Business and Budget Outturn monitoring report 2019-20 · targeted marketing campaign of the Dorking...

Agenda Item 7

Cabinet Member Bridget Kendrick, Cabinet Member for Finance and Organisation

Keira Vyvyan-Robinson, Cabinet Member for Projects

Strategic Leadership Team Lead Officer

Nick Gray, Director of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive

Authors Danae Fiedler, Financial Services Manager

Jane Nottage, Strategic Lead- Corporate Governance and Strategy

Telephone Danae Fiedler: 01306 879149

Jane Nottage : 01306 879188

Email [email protected]

[email protected]

Date 16 June 2020

Ward (s) affected The outturn report covers the whole District

Subject Outturn Report 2019/20

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Cabinet:

1. Notes the Council’s organisational performance for the period April

2019 to March 2020;

2. Notes the financial position for the period April 2019 to March 2020;

3. Notes the Strategic Risk Register summary.

Executive Summary

This report provides the Cabinet with the financial context to the progress made during 2019/20 to deliver on the Council’s corporate strategy priorities. It highlights areas of good performance and, where performance has fallen below the target set, outlines the reasons and the actions taken in response.

The report is set out as follows:

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Part 1 – introduction

Part 2 - service delivery

Part 3 – financial outturn - revenue

Part 4 – financial monitoring - capital

Part 5 – reserves and balances

Part 6 – strategic risk

There are three appendices:

Appendix A is the projects and performance indicators dashboards

Appendix B is the revenue financial outturn summary

Appendix C is the capital financial outturn summary

CORPORATE PRIORITIES This report is an update on the Council’s progress in implementing the priorities contained in the Council Strategy and the financial context.

The Cabinet has the authority to determine the Recommendations

1.0 INTRODUCTION Mole Valley’s Strategy 2019 -24 is framed around three priority outcomes:

Community Wellbeing – active communities and support for those who need it

Environment – a highly attractive area with housing that meets local need

Prosperity – a vibrant local economy with thriving towns and villages

This report includes a ‘dashboard’ summary for each of the three priorities, highlighting

progress on the status of key objectives in the Annual Plan and performance indicators relating

to each priority theme.

Overall, there has been strong performance. In terms of achieving the objectives set out in the

Annual Plan, 30 objectives have achieved their target (green), nine were slightly off target

(amber) and one was off target (red) at the end of 2019/20. This is particularly of note as, in

September 2019, the new administration agreed a further 15 additional objectives to be added

to the Annual Plan that had been agreed previously in March 2019. In terms of meeting

performance targets, 95% of targets were met or were only slight below target.

The report also includes the financial outturn position on revenue and capital, and the position

at the end of the year on general fund balances and capital reserves. Once again, the Council

has demonstrated strong financial management, with a net underspend on revenue of only

£58,000 against a net budget of just over £9.5 million (0.6%), and a net underspend on capital

of £499,000 against a budget of just over £12.1 million (4.1%);

This report is a backward look at business and budget performance during 2019/20. The

impact of coronavirus began to have impact at the end of March 2020. However, as this was

for a short amount of time at the end of the year, this did not have a significant impact on

business or budget performance during 2019/20 and is not the subject of this report. A report

is due to be brought to Cabinet in July 2020 which will provide an update of the Council’s

response to coronavirus and its impact.

1.1 PROJECTS AND STRATEGIES

Successful delivery of the Council’s key projects and strategies is fundamental to achieving

the Council Strategy priority outcomes. Each of the themed dashboards provides a snapshot

of progress against the relevant projects and strategies.

There are 40 objectives in the 2019-20 Annual Plan. An overview of progress against each

objectives is set out on the relevant themed dashboard, as well as a RAG status for each

objective. Where an objective has been given a red or amber status there is further

commentary in the dashboard to explain why and what action is being taken. At the end of

March 2020, performance against the Annual Plan Objectives is as follows:

Community Wellbeing (12 objectives):

Objectives on target (green): 10

Objectives slightly off target (amber): 1

Objectives off target (red): 1

Environment (18 objectives):



Prosperity (9 objectives):



All Council Arrangements (1 objective):


Further commentary for each objective can be found at Appendix A.

1.2 PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

There are 22 performance indicators (PIs) for which a target has been set. Progress against

the target is included in the relevant themed dashboard (Appendix A). At the end of March

2020, performance is assessed as follows:

o PIs on or above target (green): 16 (72.7%)

o PIs slightly off target (amber): 5 (22.7%)

o PIs off target (red): 1 (4.5%)

Commentary is included in the dashboard for each performance indicator.

Further information on our suite of PIs can be found on the MVDC website.

https://www.molevalley.gov.uk/home/council/about-mvdc/performance

Comparing this year’s performance with the same period last year, 11 of the 16 PIs (68.8%)

for which we have 2018/19 data have either performed better or stayed at similar levels.

1.3 FINANCE MONITORING Revenue The Council’s net revenue financial outturn on service costs under the control of business managers is a net underspend of 58,000 (0.6%) against a budget of £9.5 million. The significant variances on revenue budgets are as follows:

£000 Reasons for significant variances against base budget

325 Net under-recovery of income on Parking. As consistently reported, levels of income have been lower than projected since the increase in charges in August 2018 and there has been little evidence of this materially changing. Income to year-end reflects an under recovery on Pay and Display and RingGo of almost £400,000 against initial projections. This shortfall has been reflected in the budget setting for 2020/21. In relation to expenditure, there have been some contractual savings such as bins and litter collection, Swan Centre parking management costs and RingGo. In terms of income more off-street parking permits were sold which has improved the overall position since the Month 9 projection.

