Issue - meetings

This report presents an overview of the service plans, which articulate the councils’ ambitions, priorities, and performance targets, and outline how each service area is contributing to the delivery of the new Council Plan which will launch in April 2026. Each plan incorporates Key Performance Indicators, service volumes, and references to associated strategic, operational, and climate resilience risks.

Recommendation

That: the Climate Change & Leisure Committee provide any comments or suggested amends to the 2026–2029 service plans. Final service plans will be approved by Council in conjunction with the budget.

The Head of Leisure and Natural Infrastructure introduced the report.

Service Plan – Climate Change and Sustainability

There were no questions or comments on this service plan.

Service Plan – Leisure and Natural Infrastructure

Key topics include tree planting targets, distinguishing between standard trees and whips, and the challenges of funding and resource allocation. Members and officers discussed the importance of balancing tree planting with preserving diverse habitats such as grasslands and wetlands. The conversation also touched on leisure facilities maintenance, the need for innovation in leisure activities, and monitoring community needs. The Head of Leisure and Natural Infrastructure confirmed this is all within the work that the service deliver and will make this clearer within the introduction to the service plan.

In response to questions Members raised on the tennis court refurbishment, officers corrected the project end date to March 2027, and advised that this year’s focus is on converting a tennis court at Eastbury playing fields to pickleball courts.

Concerns were raised about government proposals to remove Sport England as a planning consultee. Additionally, the discussion highlighted the importance of collaboration with local organisations, parish councils, and monitoring biodiversity net gain to ensure sustainable environmental development. Members also highlighted the importance of counting trees planted by the Council and through planning applications, to track progress.

Councillor Jon Tankard offered to forward the information on the total number of trees planted to Councillor Reena Ranger.

Service Plan – Communication, Customer and Culture

Key points include monitoring and improving call wait times, with notable success in reducing average wait times and positive resident feedback. Members offered their congratulations to the Head of Communications, Customer & Culture and his team for the successful reduction in average call wait times.

Members pointed out a reduction of first point resolution targets within the service plan despite high past performance. Officers responded that this will be fed back to the relevant head of service and a written answer provided. Suggestions were made to enhance local business engagement through partnerships with venues like Watersmeet Theatre to support economic prosperity. The introduction of a podcast platform was discussed as a new engagement tool, particularly to reach younger audiences. The Associate Director for Environment confirmed the podcast platform is being funded from the existing budget, as set out in the service plan. The conversation also touched on the importance of using existing budgets for new initiatives and monitoring and adapting communication methods to increase resident engagement.

Councillor Chris Lloyd moved the recommendation as set out in the report.

On being put to the Committee, the motion was declared CARRIED by the Chair, the voting being by general assent.

RESOLVED:

That: the Climate Change & Leisure Committee provide any comments or suggested amends to the 2026–2029 service plans. Final service plans will be approved by Council in conjunction with the budget.

This report presents an overview of the service plans, which articulate the council’s ambitions, priorities, and performance targets, and outline how each service area is contributing to the delivery of the new Council Plan which will launch in April 2026. Each plan incorporates Key Performance Indicators, service volumes, and references to associated strategic, operational, and climate resilience risks.

The following service plans are within the remit of this Committee:

Planning Policy and Conservation (for all areas apart from the Local Plan)

Regulatory Services (excluding CIL, Land Charges)

Strategy and Partnerships (excluding Corporate Services)

Waste and Environmental Protection

Housing and Residential Services

Recommendation:

That the General Public Services & Community Engagement Committee provides any comments or suggested amendments to the 2026–2029 service plans. Final service plans will be approved by Full Council in conjunction with the budget.

The Head of Strategy and Partnerships presented the report, which proposed the draft service plans for 2026-2029 for the service areas which were within the committee’s remit.  The service plans articulated the council’s ambitions, priorities and performance targets and outlined how each service area would contribute to the delivery of the new Council Plan which would launch in April 2026.  Each plan incorporated key performance indicators, service volumes, and references to associated strategic, operational and climate resilience risks.

