Issue - meetings

In the absence of the Portfolio Holder for Community Cohesion and Engagement, the Chairman asked Councillor S. R. Colella, as Chairman of the Improving Residents’ Satisfaction Task Group, to feedback to Members the Cabinet response to the Task Group Report.  Councillor Colella informed Members that the report had been well received by Cabinet and that all the recommendations had been approved.  Timescales had been incorporated into the Cabinet Response and the recommendations would now be included within the Scrutiny Board’s Quarterly Recommendation Tracker, to monitor implementation.

Members’ attention was drawn to Recommendation 2 which related to the Place Survey.  Officers explained that this had now been abolished and therefore no longer applicable, but alternative arrangements, possibly on a more local level, would be put in place and Members would be updated in due course.  A further update had been received in respect of Recommendation 7 (Aim for Excellence); the new Head of Customer Services was now in post and would be aiming to complete an internal assessment, which was the first step towards achieving accreditation, by March 2011.

Members requested that they receive copies of the newsletters referred to at Recommendation 4(a) (regular newsletters) as part of the Recommendation Tracker report.  Officers clarified that the aim was to provide parish councils with updated information to cascade down to residents, which would be an alternative, more effective and cost effective means of communication.  Members asked what, if any, financial implications would arise following implementation of Recommendation 4(b) (web design and use of plain English).  Officers confirmed that no significant financial implications had been envisaged as this work would be encompassed within the Council’s aim for Excellence with Customer Service as detailed at Recommendation 7 (Aim for Excellence).