(280) Additional net income from the Asset Investment Strategy. There were some balances retained in the Mova companies, any available funds from the commercial investment have now been brought into the Council’s balances during the last quarter of the year.

253 Net overspend on Waste, Street Care & Sustainability. The Contract Management Office (CMO) costs that were agreed by the Joint Waste Contract Committee exceeded the allocation in MVDCs budgets by £167,000. The potential long-term costs of the CMO will need to be addressed during budget setting for 2021/22. Due to the procurement difficulties around the additional vehicles for waste, one-off vehicle hire costs of £107,000 were incurred in 2019/20.

162 Net overspend on Property. Key elements include under-recovery of service charges at the Swan Centre, higher than expected vacant properties, costs of re-letting, delay in the letting of Pippbrook House and a one-off incident that necessitated security services for the protection of staff. Recognising the risks of a number of these factors, the Council maintains a rent equalisation reserve, although these issues have been absorbed within the overall revenue budget in 2019/20. No draw has been necessary from the reserve.

(144) Net underspend on Financial Services, mainly due to vacancies in the team which have now been filled, other than the Apprentice post which traditionally is recruited for over the Summer.

126 Net overspend on Parks and Landscapes, mainly related to spend dealing with the Council’s statutory obligations around Oak Processionary Moth and Ash Die Back, improving security at our recreation grounds and open spaces to increase the security of the assets, together with urgent maintenance works that had to be undertaken in Quarter 4 relating to repairs and resurfacing following the bad weather. There was also a series of health and safety works across the

£000 Reasons for significant variances against base budget

Council's countryside sites undertaken in Quarter 4. There was a large one-off cost relating to the sudden end of the lease at North Leatherhead Community Association contained within the final quarter of the year. The ongoing nature of some of these costs has been taken into account in the 2020/21 budget.

(125) Net underspend on ICT mainly due to unfilled vacancies, and costs of long-term contracts re-phased across future financial years.

(99) Net underspend on Economic Development. £50,000 relates to an unfilled rural officer post as the work was undertaken in partnership with a post funded by Surrey County Council and £36,000 relates to the delay in the delivery of the Business Hot House programme offering in Mole Valley.

(78) Net underspend on Planning Policy. Following a review of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts in Quarter 4, officers were able to reclaim an additional £68,000 of management charges, on the CIL income received in the period.

(53) Net underspend on Dorking Halls, which was mainly due to additional income from Friends memberships and booking fees coming in above estimates, thanks to a strong film programme in the final quarter of the year and a successful targeted marketing campaign of the Dorking Friends membership scheme, coupled with premises costs, mainly electricity and insurance, coming in lower than expected.

Further detail of the revenue financial position is included in Appendix B.

Capital

The Council has a capital programme of £12.1 million and as at 31 March 2020 there is a projected £499,000 net underspend (4.1%).

The significant variances on the capital programme, not previously reported, are as follows:

£000 Reasons for the variance

(214) Underspend on Major Projects - Affordable Housing. The completion of planned properties were delayed by the Developer.

(87) Underspend on Major Projects - Capitalised Salaries. The nature of the current capital programme, meant that there were fewer individual projects that required input from officers during the year.

(60) Underspend on Major Projects - Playground Refurbishment. The funding was earmarked for the skate park at Leatherhead Leisure Centre, but due to the Coronavirus situation, officers deferred the project until 2020/21.

(55) Underspend on Minor Projects - Property Refurbishments. As the properties were fully occupied during the year, the planned refurbishment couldn’t take place.

52 Overspend on Major Projects that were previously reported as completed during the year.

£000 Reasons for the variance

(50) Underspend on Major Projects – Dial-a-ride vehicle replacement. The project was deferred by officers into 2020/21.

(50) Underspend on Major Projects – Community Grants. This relates to three grants made for projects which have not yet been fully completed and for one grant where work has not yet started.

Further detail of the financial position on the capital programme is included in Appendix C.

1.4 RESERVES AND BALANCES

Until the audit of the statement of accounts for 2019/20 has been completed, the position on reserves and balances may still change.

The Council’s useable General Fund balances were £10.5 million as at 31 March 2020 of which £7.9 million has already been earmarked, leaving un-earmarked General Fund balances of £2.6 million. The minimum level of un-earmarked General Fund balances, considered by the Section 151 Officer to be prudent for MVDC are £2 million.

The Council’s useable capital reserves as at 31st March 2020 were £8.6 million, all of which is un-earmarked. Although this is sufficient to meet immediate needs, it will not support major additions to the capital programme, without a capital receipt or borrowing.

1.5 STRATEGIC RISK

The table below sets out a summary of the Strategic Risk Register as at March 2020.

PR

OB

AB

ILIT

Y

Highly probable

5

C9

Probable 4

C4d

Likely 3

C1d, C7, C8

Possible 2

C4b, C4c, C3, C5

Remote 1

Insignificant 1

Minor 2

Moderate 3

Major 4

Catastrophic 5

IMPACT

C1d Loss of rental income from key properties

C3 Health and Safety

C4b IT – hacking

C4c IT – resilience

C4d Document Management System

C5 Data Protection/Information Governance

C7 Organisational capacity to deliver

C8 Safeguarding

C9 Climate Change

During 2019/20, risk levels reduced for both IT - hacking and IT - resilience:

Risk C4b, IT – hacking. MVDC's controls to protect against cyber-attack remain good, with strong technical measures - as validated by the annual Public Services Network audit. Over the last 6 months MVDC’s ability to minimise the impact of, and recover from attack, has also improved, with the addition of a second backup of key data in addition to the main back-up of all data. The main risk of hacking remains staff clicking on malicious links / attachments in emails. To mitigate this, there is automated security scanning of inbound email, regular staff awareness training, and blocking of internet access to staff deemed as high risk.

