Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Resources which presented an overview of progress towards achieving the key outcomes of the council’s corporate performance framework and highlighted key messages to inform strategic priorities and work programme for the period in and to the end of quarter three, October to December 2022 (for copy see file of Minutes).

Councillor C Marshall suggested that the current Key Performance Indicators in relation to percentage of Business Durham floor space that is occupied, should be revised/replaced or a further additional indicator added identifying new premises built for Start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs or premises that had been repurposed, again for the use of start-up businesses and SMEs. He continued that there was a need in the county to create a new stock of business premises for smaller businesses including start-ups. He then referred to the Selective Licensing Scheme, he understood that enforcement was falling to the Environmental Health Officers and that the service does not have the staff to carry out the inspections. He asked for clarification as to whether the Service had the resources to carry out the necessary inspections and any enforcement action.

The Strategy Team Leader agreed to take back for discussion with the service as to what Key Performance Indicators can be provided in the future and to provide a response in relation to who is responsible for carrying out inspections and enforcement under the Selective Licensing Scheme and whether there are sufficient resources available to support the required inspections and enforcement action.

Councillor J Miller commented that there are streets of empty properties in the Selective Licensing areas and that he understood that if a property in a Selective Licensing area does not have a tenant, then it was not subject to the enforcement powers within the scheme.

The Strategy Team Leader agreed to follow up with the Service and provide a response.

A number of members requested that the Selective Licensing Scheme come to a future meeting of the committee. It was referenced that the Selective Licensing Scheme had featured in the housing focused meeting held in March however, members still had questions and concerns which needed to be responded to by the service. It was confirmed that the Selective Licensing Scheme had been raised at a recent meeting of the Safer and Stronger Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that initial discussions had been held with the Head of Planning and Housing about future housing items for the 2023/24 work programme and that the Selective Licensing Scheme had been identified as an item for inclusion. However, it was felt by members that the Selective Licensing Scheme needed to come to formal committee early in the 2023/24 work programme.

Resolved: That the contents of the report be noted and the overall position and direction of travel in relation to quarter three performance, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic recovery and the external international factors driving inflation and cost-of-living on the council’s performance, and the actions being taken to address areas of underperformance including the significant economic and well-being challenges because of the pandemic.