Committee Members’ comments on each of the service plans are summarised below:

Planning Policy & Conservation

The timescales for the CIL Charging Schedule and the Local Plan are ambitious but may not be realistic.  Could these be reviewed, and clarification provided as necessary?

Conservation Area appraisals: could assurances be provided that there are sufficient resources available and that the service is correctly structured to deliver two appraisals per year?

Regulatory Services

A Committee Member commented that the Regulatory Services Committee had recommended that the impact on the trade of the implementation of the Taxi Policy (e.g. in relation to electric vehicles) should be monitored in the short term, and commented that the wording within the ‘Service Purpose and Core Functions’ section should therefore be amended to ‘Implementation and monitoring of Taxi Policy’.   Officers responded that any agreement to monitor or review the policy would more appropriately be included in the policies register.

Strategy and Partnerships

A Committee Member queried that there seemed to be limited reference to crime and disorder within the document.  Officers responded that whilst the core functions in relation to crime and disorder were shown, the individual projects which took place under that umbrella were not, as most depended on grants or budgets becoming available.  Once funding was secured, details of projects to be progressed were agreed within the Crime and Safety Partnership in partnership with the Police & Crime Commissioner and then included in the Community Safety Action Plan.   Officers undertook to include additional context around this, and also Prevent work, within the service plan.

In relation to a query on the increase in the KPI for Number of Legislative Enforcement Actions Taken for ASB (which had increased to 12, where performance in 2024/25 had been 1), officers clarified that this related to actions such as closure orders which were often led by the Police with support from the council.  A Committee Member suggested that the KPI could instead focus on the level of involvement rather than the individual number of orders secured.  Officers undertook to look at this further and respond to the Member with further information about how the metric was calculated.

Waste and Environmental Protection

In relation to a query on the KPI for Percentage of Household Waste Recycled which showed a reduction from an actual target of 30% in 2024/25 to a target of 28% over the service plan period, officers clarified that this referred to dry recycling only.  The majority of the council’s recycling performance related to garden waste which was not included in this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29

That:

·       Policy and Resources provide any comments or suggested amends to the 2026–2029 service plans. Final service plans will be approved by Council in conjunction with the budget.

Committee Decision on Public Access:-

·       Revenues and Benefits

·       Finance

·       Committee, Elections and Legal

·       Property and Major Projects

·       Planning Policy and Conservation (Local Plan/Right To Build Register)

·       Customer Experience (excluding Watersmeet)

·       Strategy and Partnerships (Corporate Services)

·       Regulatory Services (CIL, Land Charges)

The Committee considered the draft Service Plans for the period 2026-2029. Members were advised that the Service Plans set out the Council’s strategic objectives, key actions and performance measures for each service area over the three year period, and that the draft plans were bring presented to committees as part of the annual planning and budget setting cycle.

Members discussed the interaction between the service plans, the medium term financial plan and the emerging Local Plan, noting the importance fo ensuring that priorities, resources and delivery timescales remained aligned. Particular reference was made to infrastructure planning, CIL, and the need to ensure that future service delivery reflected anticipated development pressures.

Members noted that the service plans will go to Service Committees and then to Full Councils.

On being put to the Committee, the motion was declared CARRIED by the Chair, the voting being by General Assent.

RESOLVED:

That:

That:

• Policy and Resources provide any comments or suggested amends to the 2026–2029 service plans. Final service plans will be approved by Council in conjunction with the budget.

Committee Decision on Public Access:-

• Revenues and Benefits
• Finance
• Committee, Elections and Legal
• Property and Major Projects
• Planning Policy and Conservation (Local Plan/Right To Build Register)
• Customer Experience (excluding Watersmeet)
• Strategy and Partnerships (Corporate Services)
• Regulatory Services (CIL, Land Charges)