Risk C4c, IT - resilience. Commissioning of a secondary data centre at Gatwick has considerably improved MVDC's operational resilience. There are now two, largely physically diverged, internet routes outwards from MVDC and work continues to establish further divergence / eliminate reliance on a single supplier. Data back-up is now to a remote site, rather than, as had previously been the case, to a second location 100 metres from the main Pippbrook data centre. The laptop rollout completed during 2019 and has proved successful in supporting Agile / remote working.

The risk level increased for Risk C4d, Document Management System. The current DMS (Causeway) is used to process customer requests and store documentation relating to applications in key service areas such as Revenues, Benefits and Planning. The system will become unsupported during 2020/21. Budget provision of £100,000 has been approved and work is underway to ensure a new system is introduced during 2020/21 which, once implemented, should significantly reduce this risk.

The risk level remains the same for the other Strategic Risks, with the mitigations in place continuing to be effective.

One new risk, Climate Change, was added to the Strategic Risk register during 2019/20. This was in response to the Council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency at its meeting in June 2019. The Council has been developing its strategy to help tackle climate change and become carbon neutral by 2030. The Council already has plans in place for severe weather events and the strategy will set out the additional measures required to mitigate the impacts of climate change and build resilience. An update on the development of the strategy is provided as a separate item on the agenda

The Strategic Risk Register is being updated in the light of the current and potential impact of coronavirus and will be brought to Cabinet for discussion at its meeting in July 2020.

Risks and Opportunities

This report provides an update on progress made to achieve the Annual Plan objectives and Performance Indicators for 2019/20. It provides information on where performance is below target and where there are variances in the budget. The report provides the opportunity for discussion of the reasons given and the mitigation in place.

Financial implications

Financial implications are set out in the main body of the report.

Legal implications

There are no direct legal implications regarding the request to note this report. Legal advice will be provided on the projects referred to as appropriate.

OPTIONS

The Cabinet has two options for consideration:

Option 1: That Cabinet notes the report

Option 2: That Cabinet note the report and indicate any further comments for inclusion.

CORPORATE IMPLICATIONS

Monitoring Officer commentary

The Monitoring Officer confirms that all relevant legal implications have been taken into account.

S151 Officer commentary

This report is, by its very nature, financial, and the key financial issues are addressed in the report.

Overall, the Council has had another successful year from a financial perspective, with net spending in 2019/20 being extremely close to budget.

This continues to build on MVDC’s record of strong financial control, and protects MVDC’s robust level of revenue reserves. Both of these factors are going to be crucial as the Council moves into 2020/21. While this is primarily a ‘backward looking’ report about 2019/20, any consideration of the Council’s finances, would currently be incomplete without recognition of the significant financial challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. These will be considered fully at a Cabinet meeting in July, but the strength of the Council’s financial foundations are such that it is well placed to deal with these challenges, under almost all possible scenarios, during 2020/21.

Risk Implications of options

This report is presented to Cabinet for information and noting. If further work was requested this would delay confirmation of the Outturn position and reduce availability of Officer to work on business and budget monitoring for 2020/21.

Equalities Implications

There are no equalities issues arising as a direct result of this report.

Employment Issues

There are no employment issues arising as a direct result of this report.

Sustainability Issues

There are no sustainability issues arising as a direct result of this report.

Consultation

Not applicable

Communications

This report will be posted on the Performance page of the Council’s website

https://www.molevalley.gov.uk/home/council/about-mvdc/performance

BACKGROUND PAPERS

None

-

APPENDIX A

COMMUNITY WELLBEING: "Active communities and support for those whoneed it"

Annual Plan 2019-20 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) In line with the Wellbeing Strategy, workingwith partners to develop activities that focuson reducing social isolation and keepingpeople independent in their own homes forlonger

The team at Mole Valley Life have continued to work with the ClinicalCommissioning Group to run a Home from Hospital scheme giving support todischarged patients and helping maintain their independence upon returninghome. The team have also hosted a District wide event looking at lonelinessand what support there is across statutory and voluntary agencies for those whoare lonely and isolated in Mole Valley.

Following the outcome of the ListeningProject, commission a masterplan andfeasibility study for a community hub on thesite known as Kingston Road RecreationGround, informed by engagement withrelevant asset owners, stakeholders andresidents

A meeting has been held with the Diocese of Guildford to discuss the potentialfor the Trinity Centre into the future and how MVDC can work with thecommunity groups interested to present a proposal for its use going forward.MVDC, in partnership with the relevant community groups, submitted a proposalto the Diocese of Guildford for a community use. The Diocese has subsequentlydecided to appoint an agent to establish the level of interest in, and potential

future uses (including residential development) for, the site, and have asked thatinterested parties submit expressions of interest in the site, ahead of seeking

formal bids. MVDC is reviewing alternative options to bring the concept of thecommunity hub forward.

Develop a new Homelessness Strategy for2020-2025

A forum has been held to consult with homelessness professionals regarding thedraft homelessness strategy evidence. This was a well attended event and it

provided a strong way forward for the completion of the Strategy. The reviewstage of the work is complete and a Homelessness and Rough Sleepingstrategy is on track to be brought to Cabinet in 2020/21.

Co-ordinate and promote holiday activitiesthroughout the District for children and youngpeople, to be delivered by voluntary

organisations. This includes use of thecouncil website to promote holiday activities

Preparation work for these activities was complete and partners engaged andplanning to deliver the programme in the Easter Holidays.

Whilst the preparations had been completed, dueto Coronavirus, the activities planned for the

Easter holidays in March 2020 were unable to bedelivered.

