Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Hughes introduced the report and explained that in 2012, multiple services were combined to create a new Streetscene and Transportation (S&T) portfolio. At that time, Cabinet approved a set of Streetscene Performance Standards which formed the basis of the new portfolio’s quarterly performance report. That was then heavily scrutinised by both the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet at the time. Those Streetscene Standards were last reviewed in 2019 and had been subject to minimal change since inception.

The report outlined the intention to review the existing standards and recommend changes that linked more closely to the council plan and portfolio business plan. The authority wanted to ensure that the service continued to meet the needs and expectations of the public and residents it served, whilst making the most efficient use of the available resources.

The uncertainty of future years’ financial settlements, the changing demands of the environmental and climate change agenda and the need to provide clear and

measurable performance data, would all influence the way S&T delivered services over the coming years. As a service that touched people’s lives every day, it was vital to demonstrate real value to the people of Flintshire, but also measure performance in a way that was meaningful and enabled continuous improvement.

The Chief Officer (Streetscene and Transportation) added that the purpose of the report was to illustrate the inadequacies of the existing document and request support from Cabinet for S&T to review and retire the existing Standards. That would be in favour of a more robust and relevant suite of performance metrics that could be measured, monitored and reported more effectively.

The report had been submitted to Environment and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee the previous week where it was resolved that a Task and Finish Group would be set up to support the review of the Standards.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the proposal to retire the existing Streetscene Standards document be noted, and the intended review to replace them with a revised suite of performance metrics that support service standards in order to measure performance against existing statutory obligations, the Council Plan and existing policies be supported.  A further report will be presented once the review has been completed; and

(b)       That the recommendation of the Environment and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee that a Member Task & Finish (T&F) Group be set up to support the review of the Streetscene Standards with a view to presenting a further report to both the Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet later in the year outlining the details of the review process, any conclusions drawn and subsequent recommendations be supported.