Issue - meetings

(Joint Report of the Chief Executive and the Chief Financial Officer – To be introduced by the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Resources): To set out an exception report on the finance and performance monitoring for January 2008 using the balanced scorecard format and showing progress against achievement. To agree virements as set out.

The Council's Performance - January 2008 (Joint Report of the Chief Executive and the Chief Financial Officer - Agenda Item 7)

We noted that most indicators were achieving or close to achieving target as at the end of January and that, overall, good progress was being made against the Council priorities. We were particularly pleased that the tonnage of mixed recycling in January had been 150 tonnes higher than the Council’s previous best performance for a one month period.

We also noted that  the Children and Young People’s capital budget was projected to under spend by £8.1 million mainly because the Building Schools for the Future programme was currently projecting a net under spend of £7 million in the current financial year.  BSF programme slippage was recommended for re-profiling to later in the programme and we asked that it be ensured that sufficient focus was given to achieve this spend in the new financial year.

Clarification was sought of the performance in relation to the number of British Crime Survey (BCS) comparator crimes reported and of when the reduction target would be achieved. We noted that the current year was the last of a 3 year programme which had seen steady reductions in the first two years. The 7.5% reduction target for the current year had always been challenging and although the target might not be achieved the downward trend was continuing.

Clarification was also sought of the position with regard to the average length of stay in hostels and in temporary accommodation and, in particular, of whether there were financial implications for the Council. We were advised that the methodology required by the Government for measuring the time that homeless households with children had spent in shared hostel accommodation distorted the picture and was anomalous. Only 27 had previously spent some time in shared hostels, so would count towards this indicator when they were eventually provided with settled accommodation. The number of homeless households living in temporary accommodation was higher than projected under the Council’s temporary accommodation reduction plan. The Assistant Director for Strategic Housing has put in place an action plan to meet the Governments temporary accommodation target of 2,600 by March 2010 and there were no specific financial implications for the Council.

Concern was expressed about a number of Urban Environment projects which were projected to slip including the Haringey Heartlands Spine Road (£0.4 million) and the CCTV Control Room (£0.2 million) and an up date was sought. We were informed that with regard to the Spine Road, significant spending had taken place in both February and March and negotiations were in hand with the Government Office for London about the tight timescales to achieve this project and National Grid had verbally agreed that their contribution of towards total project costs of could be made in the new financial year. The CCTV cameras and control room were operational although discussions about management arrangements were on-going. 

RESOLVED:

That the report and progress against Council priorities as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 141