To deliver the objectives highlighted in thereview of the Wellbeing Strategy in summer2017, with specific focus on getting andkeeping children, young people and olderpeople more active and tackling mentalhealth.

Exercise on Referral referrals went well, with 416 patients referred to DorkingSports Centre and Leatherhead Leisure Centre between April and February forthe 12 week course of exercise (both centres closed in March due to theCoronavirus pandemic). Following the Active Ageing Campaign created by ActiveSurrey in October to raise the awareness for the benefits of physical activity forolder people, work has been undertaken with Mole Valley Life to increase the

publicity of this by going into 5 sheltered and social housing schemes to delivera presentation on the benefits of physical activity. Support has been provided toa new Otago Falls Prevention Class ,which recently started in Dorking, with aview to decreasing the number of falls in the District.

Support the new Mole Valley Family Centrein establishing high quality and accessiblechildren's services across the district in theface of county council cuts particularly giventhe closure of Leatherhead Children's

Centre.

Officers have been working with the family centre provider (Dorking Nursery andInfant School) to identify locations to hold outreach sessions for baby weighing

and 'stay and play'. Information has also been provided regarding other sourcesof funding that may be available to the organisation. Ongoing conversationsabout a Community Hub in North Leatherhead have included consideration ofthe Family Centre operation.

Continue to deliver improvements to playequipment in the District, focusing on theskatepark at Leatherhead Leisure Centre andengagement in the process of developing

plans for Cock Lane in Fetcham

Plans for the skate park at Leatherhead Leisure Centre have progressed to aconclusion with a final scheme agreed following public consultation Contractorswere due to start on site when the coronavirus restrictions were imposed. Theplan will be to begin the works as soon as is possible following governmentguidance for the industry. Officers have continued to engage in the plans forCock Lane in Fetcham.

Establish and embed the new Mole ValleyJoint Enforcement Team

The Joint Enforcement Team (JET) is now well embedded within Mole Valleysince being established a year ago. In its first 12 months of operation the teamhave responded to 916 incidents including 434 abandoned vehicles, 104community anti-social behaviour incidents and 171 fly-tips. They have alsoconducted nearly 250 proactive patrols across the District. They have respondedto 94% of these incidents within 2 days.

Deploy mobile cameras to record fly-tippingto assist enforcement

Cameras have been received ready for deployment. They will be deployed onceall relevant procedures are in place.

Prioritise enforcement of no parking ondouble yellow lines where it causesobstruction, traffic congestion and danger onthe roads

The parking team continues to enforce no parking on double yellow lines acrossthe district and continues to respond to reports where these incidences cause

obstruction, traffic congestion and danger on roads.

Engage in the development of the jointHealth and Social Care 5-10 year StrategicPlan; and, ensure the Council contributes tothe discussions about future plans for theEpsom and St Helier Trust configuration ofservices

The Scrutiny Committee were due to receive an update from senior officers fromthe Epsom and St Helier Trust regarding the 'Improving Healthcare Together'proposals for future provision of a brand-new specialist emergency care hospitalin the area. Due to the Coronavirus restrictions this meeting did not go ahead in2019/20.

The element of this work in relation to engagingwith the Trust on the Improving HealthcareTogether proposals could not be progressed dueto Coronavirus. Future engagement will beplanned.

Encourage the devolution of services fromthe County Council where this is in the bestinterests of residents, businesses and visitors

This work is ongoing. In particular, opportunities will be actively explored as andwhen key contracts come up for renewal e.g responsibility for verge

maintenance will be reconsidered when we review the grounds maintenancecontract.

ENVIRONMENT: "A highly attractive area with housing that meets localneed"

Annual Plan 2019-20 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) Promote Anti-littering campaign The campaign took place in February - March 2020. The campaign had a

positive impact with a 50% reduction in reports of dirty streets in February anda further 50% in March (although it is recognised that the Coronavirus pandemicwould have had a significant impact on March figures). The campaign

achieved significant coverage in written media, radio and social media. Thescheme will be repeated at a later date.

MVDC owns in the region of 50,000 trees and all need assessing andmaintenance plans developed for those considered high and medium risk. TheParks team have now inspected the high risk trees in all of the Council'spublicly accessible open spaces. The team are now concentrating on assessingthe medium risk trees in those areas. The growth bid for additional capacity

for 2 years to complete this work will enable the Council progress this.

The Parks team has produced management plans for nine of the Council's

Complete a programme of work identifyingand assessing ‘high risk’ trees

Deliver a programme of works to ensure ourParks and Open spaces are managed withbiodiversity in mind

countryside sites and is currently reviewing and updating them with moreinformation as it becomes available, such as habitat surveys. The team are alsoconsidering other high profile sites such as Cotmandene and reviewing their

current management to maximise their ecological benefit and best value formoney.

The Regulation 18 Consultation was carried out during February and March2020. The Council received around 4000 responses from 3700 respondents.The Council will now work towards the next stage of consultation by preparing asubmission version of the Plan.

The Affordable Housing Strategy has been completed and went before ScrutinyCommittee in March. Due to Coronavirus it was unable to proceed to Cabinet inthe same cycle and will instead be considered at the June meeting.

MVDC has continued to work with Joint Waste Solutions and the SurreyEnvironment Partnership on county wide initiatives to promote recycling and re-use throughout 2019/20. A number of authorities in Surrey have declared aClimate Emergency; this will provide added stimulus to this workstream into thefuture.

