Agenda item - Worcestershire Regulatory Services Annual Report 2016/2017

Agenda item

Worcestershire Regulatory Services Annual Report 2016/2017

Minutes:

The Board considered a report which detailed the Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) Annual Report 2016 / 2017.  The report covered the performance of the service for the period 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2017.

 

The Head of Regulatory Services, WRS, informed Members that the report detailed both Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and highlights of activity, with a short summary activity report, as detailed at Appendix 5 to the report.  Appendix 5 to the report had been reduced since the Board now received a separate Activity and Performance Data report which provided more detail.

 

The Annual Report also gave a summary of the financial position, key achievements and covered issues relating to human resources, risk management and equalities.

 

In response to Councillor B. Clayton, Redditch Borough Council, the Head of Regulatory Services, WRS, informed the Board that notices had been served on the operators at the site referred to by Councillor Clayton, in order to address the dust issues raised by those living in proximity to the development. 

 

The WRS (3 year) Business Plan 2017/2020, as presented to the Board in February 2017, showed at this point that staffing levels were roughly around the minimum service level required for the service to discharge the partner’s duties.  Staff were stretched in being able to deliver against the large volumes of work faced by the service.  To help support staff, WRS would continue to look at technical solutions that would support investigative processes.  Investment had been made in updating and expanding the range of noise monitoring equipment available to support this work and, in the case as raised by Councillor Clayton, equipment had been hired to monitor dust and other particulate matter.  By investing in equipment that monitored activities, the time officers had to spend at sites under investigation was reduced.  The approach would continue with the idea being to invest wisely to help maintain the service’s capacity to deal with issues.  However, the use of technology could not fully replace the need for officers to witness nuisance activities before issuing abatement notices.

 

The Business Support Officer, Bromsgrove District Council informed the Board that, the Annual Return as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report, was presented in the prescribed format as required by the accounting regulations service for small bodies which WRS were now classed as.  There was no requirement for small bodies to be audited by external auditors, but there was still a requirement to conduct internal audits on internal systems.

 

The Chairman thanked officers for an excellent report and commented that she was unaware that officers conducted interviews following Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) guidelines, interviews conducted under caution.  She was also pleased to note that the officer who transcribed PACE tapes was now delivering the transcribing of PACE tapes for client authorities.   

 

RESOLVED:

(a)          that the Worcestershire Regulatory Services Annual Report 2016/2017 be noted; and

(b)          that a copy of the Worcestershire Regulatory Services Annual Report 2016/2017 be forwarded to the Chief Executive, Managing Director and Members of each partner authority and Worcestershire County Council.

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