Agenda and minutes

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the Performance Monitoring Panel held on 15 July 2025 (enclosed).

Consideration was given to the minutes of the 15 July 2025 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting.

Agreed:

That the minutes be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

An update on actions that arose at the 15 July 2025 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting and the tracking of outstanding actions (enclosed).

Consideration was given to the actions that arose at the 15 July 2025 Performance Monitoring Panel meeting, and the tracking of outstanding actions.

Members considered the responses and made the following comments.

Members reiterated a previous request that responses be provided in plain English and asked for the following to be clarified.

• action 22b. 25/26 - ‘holistic resolution’ and ‘answer nature metric’; and
• action 30. 25/26 – ‘beyond our mandatory wrap up questions’

Agreed:

That the responses to actions be noted.

Where a Councillor has a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest the Councillor must declare the interest to the meeting and leave the room without participating in any discussion or making a statement on the item, except where a councillor is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of dispensation.

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To note the current Key Decision Plan (enclosed).

Consideration was given to the Key Decision Plan dated 1 October 2025.

The Democratic Services Officer advised members that the Destination Management Plan which had been due to come to Cabinet on 11 November 2025 had been rescheduled to the 20 January 2026 Cabinet meeting.

Members considered the Key Decision Plan and made the following comment:

• Members queried the entry on page 30 of the Key Decision Plan regarding the ‘Plan for Neighbourhoods’ and sought clarification on its purpose and origin.

o    The Assistant Director – Strategic Growth and Development responded that the item referred to a submission being made by the Town Board to the Government, and that the Plan for Neighbourhoods was being taken forward to Cabinet for approval.

Agreed:

That the Key Decision Plan be noted.

To provide an update on how the Council is performing for the period 1st April 2025 to 30th June 2025 (report of the Assistant Director – Corporate enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Corporate which provided members with an update on how the Council was performing for the period 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2025.

The Business Intelligence and Change Manager introduced the report and highlighted the following main points:

• Refuse and recycling performance remained under target, though improvements were noted;
• A Corporate Complaints Clinic was supporting services, with teams using AI tools;
• Homelessness prevention cases were improving despite challenges; and
• 83% of metrics were in a positive position.

Members considered the report and made the following comments.

·         Members queried whether the 10% target for Planning appeals was realistic and asked for the cost of appeals in real terms.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager responded that the target was set by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and costs would be investigated.

·         Members asked why recycling and composting rates were low and whether improvements were expected.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager responded that improvements were anticipated with the new service model and data from Lincolnshire County Council would be circulated once available.

·         Members queried the contamination rate and suggested public education to aid improvements.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager responded that the current processes did not support improvements, but the upcoming changes to the model would help.

·         Members noted missing commentary and requested clarification on abbreviations.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager agreed to elaborate on abbreviations in future reports.

·         Members queried how the housing recovery rate could exceed 100%.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager explained that some cases remained open into the next quarter and were included the figures for that period.

·         Members requested more specific data on fly-tipping.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager agreed to provide this.

·         Members queried low performance on Corporate Complaints and Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs).

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager explained that DSARs were complex and time-consuming. The data reflected that two out of six had missed deadlines.

·         Members queried the average number of days to fix damp and mould issues.

o   The Housing Property and Repairs Manager responded that the team had performed within the target of 56 days set under the current policy. The impending implementation of and adherence to Awaab’s Law would see the timeframe targets reduce to 5 days for surveys and 10-/15-day commencement time for repairs.

·         Members requested volume data alongside percentages.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager agreed to include this where available.

·         Members queried when a trend became an indicator.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager responded that this was reviewed annually and that services were encouraged to set targets where appropriate.

·         Members queried the drop in swim numbers.

o   The Business Intelligence and Change Manager responded that this had been caused by a pump failure and would seek confirmation as to whether a repair had been completed.