There is day to day engagement with the Joint Waste Solutions team at

Consult on the draft Local Plan which setsout the Council’s planning policies for the useand development of land in Mole Valley

Develop a new Affordable Housing Strategy

Work with Joint Waste Solutions to promotewaste recycling and reuse and inform thepublic how they can combat climate changewhile saving money

Work to ensure the effective delivery of thenew waste management contract Pippbrook to ensure timely response to complaints and queries about the

household waste collection and street cleaning service. We continue to workwith the Joint Waste Contract Partnering Board and the Joint Waste CollectionServices Committee to hold the contractor to account to ensure delivery of thewaste collection and street cleaning contract.Performance in relation to missed bins collections for February 2020 (the latestavailable data) showed that the target of 80 missed bin collections for every100,000 collection has been met. The contractor has provided an excellentservice throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

Work is ongoing for the development of the Climate Change Strategy and ActionPlan. A report will be considered by Cabinet in June about the strategic

objectives ahead of consideration of a Strategy in September.

The project has not been progressed any further as a number of feasability

Progress was delayed by Coronavirus

Progress in initiating this work was limited as

Develop a Climate Change Strategy anddelivery plan

Develop a strategy for MVDC Depotprovision surveys are needed to inform decisions around next Steps. Elmbridge have

prepared a draft paper which needs further input once feasability work has beenprogressed. Once the new P&R Manager is in post, subject to budget

availability the project can be progressed further

officers were awaiting input from partners toenable the project to commence.

Encourage SCC to change vergemanagement to allow wild flowers to growand pollinators to flourish, while protectingsight lines at road junctions.

The Leader and Cabinet Member met with the SCC Cabinet Member, togetherwith senior officers from both organisations to discuss a wide range ofenvironmental opportunities following the declaration of a Climate Emergency byboth MVDC and SCC. Both organisations share the same objective of

encouraging wildflowers on highway verges together with less grass cutting,where appropriate. MVDC will be retendering the grounds maintenance contractduring 2020/21 and consideration of this issue will be included.

Represent the District’s residents, businessesand visitors in relation to the application for

a Development Consent Order to besubmitted by Gatwick Airport Limited

MVDC continues to engage with Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) to ensure thatthe interests of local residents, businesses and visitors are fully addressed inthe Development Consent Order (DCO) process. In partnership withneighbouring authorities, MVDC has been successful in securing a requirementfor more technical information to enable the impacts of airport growth to bebetter understood; and is pressing for a wider remit to future consultation so thatlocal people are better informed and have more opportunities to respond.

MVDC will continue to participate in topic groups and represent local interests.GAL indicated at the end of March 2020 that the submission of its DCO wouldbe delayed whilst the airport concentrated on operational matters during theCoronavirus crisis. The Council has been part of a joint reply on the Statementof Consultation issued by GAL as well as sending its own MVDC specificresponse. Work on the joint Planning Performance Agreement, S106-needsmatrix and preparing a Local Impact Report and Statement of Common Groundin the lead up to the airport's submission (date unknown), remains active.

Develop a new planning policy for inclusionin the new Mole Valley Local Plan requiringthe provision of affordable housing in newresidential developments

The Regulation 18 consultation on Local Plan, which included new policies onaffordable housing, was carried out over February and March 2019/20, and theresults are now being analysed. Further Local Plan consultation will be set outin the Local Development Scheme.

Establish an Environment Forum to bringtogether key organisations across MoleValley

The Environment Forum has been established and meets on a quarterlybasis.The forum will coordinate activities and share best practice to encourageand support our communities and residents to reduce their carbon footprint.

Implement measures to reduce single useplastics; promote the Refill scheme; and,establish water bottle refill stations inLeatherhead and Dorking, including workingwith Surrey Waste Partnership

Excellent progress has been made to eliminate the use of Single Use Plasticsfrom Pippbrook and work has commenced on reducing usage at the DorkingHalls. There are now 68 businesses that have signed up to be part of thewater refill scheme in Mole Valley. Water refill stations opened in Dorking andLeatherhead in February 2020.

Roll our programme of street bin replacementin Dorking

A survey of litter bins in Dorking High Street has been completed. Replacementbins have been identified; installation was due to be carried out during Marchbut has been delayed due to Coronavirus.

Installation has been delayed by Coronavirus.

Work with Surrey County Council to ensurethe Dorking Community Recycling Centre(CRC) remains open and support them todevelop additional recycling services at allCRCs

Following consultation, Surrey County Council have decided not to alter theopening hours of the Dorking CRC.

Support the Environment Agency in itsengagement activities with members andresidents in relation to flooding inLeatherhead and Fetcham

2019 saw more than eighty households in Leatherhead and Fetcham register forthe Environment Agency property level flood resilience measures scheme. Thisinvolves each property being surveyed, with recommendations to be agreed by

the householder and the Environment Agency. The works were targeted to beundertaken from March 2020, following the procurement and appointment of acontractor, however the project timetable is delayed by the Covid-19 restrictions.The Leatherhead temporary flood defences were deployed twice this year inDecember and in February and successfully protected the targeted homes andproperties from floodwater.MVDC has undertaken some minor improvement works to its land on ThorncroftDrive to mitigate surface water ponding.

The pilot of natural flood management measures at Coldharbour has beencompleted. This comprises 28 leaky debris dams to slow down the flow of thePippbrook into the River Mole. Candidate sites have been identified for the nextprojects; there are several prime candidate streams that drain into the RiverMole and the Environment Agency is talking to the land owners about these. Inmany cases the land owner for the upper reaches of the tributaries is theForestry Commission or the National Trust, so there is generally commoninterest in issues that affect the environment.A targeted programme of drainage repairs and improvements was undertaken bySurrey County Council, in conjunction with the relevant water company, to

address longstanding surface water flooding ‘wetspots’ in Leatherhead, Fetcham,Bookham and Dorking. These works were predominantly funded by SCC but

supported by a contribution towards the improvement works from NeighbourhoodCIL.

