DATA LABEL: Public
Environment Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel
West Lothian Civic Centre Howden South Road LIVINGSTON EH54 6FF
20 March 2014
A meeting of the Environment Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel of West Lothian Council will be held within the Council Chambers, West Lothian Civic Centre on Thursday 27 March 2014 at 2:00pm.
For Chief Executive
BUSINESS
Public Session
1. Apologies for Absence.
2. Order of Business, including notice of urgent business.
3. Declarations of Interest - Members should declare any financial and non- financial interests they have in the items of business for consideration at the meeting, identifying the relevant agenda item and the nature of their interest.
4. Confirm Draft Minute of Meeting of the Panel held on 16th January 2014 (herewith).
5. Update of Audit Scotland Report - Protecting Customers - report by Head of Planning and Economic Development (herewith).
6. Authorisation of Enforcement Staff - Environmental Health & Trading Standards - report by Head of Planning and Economic Development (herewith).
7. Proposed Response to the Scottish Government Consultation on the Scottish Regulator Strategic Code of Practice - report by Head of
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Planning and Economic Development (herewith).
8. Pest Control - Service Review - report by Head of Planning and Economic Development (herewith).
9. Pentland Hills Regional Park: A Proposal to Extend the Regional Park Boundary - report by Head of Planning and Economic Development (herewith).
10. Scottish Government Consultation - Scottish Safety Camera Partnership - report by Head of Operational Services (herewith).
11. Review of Traffic Warden Provision and Potential for Decriminalised Parking Enforcement - report by Head of Operational Services (herewith).
12. Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP) Casualty Reduction Programme 2014/15 - report by Head of Operational Services (herewith).
13. Operational Services Management Plan 2014/2015 - report by Head of Operational Services (herewith).
14. Planning and Economic Development Management Plan 2014/15 - report by Head of Planning and Economic Development (herewith).
15. Performance Report - report by Head of Operational Services (herewith).
16. Forth Estuary Transport Authority MInutes -
(a) Note Minute of Meeting held on 25th February 2013 (herewith).
(b) Note Minute of Meeting held on 10th May 2013 (herewith).
(c) Note Minute of Meeting held on 25th June 2013 (herewith).
(d) Note Minute of Meeting held on 23rd August 2013 (herewith).
(e) Note Minute of Meeting held on 25th October 2013 (herewith).
17. Workplan (herewith).
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NOTE For further information please contact Eileen Rollo on 01506 281621 or e-mail [email protected]
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MINUTE of MEETING of the ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL of WEST LOTHIAN COUNCIL held within COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WEST LOTHIAN CIVIC CENTRE, on 16 JANUARY 2014.
Present – Councillors Tom Conn (Chair), Barry Robertson, Tony Boyle, Robert De Bold, Dave King, Greg McCarra
In attendance – Derek Moore (West Lothian Community Council Associated Representative) and Dorothy Knox (Senior People’s Forum Representative)
1. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Agenda Item 6 (West Lothian Recycling Annual Report and Financial Statements) – Councillor Tom Conn declared a non-financial interest in that he was a council appointed Director of West Lothian Recycling Ltd.
2. MINUTE
The Panel confirmed the Minute of its meeting held on 21 November 2013 as a correct record but subject to the following amendment :-
The sederunt to show that Derek Moore (West Lothian Community Council Associated Representative) had attended the meeting and that Dorothy Knox (Senior People’s Forum Representative) had submitted her apologies for the meeting.
3. UNDERAGE SALES UPDATE
The Panel considered a report (copies of which had been circulated) by the Head of Planning and Economic Development providing an update on the enforcement activities undertaken by Trading Standards on age-restricted products during the past year.
The Head of Planning and Economic Development advised, that with regards to tobacco test purchasing, since April 2013 28 formal test purchases had been made. This represented 11% of registered tobacco retailers and therefore the Scottish Government target of 10% had already been met for 2013-14.
The 28 formal test purchase attempts resulted in 3 sales. Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN’s) were then issued to the person who made the sale, where this was not the owner of the business; a FPN was also issued to the business. As a result 5 FPN’s were issued for £200 (or £150 if paid within 14 days). All 5 notices had been paid.
The Head of Planning and Economic Development then advised that with regards to firework test purchasing, in the lead up to 5 November 2013, a total of 25 attempts at test purchasing fireworks were made by young volunteers. It was again pleasing to report that no sales were made, as had been the case in the previous two years.
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In conclusion the very positive outcomes from tobacco and firework test purchasing was a reflection of the extensive enforcement and advisory work previously undertaken in this field and that the test purchasing by young volunteers continued to be an important element in combating illegal underage sales.
Decision
To note the terms of the report.
4. WEST LOTHIAN RECYCLING – ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2012
The Panel considered a report (copies of which had been circulated) by the Depute Chief Executive (Corporate, Operational, Housing, Construction and Building Services) which provided an update on the business and activities of West Lothian Recycling for the year ending 31 December 2012.
The Panel were asked to note the following :-
x West Lothian Recycling had a net profit after taxation of £99,736 for the year ending 31 December 2012. This compared to a net profit of £71,810 for year ending 31 December 2011;
x During the year, a dividend of £150,000 was declared for the year ending 31 December 2011. 50% of the dividend was retained by the council; and
x The annual accounts for the year ending 31 December 2012 had been reviewed by the company’s independent external auditor, Deloitte’s LLP. The company received an unqualified audit report.
