Agenda item

Discussion:

The Performance and Intelligence Manager introduced this report which summarised performance in Quarter 3 2015/16 against the two priorities relevant to the Committee which were:

·         Safe, clean and green Medway and

·         Everyone benefitting from the area’s regeneration.

Members asked questions and made comments as follows:        

Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera on the A2 London Road corridor

In response to a question about whether this camera had been fixed, officers confirmed that this camera was not working at present. The Council had sent requests for it be fixed to the police, who controlled the camera.

Rochester Christmas Market

A Member referred to the traffic problems that had been experienced when the market had been held. The Director replied that high numbers of people had attended and some respondents to the satisfaction survey had referred to issues around crowding and traffic management. He added that whilst lessons were always learned after all festivals, in many ways the Christmas Market was a victim of its own success and traffic problems would be an ongoing issue if it continued to attract such large numbers of visitors.

Review of On Street Parking

In response to a query about what Member involvement there would be in this review, officers replied that Ward Councillors and residents would be consulted in order to understand what communities wanted so that the outcomes of the review improved the quality of people’s lives. Formal consultation would then follow when draft traffic regulation orders etc. were drawn up.

Stood Town Centre Key Project

A Member asked for more detail about the three options that had been put forward for consideration. Officers replied that this was a significant project and consultants had produced outline plans which the Council had asked them to revisit with a view to focusing more on traffic issues. Once the plans had been further developed, the options would be shared with Ward Councillors and could also be reported to the Committee if Members wished.

Satisfaction with Road Maintenance

A Member queried the appropriateness of the 50% target for this measure and wondered why user satisfaction rates were not higher given the evidence reported to the Committee about improvements in road conditions.  Officers responded by pointing out that the Medway road network was relatively small and many road users would be using other networks on a particular journey and this could mean they were judging the network in Medway based on their experiences elsewhere. Confusion between the Council and utility companies was also a factor as many people would attribute fault to the Council as a result of work on the highways by utilities. Nevertheless, the Council was not complacent about this issue and was trying to understand more about why satisfaction rates were at the level they were, including discussions about the survey results with user groups, residents and professional drivers. In response, a Member commented that whilst it was often clear that the network in Medway was in a better condition than neighbouring areas, the Council should accept that negative perceptions about the road network could well be valid and many people’s journeys would only be on the Medway network. 

Target NI 154 – Net Additional Homes Provided

A Member expressed disappointment, particularly given the need to build more homes as evidenced from the report from the Housing Task Group, that this target was being reduced from 1,000 a year to 600 on the basis that the revised target was achievable, He suggested that Cabinet should reconsider this target as the answer was not to lower the target but to recognise there was a problem and consider how best to increase the number of homes provided. The Director replied that this was a one year target and had been put forward as it was more realistic and also reflected that success was outside the control of the Council. Members supported the request that Cabinet be asked to reconsider the target.

Clean for the Queen Campaign

A Member asked if the clean up events which were part of this campaign had been evaluated and whether similar events were likely to be rolled out in the near future given the positive impacts on communities. The Committee were advised that the Council already operated a programme of community clear ups in any event during the year. The Council would not operate on private land but would help volunteers in terms of the disposal of rubbish collected. The Council was willing to consider helping with any particular site that a Member had in mind for a clean up.

Decision:

The Committee agreed to:

a)     note the Q3 2015/16 performance against the Key Measures of Success used to monitor progress against the Council Plan 2015/16

b)     forward the comments outlined above on the Council Plan to the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee

c)     recommend to Cabinet that, particularly in the light of the conclusions from the Housing Task Group about the need for more homes to be built, it reconsiders Target NI 154 (Net Additional Homes Provided) for 2017/18.