Issue - meetings

The recommendation of the Executive to approve the third Improvement and Recovery Plan progress report was introduced by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Barker.  The Plan was key in the Council’s response to the Government Intervention and the progress report was a formal update for the Commissioners. 

The report outlined the progress achieved across the five themes of the Plan, namely Financial Recovery, Commercial, Governance and Assurance, Organisation and Service Redesign, and Housing Recovery and Improvement.  The fifth theme – Housing Recovery and Improvement – had been added at the end of 2023 in light of concerns over fire safety.  The Leader summarised the updates on each of the five themes, including the passing of a budget for the coming year, the sale of assets including Victoria Gate, removing the Council from unaffordable projects, the work undertaken around governance and the planned release of Part II documents.

During the debate, the theme of Housing Recovery and Improvement was discussed further, with the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Councillor Johnson, providing an update on a recent survey undertaken of tenants, to which nearly 500 responses had been received.  The work being undertaken would see a number of improvements for tenants, those residents placed in temporary accommodation and those who were homeless.

Following the debate, the Leader thanked the Councillors for their positive comments and responded to the points made.

RESOLVED

That the third Improvement and Recovery Plan progress report to Commissioners be approved.

Reporting Person – Julie Fisher

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Barker, introduced the report which recommended to Council the third Improvement and Recovery Plan progress report to Commissioners.  The Improvement and Recovery Plan had been adopted by the Council in August 2023 following government intervention, and detailed the actions that the Council would undertake to deliver against the Government directions, together with milestones and delivery targets to measure progress.  The Leader reported that although the Council remained in a challenging financial position and there was much work to do, good progress had been made on the Council’s journey towards financial sustainability and delivering best value for residents.  Attention was drawn to the Council being able to set a legal budget for 2024/25, which demonstrated to Government and residents that the Council was taking steps to get its own house in order and move towards financial sustainability.

Key areas of progress were highlighted across the Plan’s five themes; Financial Recovery, Commercial, Governance and Assurance, Organisation and Service Redesign, and Housing Recovery and Improvement.  It was noted that later on the agenda, the Executive would consider proposals to strengthen the Council’s companies governance arrangements, investment in a new Resident Services Programme to improve customer experience, and proposals for a new Council meeting structure to improve effectiveness, openness and transparency of decision making.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the progress report at its meeting on 18 March 2024 and had not made any specific proposals.

The Executive welcomed the improvement and recovery work undertaken across all the Plan’s themes and thanked Officers for their hard work.

RECOMMENDED to Council

That the third Improvement and Recovery Plan progress report to Commissioners be approved.

Reason:   Following statutory government intervention and the issuing of a Section 114 Notice, the Council was required to put in place an Improvement and Recovery Plan and to report to the Commissioners on its delivery.

Reporting Person: Julie Fisher