The Depute Chief Executive continued to explain that during 2011 the parent companies of Tarmac Ltd, Lafarge Cement UK Ltd and Lafarge Aggregates Ltd announced that they would combine their businesses to form a new Joint Venture – Lafarge Tarmac. The scale of the Joint Venture was such that it had been referred by the Office of Fair Trading to the Competition Commission who required the divestment of parts of the company. Final approval from the Competition Commission was given and the Joint Venture was formed and began trading in January 2013.
The Panel were asked to note the terms of the annul report of West Lothian Recycling dated 31 December 2012 and in particular the external auditor’s statement and the company’s financial statements.
Decision
To note the terms of the report.
5. PASSIVE SAFETY AND VEHICLE RESTRAINT SYSTEMS POLICY AND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE
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The Panel considered a report (copies of which had been circulated) by the Head of Operational Services advising of the development of a passive safety and vehicles restraint systems policy and assessment procedure for West Lothian Council, in line with best practice and a copy of which was attached to the report.
The Road Safety Plan for West Lothian 2012-2015, which was approved by the Council Executive on 3 April 2012, identified the need for the development of policies on the use of passively safe street furniture and vehicle restraint systems on West Lothian’s road network. The purpose of passively safe street furniture and vehicle restraint systems was to minimise the risk to vehicle occupants from roadside hazards at times when an errant vehicle left the carriageway.
The aim of the policy was to provide clear guidance to designers, maintenance engineers and developers on the assessment, provision and specification of passively safe street furniture and road restrain systems on West Lothian Council’s road network.
A review of recent best practice guidance on the assessment and specification of vehicle restraint systems and passively safe roadside structures had led to the decision to combine the passive safety and vehicle restraint policies into a single policy and assessment procedure. This was considered appropriate because the aim of both measures was to reduce the risk to vehicle occupants from roadside hazards and reducing the likely accident severity.
The development of the policy had been informed by an accident study which was undertaken in order to show the extent of the problem in West Lothian and to identify a hierarchy of road environments that were considered to constitute higher risk where passively safe roadside structures should be a priority or vehicle restraint systems should be considered.
In the development of the policy consultation had been undertaken with The Society of Chief Officers of Transportation Scotland (SCOTS) Transportation and Road Safety Working Group and the Street Lighting Working Group. The SCOTS Transportation and Road Safety Working Group supported the policy and were considering recommending the policy for use by other local authorities.
In conclusion the agreement of the policy would provide clear evidence-led and best practice guidance to designers, maintenance engineers and developers on the assessment, provision and specification of passively safe street furniture and road restraint systems on West Lothian Council’s road network.
Decision
1. To note the terms of the report; and
2. Agreed that the report be forwarded to the next appropriate meeting of the Council Executive with the recommendation that it be
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approved.
6. WORK PLAN
To Panel noted the contents of the Work Plan.
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ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL
UPDATE ON AUDIT SCOTLAND REPORT – PROTECTING CONSUMERS
REPORT BY HEAD OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to update the panel on implementation of the key recommendations in the 2013 Audit Scotland report ‘Protecting Consumers’ since it was reported to the panel on 28 March 2013.
B. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the panel notes the progress made in implementing the key recommendations made in the Audit Scotland report ‘Protecting Consumers’ as detailed in this report.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I Council Values Focusing on our customers' needs; making best use of our resources; working in partnership
II Policy and Legal (including The proposal does not require a Strategic Strategic Environmental Environmental Assessment and does not raise Assessment, Equality any equality, health or risk assessment issues. Issues, Health or Risk Other policy implications may arise as the Assessment) strategic review of trading standards develops.
III Implications for Scheme of None. Delegations to Officers
IV Impact on performance and None. performance Indicators
V Relevance to Single SOA 4 We live in resilient, cohesive and safe Outcome Agreement communities.
VI Resources - (Financial, None. Staffing and Property)
VII Consideration at PDSP This is the first referral to PDSP.
VIII Other consultations None.
D. TERMS OF REPORT
1
- 7 - Audit Scotland was asked by the Accounts Commission to prepare a report on the levels of protection afforded to consumers across Scotland in relation to food safety and trading standards. The report was published on 31 January 2013 and the following key findings were subsequently reported to the panel on 28 March 2013;
x The long-term viability of councils’ trading standards services is under threat and urgent action is needed to strengthen protection for consumers.
x Councils are rightly targeting their limited resources at the highest risks.
x Some trading standards services have weakened their intelligence about risks and some consumers may not get the help they need when things go wrong.
x The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Scotland has supported the development of national standards and priorities and a reporting framework for councils’ food safety services. However, national coordination is significantly weaker for trading standards services, which no longer have national standards and priorities or a national system of performance reporting.
The Audit Scotland report also raised concerns about the loss of experience and expertise along with too few training posts in both service areas. These pressures come at a time when risks have increased due to greater use of the internet for buying and selling, and greater financial pressures on individuals and businesses due to the current economic climate.
