Colchester City Council has published its annual report on key performance indicators (KPIs) assessing the council’s services and corporate activities, and the results are positive. According to the report, eight (61.5%) of the council’s 13 key performance measures were achieved in 2022/23.
Some of the key successes include:
Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Scheme: Residents are receiving benefits after an average of two days processing time, one of the lowest processing times in the country.
Affordable homes delivered: Despite the negative impact of the pandemic on the completion of affordable homes, the delivery has gradually improved as the market stabilised and Covid restrictions eased. This improvement was achieved through various means such as Section 106 agreements with registered providers, the First Homes initiative, the internal acquisitions program, and new construction. As a result, the three-year target was surpassed by the end of the specified period and is well on the way to achieving the target of 380 affordable homes by 2026.
Rent collected: Despite the effects of the Covid pandemic and Cost of Living crisis, the rent collection target was achieved with low level of eviction.
Processing of planning applications: The planning team achieved a consistently high level of decision making in all categories of planning applications, processing a total of 1,501 applications, including 37 major developments.
Percentage of waste collections made: Significant investment has been made in behavioural change of the Recycling and Waste crews, resulting in this target being achieved for 2022/23.
The council also made some progress on the KPIs that were not met. For example, the target for Net Additional Homes Provided was not met due to a delay in the expected delivery of a large site at the University of Essex. However, the council is confident that this target will be met in the next year, as more large sites start to deliver at full capacity.
The council is also working to address the Number of Households in Temporary Accommodation per 1,000 Households KPI. There is a continuing lack of affordable housing supply both in the social and private rented housing sectors leading to an increase in the number of households being housed in temporary accommodation. The council is working with the private sector to encourage landlords to work with them and is also exploring alternative affordable housing supply with partners and stakeholders.
The final part of the report details a range of milestones and successes over the past year.
Cllr Alison Jay, Portfolio Holder for Economy, Transformation and Performance, said: “The council's ability to excel in various services is truly impressive. This report highlights the positive efforts that have been made to achieve the council’s performance targets.
“There is much to be proud of, and this is largely due to the hard work and dedication of the staff who provide services to our residents and customers. I am delighted with our achievements in meeting and even surpassing most performance targets during a challenging period for the council. It demonstrates that, despite facing some stark financial pressures and providing increased support during the cost of living crisis, we have been able to maintain and, in most areas, improve the level of services we offer to residents.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all the diligent officers who have contributed to this success. Thanks to their commitment to further enhancing our performance, I am confident that we will continue to meet or exceed our targets in the future.”
Page last reviewed: 6 July 2023