Date

June 2004

Reporting Area

Environment

Lead Director

Sarah Berry

1. Progress / Issue Reporting

Progress Made

Issues to be addressed

Who

By When

Leadership

Updates on previous report

· Planning Services Best Value Inspectors Report Received

· Implementation Plan to be amended in light of report and other priorities, including Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) issues

Head of Planning Services (HoS(P))

July/Aug 04

Leadership

New items

· Bath City Centre Co-ordination project launched. Cross Council group of Executive Members and Officers

· City Co-ordination Framework to be developed and published

Head of Service, Economic Development (HoS ED)

Oct 04

People

Updates on previous report

· New structure for Planning Service being developed. Now influenced by recent change to senior management structure.

· The new structure needs to deliver the current priorities of the Council together with the external requirements of Government

HoS(P) /Policy & Projects Manager (PPM)

October

· Staff Group and Manager meeting to discuss outcomes of internal staff survey and way forward.

· Actions identified to improve relationship between staff and managers.

Team leaders (Planning)

July

People

New items

· Business Manager appointed.

· Post holder to drive through changes arising from BV review

HoS(P)

August

· Re-structure of Learn Direct centre and review of provision of Training Services will mean organisational change

· Ensure new structure is focussed on customer care and profitability and appropriate staff & TU engagement in process

Interim Training Services Manager (ITSM)

Sept 04

Partnership & Resources

Updates on previous report

· Business Case for Planning Services scanning project now being revisited with more comprehensive case emerging.

· Essential for Planning Services to develop and achieve e-gov targets and to improve service delivery. September is a target date for accessing PDG.

HoS(P) / HBS

July 04

· Significant impact on Resources identified in connection with Western Riverside and other emerging projects such as Southgate (implementation). The Heart of Bath and Norton Radstock Regeneration (NRR).

· The procurement of adequate resource is essential in order to ensure the progress of these projects.

HoS(P) / PPM

Ongoing

· Review of Bath Communities Partnership relationship with Council currently being undertaken.

· Need to identify barriers to success of Partnership and action to address them.

Head of ED

Sept 04

· Bath Christmas Market implementation arrangements agreed. Bath Tourism Plus to lead project. Included in contract with Council. Officer seconded to the Company to assist with implementation

·

HoS ED

Done

Partnership & Resources

· There has been formal agreement by the Executive Member to introduce discretionary charges for pre-application discussion on major schemes.

· If applicants agree, this can help to expedite some of the major projects.

HoS(P)/

AC

Sept 04

· Planning delivery grant far lower than neighbouring Councils.

· Action to achieve maximum possible grant OHOS

DD

Sept 04

· NRR funding to be released.

· Need to ensure resources for wider Town Centre regeneration are ring fenced from capital receipts and South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA)

HoS ED

Sep 04

Policy and Strategy

Updates on previous report

· Public Service Agreements - Target 7 Environmental projects under-way and on target

· Continuing management and monitoring to ensure funding committed and results achieved

Headsof WS/L&AS

Ongoing

· Public Conveniences: Exec Member decision taken to close 8 wcs in May

· Implementation strategy to be carried out. Call in of one wc decision to be considered

Head of WS

End 2005

Policy and Strategy

· Participation in developing Public Realm agenda emerging from City Centre Governance Group and the Overview & Scrutiny (O&S) Panel.

· This relates to one of the Council's Improvement Priorities - the urban public realm.

PPM

Ongoing

· The responsibility for sustainability has transferred to Planning Service and work currently being undertaken to drive the agenda forward

· Raising the profile of sustainability and giving it a key focus can be done through achieving real efficiencies in the Council.

PPM

Ongoing

· Summary of Zero waste strategy document to be produced for consultation through strategic partnership.

· Waste Collection study progressing to determine short term efficiencies and longer term strategic developments to maximise tonnages recycled through collection methodology.

· Trials of proposals to be designed and implemented

Head of WS

Head of WS

July

October

· Council input into sub-regional policy planning needs further co-ordination

· Report for Executive Members and Officer co-ordination group to be established

HoS ED,

HofP

June 04

Processes

· A new Delegation Scheme has been adopted to further increase performance to the Government's target of 90% of Planning Applications

· The previous scheme adopted last May saw an increase of about 6%. The ODPM are keen for further progress to be made.

HoS(P)

June

· The Code of Conduct for Members and Officers drafted

· Report to full Council - 17^th July

Council Solicitor

July

· A comprehensive range of leaflets has been produced and are available on reception and on the Planning Service website.

· Review public response and keep updated

HofP

· Training Services - Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) re-inspection undertaken. Improvements identified through process. Action Plan currently being implemented.

· Implement Action Plan

ITSM

ongoing

Processes

· Change to policy on Planning negotiating introduced in response to criticism from ODPM representative. ODPM representative not convinced that further progress on performance will be made.

· This new policy could have negative response from the private sector, although now adopted locally and nationally by other Local Authorities (L.As) in response to the Government PDG scheme of rewards for performance.

HoS(P) /Develop-ment Control (DC)

Team Leaders

July

· Contract with Business Link for provision of business support services negotiated. Focus impact on enterprise in regeneration areas.

HoS ED

ongoing