In light of the Audit Scotland report, the COSLA Task Group has expanded the remit of Trading Standards Scotland (TSS), the national enforcement team hosted by COSLA, to provide a formal coordinating role for trading standards and to develop a joint response by COSLA and councils. This development followed on from the Trading Standards Summit event held in June 2013 and attended by 65 senior officers and/or elected members from 30 Scottish councils, together with a presentation by TSS to SOLACE in July 2013 in which TSS set out their framework for conducting a strategic review of trading standards as follows;
Phase 1 – an audit of trading standards activity: what is currently being done and what is being missed and does current activity meet the needs of consumers and effectively contribute to national and local outcomes (November 2013 – March 2014)
Phase 2 - the planning stage: for workforce planning (including routes into the profession), service redesign and development of a formal coordination framework (April 2014 –March 2015)
Phase 3 - the implementation stage (April 2015)
In support of, and in addition to this process, council officers have actively engaged in various initiatives including;
x Attendance at an exploratory performance indicator benchmarking event hosted by the Association for Public Service Excellence.
x Attendance at an Accounts Commission Round Table event to discuss progress since publication of the Protecting Consumers event.
x Provision of statistical and financial information to TSS to facilitate the audit process in Phase 1 above. 2
- 8 - x Initiating the process of reviewing the current staffing resource within the Trading Standards unit.
x Increased use of the national trading standards intelligence database, Memex.
x The development of a Memorandum of Understanding with TSS on the use of the national intelligence database and participation in the tasking and coordination process.
E. CONCLUSION
The report highlights progress in implementing the key recommendations from the Audit Scotland report, Protecting Consumers, including details of the timetable framework for the strategic review of trading standards by Trading Standards Scotland and the ongoing participation by officers in same.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
Environment PDSP, 28 March 2013, Protecting Consumers – Audit Scotland Report
Appendices/Attachments: None.
Contact Person: Andrew Blake, Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager, tel 01506 282381, email [email protected]
Craig McCorriston Head of Planning & Economic Development
Date of meeting: 27 March 2014
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ENVIRONMENT POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT SCRUTINY PANEL
AUTHORISATION OF ENFORCEMENT STAFF – ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & TRADING STANDARDS
REPORT BY HEAD OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of the report is to advise the panel of the need to amend the authority of the Head of Planning and Economic Development within the Scheme of Delegation to Officers to ensure that both council staff, and in certain limited circumstances non- council employees, are appropriately authorised under relevant legislation to protect West Lothian residents and businesses.
B. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the panel notes the proposed additions to the Scheme of Delegations to Officers and agrees that it be forwarded to the Council Executive for approval.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I Council Values Focusing on our customers' needs; being honest, open and accountable; making best use of our resources; working in partnership.
II Policy and Legal (including The Local Government Scotland Act 1973, Strategic Environmental allows local authorities to appoint officers and to Assessment, Equality delegate their functions to another local authority Issues, Health or Risk or officers of that authority. Assessment)
III Implications for Scheme of If approved the terms of this report would be Delegations to Officers incorporated within the Scheme of Delegation.
IV Impact on performance and None. performance Indicators
V Relevance to Single SOA 4: We live in resilient, cohesive and safe Outcome Agreement communities.
SOA 7: We live longer, healthier lives and have reduced health inequalities.
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- 11 - VI Resources - (Financial, None. Staffing and Property)
VII Consideration at PDSP This is the first referral to PDSP.
VIII Other consultations Legal Services.
D. TERMS OF REPORT
D1 Background
Environmental Health & Trading Standards engage with cross-boundary enforcement units such as the Scottish Scambusters team and the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit to deliver specialist protection activities within West Lothian. These cross- boundary agencies are currently employed by other local authorities such as Glasgow and Dundee, however may at some point transfer to Trading Standards Scotland which is not a local authority. Legislation allows councils to appoint officers to carry out their statutory functions, and those individuals appointed do not have to be employees of the council concerned. Furthermore, specific legislation exists, for example the Animal Boarding Establishment Act 1963, which gives the local authority powers to authorise any officer or veterinary surgeon to inspect boarding establishments – again, those authorised may not be employees of the authorising authority. These examples demonstrate the need for a flexible, yet accountable, approach to the authorisation of individuals to protect our communities and ensure compliance with legislation.
The existing Scheme of Delegation to Officers does not currently permit the Head of Planning & Economic Development or the Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager to authorise such non-WLC employees, meaning that the authority to deliver the protection desired may be open to question should legal proceedings be required.
The purpose of this report is to ensure that such protection is afforded and to prevent any legal/administrative challenge to individuals working to protect West Lothian residents and businesses.
D2 Proposed Changes to Scheme of Delegation The current scheme of delegation was last updated on 31 October 2013. Section 12.7 (2) identifies the particulars of the delegation applicable to the Head of Planning & Economic Development in relation to the Environmental Health & Trading Standards, and Section 12 .8 identifies those applicable to the Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager.
Within this delegation, the Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager is identified as the “Competent person for the purposes of exercising the council’s functions relating to protection of public health, and designating suitably qualified officers of the council as additional such competent persons (Public Health (Scotland) Act 2008, section 5).”
It is proposed that the Section 12.8 be amended to read – the “Competent person for the purposes of exercising the council’s functions relating to the application of Environmental Health and Trading Standards enforced legislation aimed at protecting the public and businesses within West Lothian, designating and authorising suitably qualified individuals to assist in this function as required. In addition, to specifically identify competent persons under the Public Health (Scotland) Act 2008, section 5.
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- 12 - E. CONCLUSION
The current Scheme of Delegation to Officers does not permit the Head of Planning & Economic Development or the Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager to authorise non-council employees to enforce legislation within West Lothian. The proposed changes will facilitate this, allowing cross-boundary enforcement teams, and others, to work in partnership with our own staff thereby protecting our communities and local businesses.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
Council Executive, 2 December 2013, Authorisation of the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit
Environment PDSP 12 March 2009 – Scottish Scambuster Team report.
Community Safety Committee 24 August 2004 – Department of Trade and Industry Initiative on Illegal Money Lending.