·         Members queried the drop in Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs).

o   The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

To ensure that the Committee receives a thorough briefing on the system that the Council wishes to use in preparation of the 2026/27 Budget, is able to ask questions of the Section 151 Officer and able to gain assurance from the arrangements described (report of the Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) to ensure that the Committee received a thorough briefing on the system that the Council wished to use in preparation of the 2026/27 Budget, was able to ask questions of the Section 151 Officer and was able to gain assurance from the arrangements described.

The Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) introduced the report and highlighted the following main points:

·           The new process aimed to give scrutiny members more time and assurance regarding the budget setting process;

·           A detailed timetable was in place and was outlined at page 75 of the   agenda pack;

·           Improved governance allowed earlier engagement and enabled scrutiny members to make recommendations to Cabinet;

·           Previous issues included lack of time for report preparation and rushed decision-making;

·           The new process began in May 2025 and included the early identification of pressures and savings;

·           Star Chamber panels had been used to review proposals; and

·           A Budget Scrutiny meeting was planned for January 2026 to review the draft budget and question Portfolio Holders.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

·         Members welcomed the report and noted its previous presentation to the Policy Development Panel.

·         Members queried whether the process was on track.

o   The Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) confirmed that the process was precisely on track.

·         Members asked whether additional savings would be required.

o   The Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) confirmed that identified savings would be detailed within the report however efficiency targets beyond this were not expected to be sought during the year.

·         Members queried risks and resourcing.

o   The Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) responded that the finance team was well-skilled and no significant risks were foreseen.

Agreed:

That the report be noted.

To provide a rationale behind this project not being added to the 28-day key decision plan (report of the Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) which provided a rationale behind the project not being added to the 28-day Key Decision Plan.

The Interim Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) introduced the report which included the following main points:

• An insurance retender exercise had been necessary for SHDC and the partnership which had been executed to the highest quality;
• Acceleration of acceptance of the tender was regrettable but was necessary to avoid being uninsured;
• An insurance service review was underway and would be shared with the Governance and Audit Committee in Q1 2026.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members expressed disappointment at the situation but accepted the explanation and hoped for improvements in the coming year.

Agreed:

That the report be noted.

To provide Members with an update on Community Safety Partnership work at a local and county level (report of the Assistant Director – Communities and Housing Services enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Communities and Housing Services which provided members with an update on Community Safety Partnership work at a local and county level.

The Safer Communities Manager (Partnership Delivery), the Safer Communities Manager (Operations), the Group Manager – Safer Communities and the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection were in attendance in person for this item, and Lincolnshire Police Inspector Ian Cotton attended virtually.

The Safer Communities Manager (Partnership Delivery) introduced the report which provided a comprehensive update on community safety activity across South Holland during the 2024/25 financial year, and which included the following key areas:

• Strategic developments at both local and county levels;
• Enforcement actions and surveillance data;
• Partnership priorities such as tackling anti-social behaviour, drug-related crime, and fear of crime;
• Updates on staffing structure and operational delivery; and
• Future priorities and planned improvements in reporting mechanisms and public engagement.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

·         Members asked for the definition of “cuckooing”

o   The Safer Communities Manager (Partnership Delivery) explained that it referred to criminals taking over the homes of vulnerable people as a base for criminal activity.

·         Members queried the drug dealing statistics and raised concerns regarding such activity in their wards and the lack of police response to a specific report made by a Councillor.

o   Inspector Cotton apologised for the lack of feedback to the reported incident and added that:

o   The specific matter raised would be followed-up directly with the Councillor after the meeting and that the email address of the Inspector would be circulated to members; and

o   Intelligence was used to build enforcement cases with work being undertaken in Spalding and Boston to tackle activity across County Lines.

·         Members raised concerns about the underreporting of incidents due to lack of feedback/response from the police.

o   The Safer Communities Manager (Partnership Delivery) acknowledged the issued which had been recognised as a priority by the South & East Lincolnshire Community Safety Partnership.

·         Members queried the number of Section 59 warnings that had been issued.

o   Inspector Cotton would provide the information after the meeting.

