Agenda item

(Report by Mr A Wilkinson, Managing Director, Environment and Regeneration)

(1)       The Committee received a report setting out the performance by the Environment & Regeneration Directorate against a number of key documents.  Work on the second Kent Local Area Agreement was currently in the process of being prepared.  The current Agreement which commenced in 2005 would complete in March 2008.

(2)         The report also included:-

(a)       an update on the Department’s Business Plan;

(b)       measuring the success of Kent Highway Services;

(c)        looking at the Towards 2010 targets for the Regeneration & Environment portfolios and consideration of the Best Value Performance Indicators including:-

      (i)         Road casualties

      (ii)        Street lighting faults

(iii)             Waste management

(3)               The report also set out for the Committee the new set of 198 indicators published by the Government in October 2007 which would underpin the National Performance Framework.  The Committee noted that from April 2008 the Best Value Performance Indicators would be abolished.

(4)               Of the 198 indicators 20 would be collected using a “Place Survey” which replaces the Best Value Performance Indicators General Satisfaction Survey.  The Committee were asked to note that the “Place Survey” differed from the Best Value Performance Indicators survey in that it asked respondents about their views on the area, rather than their views on the local authority.

(5)               As well as the change flowing from the new “Place Survey” the Committee noted that a number of current Best Value Performance Indicators were not included in the new 198 national indicators.  These included waste disposal costs, slight injuries in road accidents, temporary road closures, pedestrian crossings with facilities for the disabled, conditions of footways (pavements), street lighting faults, condition of unclassified roads, plan making progress and milestones and ease of use of public rights of way.

(6)               Members of the Committee then asked the two Cabinet Members for responses to the following:-

(a)                The role of the Alliance Board.  Mr Ferrin said that he would be very happy to provide Members with information relating to the performance indicators that the Alliance Board receives.  He added that the Minutes of the meetings of the Alliance Board were available to Members of the County Council.

(b)                The ongoing work and discussions with Essex County Council regarding a lower Thames crossing.

(c)                Air quality management.

(d)                Urban congestion and reduced peak journey times between and within towns by 10% using methods such as intelligent traffic light management systems and congestion busting teams.

(e)                One Member suggested the possibility of having a Memorandum of understanding in order to influence South East Trains in providing an improved service for Kent residents.

(f)                  Target 37 – Improving the way we repair roads and pavements and how this is to be measured.

(g)                Target 40 – Ensuring that new housing developments include the right infrastructure and local facilities and cater for a mix of age groups and incomes.

(h)                Target 42 – Reducing the impact of KCC’s buildings and vehicles on the environment including trialling the use of bio-fuels and other new technologies.  The Committee noted that the use of information technology equipment (ICE), the length of time buildings were occupied, (for example for out of school activities) and considering rationalising a number of the Kent County Council buildings were all aspects which needed to be taken into account when measuring this target.  The Committee also acknowledged that the Freedom Pass represented one way in which the County Council was seeking to reduce its carbon footprint; and

(i)                  The interrelationship between the Local Strategic Partnership, Local Area Agreement and Target 59 – working with partners to reduce the number of deaths and serious casualties from road accidents. 

(7)    RESOLVED that the report be noted and that this half yearly monitoring be made a standard item of the Committee’s future business.