Appendices/Attachments: None. Contact Person: Andrew Blake, Environmental Health and Trading Standards Manager, Tel. 01506 282381, email [email protected]
Craig McCorriston, Head of Planning & Economic Development.
Date: 27 March 2014.
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ENVIRONMENT POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT SCRUTINY PANEL
PROPOSED RESPONSE TO THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT CONSULATION ON THE SCOTTISH REGULATOR STRATEGIC CODE OF PRACTICE.
REPORT BY HEAD OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of the report is to advise the panel of a proposed response to a consultation document on the Scottish Regulator Strategic Code of Practice.
B. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the panel notes the proposed response and agrees that it be forwarded to the Council Executive for approval within the response timescale of 28 April.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I Council Values Focusing on our customers' needs; being honest, open and accountable; making best use of our resources; working in partnership.
II Policy and Legal (including Many services have a regulatory role within the Strategic Environmental council. Each service will require to ensure that Assessment, Equality their enforcement policies apply the principles Issues, Health or Risk contained in the code once enacted. Assessment)
III Implications for Scheme of None Delegations to Officers
IV Impact on performance and None. performance Indicators
V Relevance to Single SOA 3 - Our economy is diverse and dynamic, Outcome Agreement and West Lothian is an attractive place for doing business.
VI Resources - (Financial, None. Staffing and Property)
VII Consideration at PDSP This is the first referral to PDSP.
VIII Other consultations Legal Services.
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- 15 - D. TERMS OF REPORT
D1 Background The Scottish Government is determined to promote in all Scottish regulators a broad and deep alignment with the Government’s purpose of promoting sustainable economic growth. This means building a dynamic and growing economy that will provide prosperity and opportunities for all, while ensuring that future generations can enjoy a better quality of life too.
However, economic growth that exceeds the limits of our environment or damages social and community cohesion is not sustainable. Laws and regulations play an essential role in fostering a prosperous, fair and safe society. They provide essential rights and protections for citizens, consumers, workers, businesses, communities and the environment, can stimulate innovation and modernisation and support economic development. Often, achievement of regulatory outcomes delivers multiple benefits – for communities, the environment and the economy.
Section 5 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Bill gives Scottish Ministers the power to issue a Code of Practice in support of the duty on regulators to contribute to sustainable economic growth. There are four main themes within the Code: regulators as enablers; risk and enforcement; understanding who you regulate; and clear and effective communication. Introduction of the code will take effect at the same time as the enactment of the Bill, it will apply to all regulators listed in schedule 1 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Bill in respect of their regulatory functions as defined in the Bill – this covers all council functions with the exception of the role as a Planning Authority. A set of questions in relation to the code were asked, these, plus proposed responses, are included as appendix A.
Regulatory functions include advice, guidance, licensing, permissions and consent, inspections, monitoring and enforcement. It is predicated on existing good practice and supports the outcome-based approach which is integral to the Government’s National Performance Framework. The Code also promotes an approach whereby regulators seek to understand those they regulate, including taking into account economic and business factors appropriately (for example, in terms of costs, processes and timescales). However, the latter does not mean that the interests of an individual business should over-ride the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of communities.
The duty on a regulator, under section 5(4) of the Act, to “have regard to” the Code means that the regulator must take into account the Code’s provisions and give them due weight in developing their policies or principles or in setting standards or giving guidance. The health of Scotland’s communities and environment contribute to and are interlinked with the achievement of sustainable economic growth.
The Scottish Government is committed to making sure this Strategic Code is implemented fully and is effective. A broad review of the effectiveness and progress with embedding the Code will be commissioned 18 months after it comes into effect.
D2 Requirements for regulators contained within the code
The code places a number of duties upon regulators – the list is extensive however it is anticipated that most regulators within the council already apply these principles therefore only minor changes to policy documents are likely to be required. In particular the code requires that regulators:
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- 16 - Adopt a positive enabling approach in pursuing outcomes that contribute to sustainable economic growth.
Be alive to other interests, including e.g. relevant community and business interests and take business factors appropriately and proportionately into account in their decision making processes.
Adopt risk and evidence based protocols which help target action where it’s needed and help ensure the achievement of measurable outcomes.
Develop effective relationships with those they regulate and have clear two-way communication in place.
Tailor their approach depending on the nature of the sector they are regulating and the desired outcomes. This includes a commitment to advice and support for those who seek to comply, allied with robust and effective enforcement when justified.
Recognise, in their policies and practice, a commitment to the five principles of better regulation: regulation should be transparent, accountable, consistent, proportionate and targeted only where needed.
Pursue continuous improvement in regulatory practice based on the principles of better regulation.
Carry out their activities in a way that helps businesses and regulated bodies to comply and also grow sustainably.
Deliver an efficient, effective and timely service and minimise business compliance costs, where possible, by reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and delays.
Help those they regulate to design simple and cost-effective compliance solutions to improve confidence and day to day management control.
Work collaboratively with other regulators and/or those they regulate to anticipate, understand and address, compliance challenges associated with strategic innovations or growth plans.
Consider the impact of their regulatory approach on those they regulate and any other relevant stakeholders. This should include stakeholder consultation on major changes to operational policy to ensure that the impact of the changes is properly explored with those affected.
Publish clear risk assessment methodologies and risk ratings and review these regularly, evaluating the effectiveness of their chosen approaches.
Have mechanisms to work collaboratively to assist businesses and other bodies regulated by more than one regulator.
Review existing core operational policies e.g. enforcement policy, customer service charter etc. and ensure alignment with the Code, taking account of the Code in developing new operational policies and build the Code into relevant staff training/awareness-raising.