Explore the introduction of smart travel to thedistrict

Following detailed discussions with Surrey County Council, Springfield Driveoccupiers and a smart transport operator, Zeelo, a proposal has been developedwhich, if accepted, would combine the employers' private mini-bus services witha new community bus service, serving the QEF development, Randalls Road,

Springfiled Drive business park with Leatherhead railway station, town centreand Leisure Centre. MVDC has worked with SCC to develop an Expression ofInterest for the Department of Transport's Rural Mobility Fund. If successful, itwould provide the funding for a pilot of of on-demand bus services to improveconnectivity across Mole Valley.

PROSPERITY: "A vibrant local economy with thriving towns and villages"

Annual Plan 2019-20 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) Agree a way forward to support tourism andthe visitor economy, including the creation ofa Leisure and Tourism Strategy.

Work on the Leisure and Tourism Plan has been revisited in light of Coronavirusand consideration of what can be implemented in the current climate and in thelonger term is being undertaken.

This plan has been delayed due to the currentsituation with the pandemic, it is planned to bringit forward in the autumn.

Provide support to start up, small andmedium sized enterprises (SMEs); andmaximise the occupancy of commercial,industrial, and retail properties in the District

2019/2020 saw the delivery of Digital Business Skills training to more than sixtyindependent businesses, representing a wide range of sectors, in Mole Valley.A significant number of these businesses have subsequently had to migrate toonline channels to continue trading during the Covid-19. It has also built anetwork of businesses which creates yet further opportunties for business tobusiness collaboration and information sharing.The Retai skills training programme was underpinned by a business needssurvey in Leatherhead and Dorking conducted in January and February 2020.This shaped the training offer, but delivery was postponed due to the Covid-19restrictions. We are replanning the (likely virtual) delivery and focus of thistraining for delivery in 2020/21.The University of Chichester Business School launched the Business Hot Houseprogramme for start-ups, pre-start ups, and Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) in 2020 with a presentation on the grant programme to Mole Valleybusinesses in early March 2020. The scheduled bootcamps for start ups andpre-start ups will be replanned for (likely virtual) delivery in 2020/21.MVDC held its first Business Networking Lunch in February 2020 with guestspeaker Nicola McDonald of Attractive Marketing, followed by a second ‘Networkand Learn’ event in March, this time featuring a presentation on pricingstrategies by Mark Peacock, the Pricing Coach. Both events were fully bookedwith more than fifty delegates at each. Future Network and Learn events will bedelivered (likely virtually) in 2020/21.

Deliver the Transform Leatherhead plan for2019/20 with a focus on communicating withwider audiences and increasing engagementwith and understanding of the project

Claire House and James House: Outline planning consent was obtained in June2019 and the scheme successfully marketed, resulting in a preferred partnerbeing approved by Cabinet in September 2019. National political and economicuncertainty, coupled with the developer having alternative schemes to deliver,resulted in the developer withdrawing in December prior to exchange of contract.Swan Centre: Legal and property consultants were appointed and procurement

planning is underway. The timing of marketing of the site will be delayed as aresult of the disruption caused by Covid-19. Refurbishment works aresubstantially completed, although there is still some snagging to resolve. TheSwan Centre rebranding is underway.Riverside Park: At its February meeting, Cabinet authorised the funding so as toenable the detailed design of the new Riverside Park to be commissioned.Bull Hill: Bull Hill has been promoted for inclusion in the Local Plan. Two drop-

in events were held in Leatherhead to enable residents and other interestedparties to find out more about the proposed site allocation. This wassupplemented by an online consultation and static exhibition in the Swan Centre.Transport feasibility study: The specification for Phase 2 of the study has beendeveloped but not yet scheduled for procurement. Phase 2 is about analysingthe options for traffic modelling, taking into account pedestrian and cyclingconnections, public realm and highway safety.High Street feasibility: Surrey County Council's Mole Valley Local Committee

decided at its meeting on 22 January 2020 not to include the High Streetproposals in the Mole Valley 2020 parking review. Other initiatives to support theHigh Street include the expanded market offer from the Chamber of Commerce

and a wide range of events.

The decision of the preferred developmentpartner to withdraw from the redevelopment ofClaire House and James House means that anew partner will need to be secured. It is notproposed to change the approved deliverystrategy; but to re-market the site.The disruption caused by Covid-19 will have adirect impact on the Transform Leatherheadprogramme, and the timing of the marketing ofthe key sites will need to be carefullyconsidered.

Develop 'Opportunity Dorking' to promote theculture and economy of Dorking

Opportunity Dorking was fully approved in November 2019. Following approvalof funding, the period January-March 2020 saw the commencement of a specificprogramme of digital and retail skills training, underpinned by a business survey.A Stakeholder engagement plan was developed, with the first stage consultationoriginally planned for June and July, in order to achieve maximum publicity andparticipation. Given the restrictions and likely impact on Dorking like other towncentres of Covid-19, that engagement plan will be rewritten and refocused.The new post in Economic Development was filled which positions the team wellto deliver Opportunity Dorking in 2020/21.

Deliver phase two of the parkingrefurbishment programme and plan for futurephases, including installation of infrastructureto support electric vehicle charging points

Works to Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall car park are complete, apart from finalsnagging. Surveys of the second car park in the programme have beenundertaken. Due to Coronavirus, this work has not commenced. Members andofficers will work through the Car Parking Working Group to plan for futureprioritisation of works given the financial pressures brought to bear by thispandemic. Infrastructure for electric vehicle charging is still a priority within theprogramme and will be considered as part of the future plans for 2020/21

Financial uncertainty in light of Coronavirus couldaffect the future of the programme.

