members.

Question: Members asked how the fixed-term post in the Communications team was being funded.

Response: The post was to be funded 50% from the Lincoln Town Deal Fund and 50% from the Western Growth Corridor budget. Lindum were having their own communications post put in place.

Question: Members noted that call waiting times had increased and asked if customers were told to call back or go online.

Response: Customers were pointed while waiting on the phone towards online communication. It was then the customer’s choice to wait on the line until an officer became available to answer the call.

Question: Members asked if was recorded when staff left jobs where they moved onto to so that trends could be looked for.

Response: Everyone that left the authority had an exit interview, but they were not obliged to tell us where they were moving to. In the data that we had; trends were looked for.

Question: Members asked for the term ‘house refusals’ to be explained.

Response: Customers on the housing waiting list had three chances to refuse a property before they were removed from the property list. Our refusal level was quite high.

Question: Members commented that 1400 people were on the housing waiting list and that an incentive to downsize could release three-bedroom homes to be re-let.

Response: Lifetime Tenancies were offered by us which caused some difficulties. Incentives were offered and we were looking at an enhanced package to help tenants move more easily. Sheltered accommodation needed to be reviewed to establish what we could offer.

Question: Members asked if anything could be done to help improve recycling.

Response: Officers would forward this information onto Committee members.

Comment: Members commented that it would be interesting to see the uptake for green bins this year compared to the previous year due to the cost-of-living crisis.

RESOLVED that:

1. Information on whether allotments were checked to make sure they were not overgrown and being used/could residents apply for an allotment city- wide or just in their catchment area/incentives to improve recycling be forwarded to committee members under separate cover.

2. The report be noted and forwarded to Executive for approval.