Ensure that the Code and core operational policies are available to regulated operators/persons in order that they know what to expect and have in place mechanisms for gaining customer feedback on service delivery and alignment with the Code. 3
- 17 - E. CONCLUSION
The code is designed to ensure implementation of good practice in regulatory functions whilst promoting economic growth. It aligns with West Lothian Council’s aims of promoting the economy and will impact for all regulatory functions within the council with the exception of the functions as a Planning Authority. The proposed response to the consultation therefore welcomes the production of the code.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
None
Appendices/Attachments: Proposed consultation response. Contact Person: Andrew Blake, Environmental Health and Trading Standards Manager, Tel. 01506 282381, email [email protected]
Craig McCorriston, Head of Planning & Economic Development.
Date: 27 March 2014.
.
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- 18 - Appendix A
CONSULTATION QUESTIONS
To ensure we have a code which meets the requirements of regulators and the regulated, we are seeking views on the content of the Code with the following questions.
Question 1 – Does the Code clearly set out its purpose and policy intent? Yes Please explain your view – n/a
Question 2 – Does the Code clearly explain how regulators can support compliance and contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth? No Please explain your view. The code suggests a strategic aim of assisting economic growth but does not explain how this would happen in practice across the wide range of regulation covered. Each regulator will require to interpret the code and apply it to their particular discipline.
Question 3 – Does the Code clearly set out the requirements to enable regulators to work in way that is transparent, accountable, proportionate, consistent and targeted only at cases where action is needed? Yes Please explain your view
Question 4 – Should the Code more explicitly recognise the contribution that sustainable economic growth brings to local communities through the employment, investment and spend associated with specific business developments (see paragraph 3)? No Please explain your answer. Further explanation of economic growth is not required.
Question 5 – Are there any essential requirements which should be included in the Code and are currently absent? Yes If yes, please provide details. The final code should have wording to ensure that it cannot be used as a document/defence to avoid accountability of business in complying with public protection legislation.
Question 6 – Do you have additional case study examples of good practice which you would like to be included? No If yes, please provide details of your case study. n/a
Question 7 – Do you think there would be difficulties in implementing and complying with the Code? Yes Please explain your view – The strategy of a proportionate enforcement regime in relation to bureaucratic requirements may be contrary to other enforcement guidance requiring detailed paperwork – e.g. requirements by the Food Standards Agency for specific business sectors to have written procedures even although they may be operating effectively. There may also be difficulty and inconsistency in deciding which areas of regulation are outweighed by economic considerations. The code promotes delivering advice and guidance to assist economic growth – many regulators have already removed advice services as part of a budget strategy which focussed on statutory requirements rather than optional advice.
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- 19 - Question 8 – Do you agree with the proposed review process and timescales (as set out in Annex A)? Yes Please explain your view n/a
Question 9 – Should the Code contain more specific monitoring and reporting requirements for regulators? No Please explain your view – the draft code lists the requirements for regulators, any monitoring should be against the requirements listed.
Question 10 – Do you have any other comments on the draft Code? No
Please explain your view n/a
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ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL
PEST CONTROL – SERVICE REVIEW
REPORT BY HEAD OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to make the panel aware of a desire to widen the range of treatments offered by pest control in order to provide a more comprehensive service as requested by our customers.
B. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the panel notes the content of the report and agrees that it be forwarded to the Council Executive for approval.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I Council Values Being honest, open and accountable; working in partnership.
II Policy and Legal (including The proposal does not require a Strategic Strategic Environmental Environmental Assessment and does not raise Assessment, Equality any equality health or risk assessment issues. Issues, Health or Risk Assessment) Specific health & safety risk assessments are in place for pest control activities.
III Implications for Scheme of None. Delegations to Officers
IV Impact on performance and None performance Indicators
V Relevance to Single Outcome 8. We make the most efficient and Outcome Agreement effective use of resources.
VI Resources - (Financial, No perceived change. Staffing and Property)
VII Consideration at PDSP This is the first referral to PDSP.
VIII Other consultations Legal Services; Finance.
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- 21 - D. TERMS OF REPORT
The pest control service currently offers treatment and proofing advice for insects of public health significance plus vermin (rats and mice); it does not currently offer treatment for a wider range of mammals such as moles, squirrels or rabbits. Demand for such treatments are infrequent, however when made, customers are disappointed that services are not available. It is proposed that the service react to these comments and provide services for this un-met demand at the same charge as agreed for treatment of other vermin.
A further service which causes concern is the need for customers to provide evidence of infestation. This is currently being handled by the customer submitting a sample of the infestation to the pest control service via their local Housing officer or CIS point. This has implications for a wide range of services, and it is proposed to replace this by offering an advisory and assessment visit. The cost implications of this are unable to be quantified at this time and it is intended that this would be reported at a future PDSP once data is available.
The purpose of this report is to seek permission for the Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager to respond to consumer demand and widen the range of treatments offered to the public and trade as appropriate within existing resources.
E. CONCLUSION
A review of customer comments has identified that there is a demand to update the range or pests which are currently treated, and improve the service by offering an advisory and assessment visit. The report seeks permission for the Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager to increase the scope of service delivered to meet customer demand and to ensure full utilisation of available resources. Due to the low volume of such requests it is anticipated that this will be deliverable within existing resources.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
None
Appendices/Attachments: None Contact Person: Andrew Blake, Environmental Health & Trading Standards Manager, 01506 282381, [email protected]
Craig McCorriston Head of Planning and Economic Development
Date of meeting: 27 March 2014
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ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT & SCRUTINY PANEL
PENTLAND HILLS REGIONAL PARK: A PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE REGIONAL PARK BOUNDARY
REPORT BY HEAD OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to inform the Panel of the recent proposal by an MSP for a Bill to extend the existing Pentland Hills Regional Park (PHRP) boundary.
B. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Panel:
1. notes the proposal for a Bill from Christine Grahame, MSP to extend the area covered by the existing Pentland Hills Regional Park designation;
2. notes that the extended area proposed would cover a greater area of West Lothian than presently covered by the regional park and extend over the whole Pentland Hills range and into South Lanarkshire and Scottish Borders;
3. notes that there is still insufficient detail to fully assess the financial impact which any extension may have and any extension of the park that requires additional financial support from West Lothian Council is unlikely to be supported;
4. notes that, notwithstanding the lack of detail available at the moment, there are, in principle; landscape, recreational and nature conservation issues that would support the extension of the regional park within West Lothian and over the whole Pentland Hills range;
5. notes the Council’s proposed responses to the boundary extension consultation questions outlined in Appendix 2;
6. notes that a further report on the extension to the park will be presented to the panel if the Bill is submitted to Parliament; and
7. supports the referral of the proposed response as appended to this report to the Council Executive for approval.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I Council Values x Focusing on our customers' needs; x being honest, open and accountable; x making best use of our resources; and x working in partnership.
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- 23 - II Policy and Legal (including The report accords with the adopted West Strategic Environmental Lothian Local Plan (WLLP) policies ENV 29 & 30 Assessment, Equality which confirms the council’s support to Pentland Issues, Health or Risk Hills Regional Park. The proposal may require a Assessment) SEA from the sponsor, but this is being clarified with the Scottish Government’s SEA Gateway. There are no equality issues.
III Implications for scheme of None. delegation
IV Impact on performance and None. performance indicators
V Relevance to Single Outcome 8 - We make the most efficient and Outcome Agreement effective use of resources by minimising our impact on the built and natural environment.
VI Resources - (Financial, West Lothian Council contribution £15k per Staffing and Property) annum, index linked, towards the PHRP overall operating budget of c£340k. There is budget provision for this contribution on an on-going basis.
Any extension to the park boundary will have financial implications, but these have not yet been quantified. There is no budget provision in the council's approved financial strategy for any increased contributions.
VII Consultations at PDSP The proposal was first reported to Environment PDSP on 30 November 2013.
VIII Other consultations Operational Services – NETs, Land & Countryside Services
D. TERMS OF REPORT
D1 Background
West Lothian Council co-operates with City of Edinburgh and Midlothian Councils in the management of the Pentland Hills Regional Park (PHRP). The area of the park in West Lothian is only around 10% of the designated area.
The PHRP Ranger Services is managed by the lead authority, City of Edinburgh Council. The regional park was established in 1986 and initially managed by the former Lothian Regional Council, with structural funding from the former Countryside Commission for Scotland.
The aims of the Pentland Hills Regional Park as set out in its designation order are:
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- 24 - • to retain the essential character of the hills as a place for the peaceful enjoyment of the countryside; • caring for the hills so that the landscape and the habitat is protected and enhanced; • within this caring framework to encourage responsible public enjoyment of the hills; and • co-ordination of these aims so that they co-exist with farming and other land uses within the Pentland Hills Regional Park.
To sustain the management of the park, following local government reorganisation, a Minute of Agreement was entered into by the three local authorities in 1997. However, in 2004, this agreement was amended to enable the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to become the lead authority through its management of a single ranger service previously shared with Midlothian Council. The recently re-organised CEC Natural Heritage Services has 14 staff covering the PHRP and other Edinburgh parks.
The Regional Park management is overseen by a Joint Committee made up of elected members from City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian councils. West Lothian’s current representative is Cllr Toner.
The Joint Committee recently agreed to rationalise its meetings from four to two a year and realign the Consultative Forum meeting, (that involves Park users groups, landowners and other interested organizations), to occur before the Joint Committee. Elected members are now invited to the Consultative Forum to hear issues, before formally considering them at the Joint Committee and it was to the most recent forum, in February 2014, that Christine Grahame, MSP set out her extension proposal.
D2 Current funding arrangements
There have been significant changes in external funding for the Regional Park, including the withdrawal of Scottish Natural Heritage funding in 2006/7 and the potential withdrawal of Midlothian Council funding 2009, but this latter proposal ultimately did not occur.
The current funding arrangements are:
£ The City of Edinburgh Council 256,389 Midlothian Council 58,102 West Lothian Council 15,140 Scottish Water 10,000 Total £339,631
D3 Proposed extension to Regional Park boundary
At a Regional Park Consultative Forum in September 2013, Christine Grahame MSP initially raised the idea of increasing the geographical area of the park to cover the whole Pentland Hills range as was originally proposed in the early 1980’s.
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- 25 - This envisages the regional park extending further into West Lothian and South Lanarkshire, towards the A70 near Carnwath and the Borders to the A702 (see Appendix 1 for map of proposed boundary location). There are 2 options for the south boundary: using either the Garvald – Dunsyre C-road, or including Black Mount and use the A702 Dolphinton / A721 Carnwath road as the southern boundary. The proposal also includes an extension of the boundary on either side of Balerno within the CEC area.
In the early 1980’s, meetings with landowners and land managers in the southern part of the Hills led to the proposal being dropped as they did not anticipate at that time any benefits from regional park designation. This may well remain the situation. Since local government reorganisation in 1996, there has been no locus for any of the three participating councils to consider the idea of extending the regional park boundary, especially due to recently constrained public sector budgets.