·         Members discussed CCTV statistics and differences across districts.

o   The Safer Communities Manager (Operations) responded that whilst South Holland and Boston had the same number of cameras, South Holland had fewer incidents. East Lindsey had more cameras in operation due to the larger geographical area; and

o   The Safer Communities Manager (Partnership Delivery) responded that activity was data-driven and future reports would reflect broader coverage.

·         Members queried whether cross-departmental initiatives were in place to reduce the fear of crime in town centres and in more rural areas across the district.

o   The Safer Communities Manager (Partnership Delivery) responded that work was ongoing with the Town Board and the local BID group to tackle problems. Resources were available for cluster areas and problem hotspots, but these needed to be identified through reporting.

·         Members requested more information relating to the Town and Parishes alternative CCTV systems stated at page 120 of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

To provide an overview of the South and East Lincolnshire Council’s Community Lottery Scheme (report of the Assistant Director – Communities and Housing Services enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director for Communities and Housing Services which provided an overview of the South and East Lincolnshire Council’s Community Lottery Scheme.

The Group Manager for Community Leadership and the Assistant Director for Communities and Housing Services attended for this item.

The Group Manager for Community Leadership introduced the report and highlighted the following main points:

·         The Community Lottery Scheme had been in operation for nearly three years and the report provided members with an overview of annual activity and performance across the partnership;

·         £91,485 had been raised for good causes across the partnership;

·         36 good causes were registered in South Holland, with £5,923 raised locally;

·         Measures were in place to mitigate problem gambling; and

·         Quarterly returns were submitted to the Gambling Commission to ensure compliance.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

·         Members welcomed the scheme and noted its value in supporting local organisations.

·         Members asked for clarification of the criteria used to approve good causes and queried whether such causes were reviewed to ensure they remained active.

o   The Group Manager for Community Leadership responded that:

§  Charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), and social enterprises were eligible. Parish councils were exempt. Approval was based on submitted paperwork; and

§  Causes were allowed to run once approved, with annual checks in place. Inactive causes were removed.

·         Members suggested improved communication to raise awareness of the scheme and queried if promotional case studies had been shared.

o   The Group Manager for Community Leadership responded that:

§  Information was circulated at funding fairs and physical leaflets were available for distribution to community groups. Materials would be circulated to councillors; and

§  Case studies had been posted on social media, with care taken around the gambling aspect.

·         Members asked how charities received their donations.

o   The Group Manager for Community Leadership confirmed payments were made monthly to bank accounts.

Agreed:

That the progress of the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Community Lottery scheme be noted.

To report on the updated findings of housing stock condition surveys (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Housing which reported on the updated findings of housing stock condition surveys.

The Housing Property and Repairs Manager introduced the report and summarised the following main points:

• The report provided an update following the initial presentation to the Panel in March 2025;
• Survey access rate had reached 85%, with a target of 90%+ by the end of October 2025;
• Data gathered was being used to inform the Council’s Housing Revenue Account Business Plan;
• Officers were assessing how to manage the remaining properties not yet surveyed;
• Findings included energy performance ratings and identification of damp and mould cases; and
• External consultants were supporting the work, and additional resources had been secured to maintain progress.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

·         Members asked whether the service was confident that it would reach 100% survey completion by the end of October 2025.

o   The Housing Property and Repairs Manager responded while 100% completion was ambitious, the service was realistically aiming for 90%+, with additional resources being sought to support surveyor capacity in November.

·         Members noted the energy performance ratings and were reassured that many properties were rated A, B or C.

o   The Housing Property and Repairs Manager confirmed that the latest round of grant funding would target 615 properties over the next two years to further improve ratings.

·         Members queried whether any damp and mould cases had regressed.

o   The Housing Property and Repairs Manager responded that damp and mould cases received a six-monthly follow-up call after the repairs to assess whether the issue continued to be resolved. From around 160 cases, 10 had been reopened for further investigation.

