Agenda item

PART I – ITEMS RESOLVED BY CABINET

 

There were no speakers on the items resolved by Cabinet at its meeting on 7 August 2024.

 

 

PART II – RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL

 

Item 4 – Annual Performance and Provisional Budget Outturn 2023/24

 

The Leader introduced the item and moved the recommendations from the Cabinet meeting.  Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Council approve the establishment of a new Corporate Priorities Reserve, with an initial contribution of £1.5 million in 2023/24 and note the transfer of £262,000 in 2023/24 to enhance the Treasury Management Reserve.

 

Item 5 – Transformation Business Case – Customer and Digital Services (Including Organisational Design) and Appletree Court

 

The Leader introduced the item and moved the recommendations from the Cabinet meeting.  Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.

 

One Member suggested that the general trend of staff working from home could be considered the biggest change the Council had ever seen, with it starting before the pandemic and accelerating through this period.  The Member considered that whilst  there were advantages of this, some risks including isolation, and the impact on collaboration and team ethic needed to be very carefully considered.  It was requested that this be given very close attention, particularly if more radical change such as office closures took place.  In connection with hybrid working, a further Member highlighted the importance of being able to offer this as an employee benefit, in a challenging recruitment space.  This aided the Council’s work as an employer of choice, and to retain talented staff, if the right balance could be found.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate agreed that the management of the risk of staff isolation was crucial.  Senior officers monitored this closely.  This was assisted by a hybrid balance of three days in the office, with two working from home.  The environmental benefits of reducing five days worth of staff commuting was also noted.  The Portfolio Holder took the opportunity to remind Members that there were no plans to close Appletree Court, and committed to maintaining a council presence across the District.

 

One Member spoke specifically on the potential future of Lymington Town Hall and the impact that this might have not only on NFDC residents, but to those partner organisations using the facilities at the site.

 

The Leader responded to the debate, highlighting the support for the balance of hybrid working expressed through the recent staff survey results.  Team days were also highlighted which involved all staff from a particular service area attending to collaborate with colleagues.  Hybrid working was seen as an important part of the Council being able to strive towards and maintain its position as an employer of choice.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Council approve:-

 

1.     the allocation of £2.709m on an invest-to-save basis to deliver the necessary technology and organisational changes to deliver the preferred future organisational design option; and

 

2.     the allocation of up to £1.75m for improvements to the East wing of ATC on an invest-to-save basis, to facilitate the third party letting of the south wing and the generation of c£300,000 per annum in income.

 

Item 6 – Introduction of a Performance Management Framework / Consideration of a relate Motion Referred by Council

 

The Leader introduced the item and moved the recommendations from the Cabinet meeting.  Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.

 

One Member welcomed the increased transparency that would be achieved through the new performance management framework, specifically in monitoring climate measures.  However, a number of partners that measured their overall carbon footprint were cited, despite the Council not measuring this total figure presently, recognising some of the challenges in defining this.  The Member welcomed the opportunity through the Task and Finish Group to consider the options for monitoring emissions, how this is defined, and subsequently to set meaningful net zero targets based on this data.

 

A number of other Members endorsed the comments above, and wished to ensure that the Task and Finish Group pursued a meaningful set of objectives, including the opportunity to learn from other councils and partners on their approach to the climate and nature emergency.

 

In respect of the Performance Management Framework itself, a Member highlighted that additional performance measures had been suggested across number of areas that did not feature in the final version for a variety of reasons.  It was hoped that these issues would be captured through other appropriate reporting mechanisms, even if not directly through the framework.  Performance Management of staff and the undertaking of regular one to one conversations was also raised.

 

One Member suggested that ambitious targets were not necessarily a bad thing, with performance being driven towards these, falling short could still result in very high performing services.  He encouraged bolder, more radical target setting and appropriate risk taking in this context.

 

The Leader responded to the debate, and welcomed the focus to the Task and Finish Group’s proposed programme of work.  She specifically addressed the concerns on staff performance management and managers undertaking one to one conversations, highlighting these were taking place and reports in this area continued to show signs of ongoing improvement.

 

RESOLVED:

 

This Council notes that:-

 

1.     The Leader’s foreword to the Corporate Plan states that ‘As a well-established community leader, the Council has long recognised the strong heritage and a world-class environment we operate within, and work to protect and enhance.  Tackling climate and environmental challenges is key to ensure that the special nature of the New Forest can be enjoyed by future generations.’

 

2.     Two of the four values of this Council are Ambition (We will be ambitious for our people and our place, embracing innovation and best practice) and Fairness (We will act fairly, honestly, and openly in all that we do).

 

3.     The first priority of this Council’s Future New Forest transformation programme is “Putting our customers at the heart of what we do”.

 

4.     This Council voted in October 2021 to declare a ‘Climate Change and Nature Emergency’.

 

5.     This Council’s Corporate Plan 2024 – 2028 does not include measurable targets and a mechanism to report progress against such targets to our residents.

 

6.     High performing organisations relish being measured as it allows them to demonstrate their outstanding performance.

 

7.     That in the draft consultation version of the Corporate Plan, a measurement of “Overall emissions from council activity (Kg of CO2)” was included.

 

This Council resolves that:-

 

1.     In delivering our Corporate Plan 2024-2028, this Council stated that the plan would be underpinned by a suitable and proportionate Performance Management Framework that details the reporting regime for progress monitoring.  This is now developed alongside a formal published set of KPIs, with targets (Appendix 2, 2024-2028 List of KPIs).  Clear KPI definitions have been agreed with accountable officers (Appendix 3, NFDC handbook of definitions).

 

2.     The mechanisms for reporting against the targets, and publishing progress on a minimum of an annual basis, is set out in the Performance Management Framework and accompanying list of KPIs.

 

3.     With respect to Place Priority 2 “Protecting our climate, coast, and natural world”, and the consideration of the measure, “Overall emissions from council activity (Kg of CO2)”, this is not supported and the following is resolved:-

 

(a)   The overall emissions resulting from council activity will continue to be reported through the Climate Change and Nature Emergency (CC&NE) Annual Report. This report details the implementation and governance of activities resulting from the CC&NE Strategy and Action Plan and outlines the scope of emissions targets, performance measures and monitoring arrangements.

 

(b)   The resourcing implications of any additional targets and measures are not currently known or allocated.

 

(c)   Cabinet recognise the value in more fully understanding this area and proposed to establish a Task and Finish group for 12 months, to consider this measure within the context of the Council's Climate Change and Nature Emergency Strategy and Action Plans.  This will include consideration of adopted targets measures, scope, resource implications and prioritisation.

 

(d)   Should the CC&NE Task and Finish group make recommendations for additional Climate Change and a Nature Emergency targets or measures to be adopted, these should reside within the CC&NE Action Plan as opposed to the Corporate Plan list of KPIs.