Recently, at the PHRP Consultative Forum on 28 February, Christine Grahame, MSP launched a proposal for a Bill to extend the boundary of the Pentland Hills Regional Park. The consultation is for 12 weeks and ends on 23 May 2014. Dependant on the responses received, the MSP indicates she will either drop the proposed bill, or continue with a Private Members Bill to the Scottish Parliament.
The MSP recognises that councils would be unable to support extension financially and that new ways of directing funding to the regional park would need to be found. She also lodged a paper listing 11 potential funding sources, some of which, for example, a charitable trust would be able to access, rather than local authorities.
D4 Existing characteristics of proposed Regional Park extension area
The area south west from Harperrig and West Cairns, currently outwith the Regional Park, and which covers the Crosswood Reservoir area, is designated as an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) in the West Lothian Local Plan (2009 – Policy ENV 19). The proposed park extension covers 22km2 and about half a dozen properties around Colzium / Mid-Crosswood up to the administrative boundary with South Lanarkshire. In addition, there are several Forestry Commission Scotland plantations.
The Crosswood Reservoir was formally owned by Scottish Water, but the fishery there may have gone out of business. There is a right of way that leads south-west from Crosswoodburn, via Henshaw Hill on the administrative boundary, to Garvald in the Borders.
In the southern corner of the proposed extension is Craigengar Moss. This is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), one of only two such top tier nature designations in West Lothian. It is also a Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) designated for it rare moss species and habitat.
D5 Issues for West Lothian
There are 8 questions attached to the consultation. Proposed responses from West Lothian Council are outlined in Appendix 2. There are 3 main issues for West Lothian:
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- 26 - 1) Financial
As stated in the report to the Panel in November 2013, when the park extension was initially raised, there would need to be a strong business case for extending the regional park area, as there would undoubtedly be additional staff, management and facility costs associated with doing so.
The business case would be particularly important as, in the recent past, the park budget has been under threat through funding organisations, such as Scottish Natural Heritage, withdrawing support and local authority funders indicating that funding could be under pressure given wider efficiency requirements.
The West Lothian Countryside Manger within Operational Service is of the view that the current level of service provision via the rangers from City of Edinburgh Natural Heritage Service is value for money in relation to West Lothian’s current modest financial contribution. Operational Services, within their current budget, would not be able to provide any additional West Lothian ranger staff to an extended regional park.
2) Elected Representation
Moving to a Trust model may allow some of the financial pressures to be addressed, but would weaken local authority involvement in running the park. The proposed extended Regional Park boundary would remain within the current Ward 5: East Livingston & East Calder.
As a minimum, the council would probably wish an elected member from the ward, as occurs with the existing Joint Committee management arrangements, becoming a member of any Trust should it be formed.
3) Landscape protection
Positively, an extension of the park would provide stronger planning policy support in relation to considering planning applications such as wind turbines in the extended park area. The proposed extension covers the area in West Lothian which has recently been the focus of wind farm interest e.g.; Fauch Hill.
This area is the subject of an application to Scottish Government, under the Electricity Act for 32 wind turbines and associated access works. The council objected to this application and it was the subject of a co-joined Public Inquiry in July 2013. The Reporter's recommendations are due in spring / summer 2014. Any proposed extension of the regional park would, however, be too late to be a factor in these decisions.
Finally, the council signed a concordat with the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) Partnership Board in early 2013. One of the main components of the CSGN is to support green space improvements and it is about to be funded by Scottish Government, following a review of its governance, as part of the National Planning Framework’s major objectives. An extended regional park may attract future financial resources from the CSGN that would not otherwise be available.
E. CONCLUSION
West Lothian land managers and residents, within the park area, benefit from the involvement on the PHRP Rangers Service in a wide range of management, recreational and ecological issues. The Pentland Hills remain an important visual
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- 27 - backdrop and open landscape for the whole district.
While there is a continued need for visitor and land management services in the Pentland Hills to respond to the evolving pressures and opportunities presented, services need to be delivered efficiently at a time of challenging economic constraints and the recently proposed extension of the geographical area covered by the park allows for further debate on the future and long term funding of the Regional Park.
While, it is officers view that West Lothian Council should, in principle, embrace the proposed Regional Park extension for landscape protection and recreational and habitat protection reasons, there remain concerns about future funding and representation.
However, organisational support from West Lothian Council would only be forthcoming if there was a sound business case for any additional management resources required, as they are not currently available from the Council and also arrangements for local authority representation on any potential future charitable trust formed to manage the park, are safeguarded.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES Consultation by Christine Grahame MSP on “ A proposal for a Bill to extend the boundary of the Pentland Hills Regional Park”, is available on-line at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/12419.aspx
Appendices/Attachments - two: 1) map of proposed extension to the Pentland Hills Regional Park; and 2) Questions from “a proposal for a Bill to extend the boundary of the Pentland Hills Regional Park”.
Contact Person: Chris Alcorn, Principal Planner, Development Planning: 01506-282428. Email: [email protected]
Craig McCorriston Head of Planning and Economic Development 27 March 2014
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- 28 - Appendix 2: Questions from - “a proposal for a Bill to extend the boundary of the Pentland Hills Regional Park”.