Prioritise broadband access to ruralcommunities

Provision of High Speed Broadband to our rural communities and business is apriority. Community based companies such as Broadband for Surrey Hills(B4SH), and Surrey Hills Internet are developing innovative ways to harnesscommunity collaboration and volunteering, to provide fast connectivity.Surrey County Council Superfast Surrey Broadband Programme presented acomprehensive review of the options and government support available toresidents and businesses seeking faster broadband speeds to members of theMole Valley Local Committee, and representatives of the parish councils andresidents’ associations. The scheduled presentation to businesses at theChamber of Commerce event at Denbies in March 2020 was postponed as aresult of the Covid-19 restrictions and will be carried forward to 2020/21.A detailed assessment of properties which would be able to benefit for thegovernment voucher schemes (Gigabit and the Rural Gigabit Vouchers) hasbeen completed and those households will be contacted with details of theschemes in 2020/21.

Conduct research and analysis of parking inMole Valley and update Car ParkingStrategy, including permits and fees &charges

The Car Parking Working Group has considered a range of options for permitand free parking. This work will be reviewed in 2020/21 in light of Coronavirusimplications.

Coronavirus may have implications for plannedworks in relation to the car parking strategy.

Develop a Town Markets Strategy andimplementation plans for Dorking andLeatherhead to help provide businessopportunities and create a new experiencefor shoppers

Dorking Town Partnership launched the monthly Sunday Dorking Artisan Marketin 2019 held on West Street car park. In November, additional stalls were hostedwithin St Martin's Walk courtyard as there were more stallholders wishing to

attend than could be accommodated in West Street car park. The first phase ofthe MVDC project focussed on making Dorking’s traditional Friday market held inSt Martin’s Walk car park bigger and better. The key objective is to make the

market busier by retaining its loyal and long-standing stall-holder and customerbase whilst adapting to attract new traders and customers. The market has beenre-branded and a concerted effort is being made to attract new stalls and to

continue promoting the market. Notwithstanding the coronvirus pandemic, themarket continued in March with a food-only offer and has traded well. 2019 sawthe end of our partnership with Surrey Markets and work was completed to

bring the market operation back in-house. The Chamber of Commerce extendedtheir market offer in Leatherhead with the launch of a monthly artisan market inFebruary 2020; although this had to go on hold in March as a result of theCovid-19 regulations restricting markets to food stalls only.

Secure the future of Pippbrook House Due to Coronavirus all discussions regarding progression of surveys by CHiP tofinalise the HoT have been delayed, this in turn has delayed reporting to cabinet

COUNCIL ARRANGEMENTS: Contributing to the delivery of all Councilpriorities

Annual Plan 2019-20 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) 2019-20 Annual Plan wording: Developefficient and cost-effective proposals for theCouncil's governance arrangements whichpromote wider engagement and transparencyin pursuing the Council's priorities

This was actively explored by a Member Working Group during 2019/20 and aproposal was developed to be considered by all Members. This work has

been put on hold as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

COMMUNITY WELLBEING PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance Indicator Status Commentary Percentage of Telecare calls answered Green The target to answer 97.5% of telecare calls within 60within 60 seconds seconds has been met.

Number of families with children in temporary Green The target to have no families with children inBed & Breakfast accommodation for longer temporary bed and breakfast accommodation wasthan six weeks met throughout the year.

Number of 16 or 17 year olds in temporary Green The target to have no 16 or 17 year olds inBed & Breakfast accommodation temporary bed and breakfast accommodation was

met throughout the year.

Percentage of food businesses with a Green 98.8% of food business at the end of March 2020‘Scores on the door’ of 3 or over had a 'Scores on the door' of 3 or over, exceeding

the target of 93.0%

Number of Management Plans outlined for Green The target to outline 9 Management Plans was met.MVDC owned countryside sites

Percentage of eligible cases responded to in Green 94% of eligible cases were responded to in 2 working2 working days by Joint Enforcement Team days, exceeding the target of 75%.

Community Transport customer satisfaction Green The annual Community Transport survey achieved a(annual survey) 100% satisfaction score.

Day Centre customer satisfaction (annual Green The annual Day Centre customer satisfaction surveysurvey) achieved a 99% satisfaction score.

Telecare Service – customer satisfaction Green Each Post Alarm survey carried out at the end ofscore following use of alarm service every month achieved a customer satisfaction score

of 100%.

ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance Indicator Status Commentary Housing: net number of additional dwellings Amber MVDC’s 2019 Housing Delivery Test (HDT) result of

89% (1,004 dwellings provided against a target of1,123) represents an improvement in housing deliverycompared with the 2018 result of 77%.

Consequently, MVDC is no longer required toincorporate a 20% buffer in its five year housing landsupply. This has improved MVDC’s five year supplyfrom 2.63 years to exactly 3 years.

Nevertheless, housing delivery remains below the95% threshold set by Government and, as a result,MVDC is required to review and update its HDTAction Plan by August 2020. A key component ofMVDC’s current Action Plan is preparation of theFuture Mole Valley Local Plan, which is key toincreasing the District’s housing land supply andtherefore delivery.

Housing: number of affordable homes Red 23 affordable homes were completed during 2019/20.The annual target is 50 based on the adopted Core

Strategy policy CS4.

During the final quarter of 2019/20 it was anticipatedthat the Mount Green’s Preston Cross Farm,Bookham development of 10 affordable units wouldbe completed. Unfortunately, the site was closedbecause of the lockdown due to the coronaviruspandemic and that has delayed the full handover ofthe scheme. Three of the six affordable units atHarpers House, Challenge Court, Leatherhead arecompleting during April 2020.

MVDC continues to work with developers andhousing providers to maximise the delivery ofaffordable homes.

