Agenda item

Activity & Performance Data Quarters 1 and 2

Meeting of Worcestershire Shared Services Joint Committee (Worcs Shared Services Partnership was dissolved on 31st March 2016. A new partnership was agreed on 1st April 2016 Worcs Regulatory Services Board), Thursday 26th November 2015 4.30 p.m. (Item 26/15)

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report that covered both district and county functionality and the wide range of each local authorities corporate priorities to which regulatory services contributed. The report detailed Worcestershire Regulatory Services Activity Data for Quarters 1 and 2, 2015/2016.

The Head of WRS introduced the report and in doing so informed Members that the most significant piece of data in quarter 2 was that the number of nuisance and noise related complaints had showed only a marginal increase over quarter 1. This could be due to the relatively poor weather during the summer period. The spread of noise complaints had not significantly altered with all districts having wards that appeared in the top twenty for the overall number of complaints.

The report highlighted the number of food hygiene inspections carried out and that the food hygiene inspection programme was on or ahead of schedule in all areas.

The focus during the last quarter for the technical pollution team was on air quality work and the production of the air quality action plan progress report to be submitted to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) this summer. As highlighted in the report planning consultations continued to make large demands in terms of numbers and complexity on the team. Numbers were down on for the last quarter but significantly up on the same quarter last year. The team were working with district development control teams to lessen the number of referrals.

Licensing demand continued to be high but was consistent with previous quarters. Taxi and alcohol licensing continued to be the highest areas of demand. Trading Standards service requests were holding steady compared with the last two quarters but were slightly down compared to the same quarter last year. Activity continued to be focussed on rogue traders who targeted vulnerable people, consumer products that were dangerous and could cause people harm and traders with a larger number of complaints against them.

The three top complaint categories were second hand cars, building work and clothing.

Customer satisfaction figures for quarter 2 was 77% which was down on the last quarter, but consistent with the overall satisfaction of 77% for all of the previous year. Business satisfaction for the quarter was 98%, the same as the last quarter, with 73% of customers feeling better equipped to deal with problems after speaking with officers from WRS.

The Head of WRS drew Members’ attention to pages 35 and 36 of the report, Items of interest.

The Chairman expressed her thanks to officers as she had enjoyed reading the report and the positive achievements as highlighted in the report; which included the Healthy Choices Food Award initiative.

The Chairman also thanked Members who had attended the WRS Joint Committee Members Workshop, which was held prior to the meeting commencing, and had provided Joint Committee Members with the opportunity to discuss with WRS Senior Managers the type of performance framework appropriate for WRS in the future.

RESOLVED that the Activity Data Report for Quarters 1 and 2, 2015/2016, be noted.

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