Agenda item

(A report by James Gilbert, Service Director-Corporate)

The Chairman introduced the item and invited the Group Manager - Insights and Transformation to present the report.

The Group Manager provided an overview of the Quarter 4 Performance Report for 2025/26 and explained that the report formed part of the Council's regular performance monitoring arrangements. The Committee was advised that there were no indicators currently reporting as red and only a small number reporting as amber. Members were reminded that the report also provided an opportunity to identify service areas that may warrant future scrutiny through the Committee's work programme.

Following the presentation, the Chairman opened the item for discussion.

Members welcomed the overall performance position and acknowledged that most indicators continued to perform well. The Committee recognised the positive position reflected within the report and welcomed the absence of any red indicators.

Discussion initially focused on the indicators currently reporting as amber. Members sought assurance regarding the actions being taken to improve performance and return those indicators to target levels. Attention was given to industrial unit occupancy, fly tipping response times and complaints performance.

The Committee considered the industrial unit occupancy indicator and noted that only a small number of units remained vacant at the end of the reporting period. Members welcomed the progress being made and recognised the importance of maintaining high occupancy levels to support economic activity and income generation.

Discussion also focused on fly tipping response times. Members acknowledged that performance had fallen below target during the quarter and sought assurance that this represented a short-term issue rather than a developing trend. Officers advised that staffing resources had temporarily been redirected to support waste collection services during the reporting period and confirmed that performance continued to be monitored closely.

Members paid particular attention to the complaints indicator and highlighted the importance of customer satisfaction and timely responses to complaints. The Committee discussed the distinction between the outcome of a complaint and the speed with which it was handled and emphasised that both were important in maintaining public confidence in Council services. Members sought assurance regarding how learning from complaints was shared across the organisation and considered it important that complaints were not resolved individually but were used to identify recurring themes and opportunities for service improvement. The importance of ensuring that departments understood the causes of complaints and implemented lessons learned where appropriate was also highlighted

In response to the discussion, officers confirmed that complaints were reviewed through dedicated officer sessions which examined complaint trends, outcomes and opportunities for improvement. It was explained that lessons learned were shared across services and, where appropriate, used to improve procedures, communication and service delivery.

Members then turned their attention to market performance and sought clarification regarding occupancy figures and the impact of the Farmers and Makers Market. The Committee recognised the contribution that markets made towards town centre vitality and footfall and expressed an interest in understanding longer-term performance trends. Discussion focused on whether the Farmers and Makers Market was positively influencing occupancy levels and visitor numbers. Members noted the increasing popularity of the event and highlighted its value in attracting visitors into the town centre and supporting surrounding businesses.

In response, officers undertook to seek additional trend information regarding market occupancy levels to assist Members in understanding the wider impact of the Farmers and Makers Market and related activity.

A significant proportion of the discussion centred upon leisure facilities, particularly the operation and condition of facilities at the Princess Royal Sports Arena. Members raised concerns regarding customer feedback received from users and highlighted ongoing issues relating to maintenance, equipment reliability and facility availability. The Committee discussed reports of equipment being out of service, recurring maintenance issues affecting facilities such as the steam room and jacuzzi, and concerns regarding changing room availability. Members emphasised the importance of maintaining high-quality leisure facilities and recognised the impact that repeated service disruptions could have on customer satisfaction and membership retention.

Concerns were raised regarding whether current contractual arrangements included clear performance expectations for repairs and maintenance. Members questioned how quickly faults were expected to be rectified and whether appropriate monitoring arrangements were in place to ensure that standards were maintained. The Committee also considered whether usage resulting from changes at the Geoff Moulder Leisure Centre may have contributed to some of the issues being experienced and highlighted the importance of understanding customer demand, capacity and operational performance when considering the causes of service disruption.

Attention was also drawn to the experience of families and younger users. Members highlighted concerns regarding access to changing facilities and the practical difficulties this could create for some visitors. The Committee agreed that customer experience should remain an important consideration alongside performance measures and usage figured.

In response to the discussion, officers acknowledged the concerns raised and advised that detailed operational information was not available at the meeting. It was confirmed, however, that the issues raised by Members would be referred to the relevant lead officers. Officers further undertook to obtain additional information regarding maintenance arrangements, repair timescales, contractor performance and any performance measures associated with the operation of the facilities.

The Committee welcomed the generally positive performance position reflected within the report but identified leisure facility performance, customer experience and market occupancy trends as areas that warranted further consideration. Members also expressed an interest in receiving further information regarding complaints learning, market performance and leisure facility maintenance arrangements to support future scrutiny activity.

In drawing the discussion to a close, the Chairman thanked officers for the report and acknowledged the positive performance achieved across the majority of indicators. The Chairman noted the Committee's particular interest in the issues raised regarding customer complaints, market performance and leisure facilities and looked forward to receiving further information on those matters.

Resolved:

That the performance information be noted and that the actions identified during discussion be progressed through the appropriate service areas.