Number of missed bins per 100,000 Green Whilst there have been performance issuescollections throughout the year, Joint Waste Solutions and the

four partner local authorities have been working withthe contractor to ensure that the service meets thetarget. Performance for the month of February 2020(the latest available data) is above the target of 80missed bins per 100,000 collections.

Percentage of waste sent for recycling, reuse Green Performance as at Q2 2019/20 (the latest availableand composting data) was above target at 55%, against a target of

53.8%.

Residual waste per household Amber The latest available data (Q2 2019/20) shows that415kg of residual waste is produced per household,which is slightly higher than the target of 409kg.

The number of organisations signed up to Green Nearly 70 organisations have signed up to be part ofthe Refill scheme the refill scheme. This has exceeded the target to

achieve 30 business sign ups.

PROSPERITY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance Indicator Status Commentary Percentage of council tax collected Amber Collection of council tax at the end of 2019/20 was

just 0.2% under target.

Percentage of business rates collected Amber Collection of business rates at the end of 2019/20was just 0.9% under target. There are a smallnumber of businesses with some large debts andofficers are actively addressing these debts to securepayment.

Percentage of major applications for Green The target of processing 63% of major applicationsplanning permission processed within 13 within 13 weeks has been exceeded throughout theweeks year, with 85% of applications being processed within

the timescale (current assessment period is October2018 - September 2020).

Percentage of non-major applications for Green The target of processing 79% of non-majorplanning permission processed within 8 applications within 8 weeks has been exceededweeks throughout the year, with 85.2% being processed

within the timescale (current assessment period isOctober 2018 - September 2020).

Percentage of major development decisions Green The target of ensuring that good quality majoroverturned on appeal development decisions are made (no more than 8%

of decisions overturned on appeal) has been metthroughout the year (current assessment period isApril 2018 - March 2020; appeals decided untilDecember 2020).

Percentage of non-major development Green The target of ensuring that good quality non-majordecisions overturned on appeal development decisions are made (no more than 8%

of decisions overturned on appeal) has been metthroughout the year (current assessment period isApril 2018 - March 2020; appeals decided untilDecember 2020).

Percentage of planning enforcement Amber Performance over the period from April 2019 - Marchinvestigations commenced within timeframe 2020 is below target at 66.2% against a target of

70%. This has been due to difficulties recruitingearlier in the year. However, performance has beenimproving and the performance for the month ofMarch was above target.

REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING APPENDIX B

MONTH 12, 2019/20

Base budget Outturn

Base

Budget v

Outturn

£000 £000 £000

Communications 282 297 15Councillor Watson Customer Services 527 498 (29)

Mole Valley Life 290 270 (20)

Parking Enforcement 313 355 42

1,412 1,420 8

Waste, Street Care & Sustainability 2,658 2,911 253Councillor Malcomson

Benefits 408 407 (1)Councillor Kendrick Corporate Costs 1,697 1,726 29

Democratic Services 1,080 1,032 (48)

Financial Services 532 388 (144)

HR & Organisational Development 417 414 (3)

ICT 1,104 979 (125)

Legal Services 350 327 (23)

Revenues & Exchequer 443 456 13

Risk Management & Performance 287 268 (19)

Strategic Corporate Support 201 197 (4)

Strategic Leadership Team 770 785 15

7,289 6,979 (310)

Community Safety & Wellbeing (143) (153) (10)Councillor Draper Dorking Halls 175 122 (53)

Parks & Landscapes 528 654 126

560 623 63

Planning Building Control (14) (11) 3Councillor M Cooksey Development Management 466 422 (44)

Planning Policy 480 402 (78)

Planning Support 285 289 4

1,217 1,102 (115)

Asset Investment Strategy (1,452) (1,732) (280)Councillor Vyvyan-Robinson Investment & regeneration 410 365 (45)

Property (1,284) (1,122) 162

(2,326) (2,489) (163)

Economic Development 256 157 (99)Councillor Wellman Parking (2,647) (2,322) 325

(2,391) (2,165) 226

Environmental Health & Licensing 473 456 (17)Councillor Daly Housing 642 638 (4)

1,115 1,094 (21)

Total net services revenue 9,533 9,475 (58)

Wellbeing

Finance & Organisation

Environment

Community

Leisure

Projects

Sustainable Economy

CAPITAL PROGRAMME APPENDIX C

MONTH 12, 2019/20

Approved

budget

Projected

spend

Budget v

Projection

£000 £000 £000

Major Projects (Multi-year)

Asset Acquisition 1,875 1,875 -

Car Park Enhancement (5 year project) 1,000 1,000 -

Joint Waste Solutions Vehicles 4,000 4,000 -

Leatherhead Bypass Contingency - 10 10

Leatherhead High Street Units 21 & 23 1,350 1,345 (5)

Meadowbank Soundbarrier (New) 190 190 -

Swan Centre Development & Car Park

Refurb.

1,215 1,215 - * Major projects completed this year 270 322 52

Annual capital expenditure 2019/20

Affordable Housing 315 101 (214)

Capitalised Salaries 175 88 (87)

Community Grants 74 24 (50)

Developers Contribution 12 12 -

Dial-a-Ride Vehicle Replacement 50 - (50)

Disability Adaptations 802 765 (37)

Playground Refurbishment 60 - (60)

Telecare Equipment 50 47 (3)

Total Major Projects 11,438 10,994 (444)

Minor Projects

Total Minor projects 639 584 (55)

Minor projects completed this year 48 48 -

Total Minor Projects 687 632 (55)

Total Capital Programme 12,125 11,626 (499)

Business and Budget Outturn monitoring report 2019-20 · targeted marketing campaign of the Dorking...

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