Agenda item

Officer: Sarah Warman

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council has delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below

RESOLVED to

1. Review the performance for the period April 2017 to March 2018 as detailed at Appendix 1 and set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

2. Note the achievements, progress, and work to date, as detailed in this report and Appendix 1 of the report.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources introduced the report by noting that there were many achievements within the last 12 months, and that the council had got a grip on an increasingly uncertain budget and delivered £100 million of savings that were required. It was noted that there were no ‘red’ indicators on the RAG table of page 128 of the agenda which showed that the council was performing against challenging targets.

In response to Member questions the Leaders stated that it was important to ensure targets were carefully chosen to ensure they were meaningful and took account of changes taking place in other services, such as a reduction of 10,000 police officers.

Whilst it was noted that the response rate to FOI request was 70%, and so below the target, this was in the context of an increasing volume being received. Members were assured that work was being undertaken to improve the response rate to FOIs.

It was noted that a challenging aspect of the budget was the adult social care budget and that work would continue to best manage the budget and managing the care market. The Cabinet Member for Families, Health & Social Care informed Members that currently, the service was on budget despite the pressures experienced both in Croydon and nationally.

The Cabinet Member for Families, Health & Social Care stated that the One Croydon Alliance continued to progress at a faster rate than expected and further rounds of integration would be started.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member for Families, Health & Social Care informed Members that Croydon College had a team of volunteers who asked members of the public to take a HIV test and raised awareness of HIV. The Chair of the Health & Wellbeing Board noted the concerns raised regarding ensuring parents had their children vaccinated against measles, and stated the Director of Public Health would circulate information regarding the work that had been undertaken with GP surgeries and other partners.

It was noted that the figures on the number of affordable homes delivered were not at the desired level and that there were a number of factors that contributed to the performance, including permitted development and the viability assessments which were felt to not facilitate higher levels of delivery. However, work was being undertaken to address this and to deliver the Mayor of London’s 35% affordable housing target.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member for Clean Green Croydon that work would continue to increasing recycling rates in the borough, and that it was hoped that following the Blue Planet II documentary, which highlighted the impact of waste, there would be an increased awareness and drive to recycle. Furthermore, work would be undertaken with local businesses to encourage them to use recyclable products.

The Cabinet Member for Clean Green Croydon confirmed that there would not be a ‘one size fits all’ approach to the new waste contract and that 4,000 households had been identified as being unable to take the new waste bins, and would be invited to discuss their needs with the council.

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to

1. Review the performance for the period April 2017 to March 2018 as detailed at Appendix 1 and set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

2. Note the achievements, progress, and work to date, as detailed in this report and Appendix 1 of the report.