·         Members queried whether external insulation was part of the remedial work.

o   The Housing Property and Repairs Manager responded that this was not the case. Whilst damp and mould remediation work could involve external damp course or repointing repairs, the focus was more on internal repairs, ventilation and heating. 

·         Members queried the performance of the external consultants.

o   The Housing Property and Repairs Manager confirmed that the consultants were providing sufficient data to build a robust business plan.

·         Members queried whether local government reorganisation (LGR) would affect the programme.

o   The Housing Property and Repairs Manager responded that the service was continuing as planned and that work was not being delayed due to LGR.

·         Members noted the additional resources approved earlier in the year, as recommended by the Performance Monitoring Panel, which had enabled the service to stay on target. Members agreed that a further recommendation to Cabinet be added regarding the continuation of necessary resources to ensure that performance targets were met.

Agreed:

1)    That the work underway to survey all residential council homes and associated assets be noted; and

2)    That, following the implementation of additional resources, the benefits and progress achieved be noted; and that Cabinet be requested to continue the implementation of the necessary resources to ensure that performance targets were me

To provide Performance Monitoring Panel with further insights from the 2024/25 Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) Survey Responses (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Housing which provided the Performance Monitoring Panel with further insights from the 2024/25 Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) Survey Responses

The Housing Transformation Programme Manager (HRA) and the Housing Service Insight and Improvement Lead attended for this item.

The Housing Transformation Programme Manager (HRA) introduced the report and summarised the following main points:

·         The report followed the full Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) results presented to the Panel in May 2025, with a focus on the analysis of areas where tenants had expressed dissatisfaction;

·         Key themes of responses included:

o   Repairs (quality, communication, timeliness);

o   Anti-social behaviour (impact rather than handling);

o   Neighbourhood issues (cleanliness, grounds maintenance); and

o   Complaint handling (coordination and escalation);

·         Findings identified that older tenants and those in sheltered housing were generally more satisfied;

·         A tenant focus group was held in September 2025 to help shape the action plan; and

·         Members were asked to note that performance for the “Decent Homes Standard” indicator had improved following a data validation correction.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

·         Members described the report as positive and noted the improved position.

·         Members referred to the action plan table at page 187 of the agenda pack, and asked whether officers were confident that the programme could be delivered.

o   The Housing Transformation Programme Manager (HRA)  confirmed that the programme had been discussed with the Housing Services Managers, adopted at the Housing Landlord Board, and delivery was on track

·         Members asked how satisfaction in respect of the handling of anti-social behaviour (ASB) compared with previous surveys.

o   The Housing Service Insight and Improvement Lead responded that in comparison to the previous year, satisfaction in this area had improved from 50% to 69%.

Agreed:

1)    That the contents of the report and insights surrounding tenant dissatisfaction be noted;

2)    That the restated and improved performance achieved for indicator ‘RP01’ % of homes that met the decent homes Standard be noted; and

3)    That the comments of the Panel be noted for consideration by Cabinet

To note the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2024/2025 prior to its presentation at Council (report of the Assistant Director – Governance enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director for Governance (Monitoring Officer) which asked members to noted the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2024/25 prior to its presentation at Council.

The Democratic Services Officer introduced the report to members and highlighted that:

• South Holland District Council scrutiny committees were required to report annually to Council on their work programme activities undertaken during the previous municipal year; and
• The report summarised the activities of the Performance Monitoring Panel (PMP), the Policy Development Panel (PDP), the Joint PMP/PDP Panel as well as Partnership scrutiny activities for 2024/25.

Members considered the report and made the following comment:

• Members welcomed the clear and concise report.

Agreed:

That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2024/25 be noted and recommended to Council.

To set out the Work Programme of the Performance Monitoring Panel (report of the Assistant Director – Governance enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director for Governance (Monitoring Officer) which set out the Work Programme of the Performance Monitoring Panel.

The Democratic Services Officer introduced the report which included the following:

• The remaining meetings of the current municipal year alongside expected items at Appendix 1;
• Task Groups at Appendix 2.

Agreed:

That the Work Programme of the panel be noted.

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