PAPER E
REPORT TO THE Economic Development, Planning, Tourism and Leisure Services Select
Committee – 14 APRIL 2005
PLANNING
SERVICES BEST VALUE IMPROVEMENT PLAN UPDATE
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING POLICY
REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
To enable Select Committee
Members to comment on this matter prior to its consideration at the Executive
on 20 April 2005.
|
ACTION REQUIRED BY
THE SELECT COMMITTEE
Select Committee Members are invited to comment on this matter prior to its consideration at the Executive. |
BACKGROUND
1.
Members will
recall that the original Planning Services Best Value Improvement Plan was
approved in November 2003.
2.
The Inspection of
the Service took place in September 2004.
The Service was classified as fair and with promising prospects for
improvement. As part of their report
the Inspectors made a number of recommendations on the format of the
Improvement Plan and also suggested various additional aspects that needed to
be tackled.
3.
The principal area
which has been tackled in the revised Improvement Plan is that of the
relationship between the Planning Service and the aims and objectives of the
Community Strategy (Island Futures) and the Council’s own Corporate Plan.
4.
The Inspectors
commented that the original Improvement Plan was in essence a recovery plan for
the Service, and that future actions should align the work of the Service more
closely with these wider objectives.
This has been accepted and is reflected in the revised Improvement Plan.
5.
Your officers have
also taken the opportunity to move away from the concept of an Improvement Plan
and move towards the concept of a Business Plan for the Service until 2008. In order to reflect the suggestions of the
Inspectors the Business Plan identifies key elements of the ongoing work of the
Service (eg the production of the Local Development Framework and the
implementation of the AONB Management Plan) and the implementation of specific
service improvements.
6.
The Business Plan
also tackles the issue of customer care in the Service which was one of the key
weaknesses which the Inspectors identified.
7.
An outline of the
Business Plan is set out at Appendix A.
8.
The Planning
Priority Improvement Area group has kept an ongoing overview of both the
Inspection process, and ongoing improvements in the Service. Key areas where the Group has added value to
this process include:-
(a)
Securing Human
Resources time and expertise on the issue of job evaluations, recruitment
packages and the handling of the recent batch of adverts for new staff in the
Service.
(b)
Providing advice
and assistance on contract working and procurement arrangements.
(c)
Ensuring that the
Service properly and fully has a high level of involvement in ICT/Business
Process/GAGS issues.
(d)
Advising on
customer care initiatives.
RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES,
STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
9.
The Planning
Service Business Plan directly relates to the existing Unitary Development
Plan, the evolving Local Development Framework, and is closely related to the
implementation of the Council’s Corporate Plan and the wider Community
Strategy.
10.
The Planning
Services Business Plan and its implementation will also have a key impact on
performance indicators (BVI 109 a, b & c).
CONSULTATION
PROCESS
11.
The Business Plan
has been produced in accordance with an agreed timetable with the
Inspectors. Given the extensive
consultation that was carried out on the original improvement plan (and which
was commended by the Inspectors) and given that the Business Plan is, in
effect, incorporating the Inspectors recommendations into a remodelling and
rebranding of the existing Improvement Plan, consultation has been limited to
internal discussion with the component teams in the Planning Service.
12.
By implication the
incorporation of the Inspectors’ recommendations in the Business Plan picks up
the various comments made to the Inspectors team during the course of the
Inspection in September 2004.
FINANCIAL,
LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS
13.
There are no
direct legal implications from this report.
14.
One of the
Inspector’s recommendations was that the remodelled Improvement Plan
incorporated a more accurate assessment of the financial and budget
implications of implementing the various actions. The opportunity has also been taken in the business plan to
incorporate the amount of staff time that is anticipated to complete the
various tasks. The implementation of
both service improvements and ongoing statutory work will be covered by the
Service’s annual budget together with the Planning Delivery Grant.
15.
There are no
direct crime and disorder implications stemming from this report.
APPENDICES
ATTACHED
16.
As set out in the
body of this report an outline of the Business Plan is set out at Appendix A.
BACKGROUND
PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT
17.
Audit Commission –
Inspection Report, Planning Services, Isle of Wight Council 2004.
Contact
Point : Andrew
Ashcroft, Head of Planning Services, F 823556,
[email protected]
COUNCILLOR MRS
TERRY BUTCHERS
Portfolio Holder
for Sustainable Development, Environment and Planning Policy