Proposed West Lothian Council response 1.Do you support the aim of the In part. The merits of extending the park are proposed Bill to extend the boundary to supported but, any extension would have to be include the entire Pentland Hills range? delivered at no additional cost - in revenue and staff time - at the time of introducing the Please indicate “yes/no/undecided” and extension and in the future. West Lothian explain the reasons for your response. Council could not support the extension in advance of having clarity on:
a) future funding arrangements; and b) local authority representation on any future charitable trust established to run the regional park.
2. Where should the southernmost No strong view. This is a matter for South boundary be located? Please explain the Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Borders reasons for your response. Council and their respective communities to consider.
3. Should the western boundary be No strong view. This is a matter for City of expanded to include the area around Edinburgh Council and their respective Balerno? Please explain the reasons for communities to consider. your answer. 4. Do you agree that legislation is a Yes, subject to the caveats set out in West necessary and appropriate means of Lothian Council's response and covering report. addressing the issues identified? 5. What (if any) would be the main Advantages: practical advantages of the legislation • stronger planning policy landscape proposed? protection to this wild open hill area; What (if any) would be the • enhanced nature conservation protection disadvantages? of Craigengar SAC / SSSI; and • scope for attracting additional funding, currently unavailable to this remote corner of West Lothian.
Disadvantages: • Potential additional funding requirements placed on West Lothian Council that are not currently part of the council's approved financial strategy.
6. What is your assessment of the likely West Lothian Council is concerned that financial/resource implications (if any) of additional grant funding will be sought to the proposed Bill to you or your manage an extended regional park area. organisation? Should the Bill be progressed, additional What (if any) other significant financial financial provision should be made available to implications are likely to arise? the councils by the Scottish Government to cover this proposal, or it be demonstrated by central government that a charitable trust model would have a sound financial footing to manage the extended PHRP which they propose.
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- 29 - In addition, the existing WLC Countryside Services section, as a result of other priorities, could not undertake additional ranger activities in the extended park area in West Lothian.
A business case should be prepared to cover the additional management & staff issues that will need funded by a proposed park extension.
7. Is the proposed Bill likely to have any No negative implications for equality envisaged. substantial positive or negative implications for equality? If it is likely to have a substantial negative implication, how might this be minimised or avoided? 8. Do you have any other comments on None. or suggestions relevant to the proposal?
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- 30 - - 31 - - 32 - DATA LABEL: PUBLIC
ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION - SCOTTISH SAFETY CAMERA PROGRAMME REVIEW
REPORT BY HEAD OF OPERATIONAL SERVICES
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
This report presents a draft response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the review of the Scottish Safety Camera Partnership.
B. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the panel recommends that the Council Executive approves the draft response contained in Appendix 1.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I Council Values Focusing on our customers' needs
Being honest, open and accountable
Working in partnership
II Policy and Legal (including Policy: The council is committed to Strategic Environmental membership of the Lothian and Borders Safety Assessment, Equality Camera Partnership through its Road Safety Issues, Health or Risk Plan 2012-2015 Assessment) Legal: The council has a statutory duty for road safety under the Road Traffic Act 1988. The council also has powers to erect signs and roadside equipment associated with safety cameras in line with the Roads Scotland Act 1984 and the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
III Implications for Scheme of None Delegations to Officers
IV Impact on performance and The safety camera programme contributes to the performance Indicators casualty reduction performance indicators.
V Relevance to Single Safety cameras contribute to road casualty Outcome Agreement reduction which in turn is a measure of the outcome: “We live in resilient, safe and cohesive communities.”
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- 33 - VI Resources - (Financial, None Staffing and Property)
VII Consideration at PDSP Not applicable
VIII Other consultations None
D. TERMS OF REPORT
Background
West Lothian Council has been a member of the Lothian and Borders Safety Camera Partnership since 2004 and there are currently 11 mobile enforcement sites and one fixed camera site in the district.
The council has a service level agreement with the partnership and has officer representation on the partnership board. Officers are also involved in site identification, monitoring and installation of infrastructure (signs, markings, hardstandings etc). All costs incurred by council staff are recouped from the partnership.
Review Consultation
Transport Scotland is undertaking a review of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme and has issued a consultation document to inform the review. The consultation document is included in full at Appendix 2 and requests comments on three key themes:
1. Purpose and remit of Safety Camera Partnerships
2. Structure of Safety Camera Partnerships
3. Governance
Appendix 1 sets out the proposed response to the detailed questions within the consultation but the key points are summarised below:
x The key objective of the safety camera programme should continue to be casualty reduction
x Any widening of scope or increased flexibility will dilute the casualty reduction benefits
x Local roads authorities must continue to have local representation within the governance structures if they wish to be active participants in the programme.
E. CONCLUSION
The Scottish Government is undertaking a consultation on the review of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme. The proposed draft response is included in Appendix 1.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
Road Safety Plan for West Lothian 2012-2015
Appendices/Attachments: Appendix 1 – Proposed consultation response
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- 34 - Appendix 2 – Consultation document Contact Person: Kevin Hamilton, Team Leader – Road Safety and Traffic Management, Whitehill House, Bathgate, Tel: 01506 282341, e-mail: [email protected] Jim Jack, Head of Operational Services
Date: 27 March 2014
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- 35 - - 36 - Scottish Safety Camera Programme Review
RESPONDENT INFORMATION FORM
Please Note this form must be returned with your response to ensure that we handle your response appropriately.
We are inviting written responses by 19 May 2014.
Please send your response with the completed form to:
or
Scottish Safety Camera Programme TRBO 8th Floor, Buchanan House 58 Port Dundas Road Glasgow G4 0HF
If you have any queries, please contact the Scottish Safety Camera Programme Office on 0141 272 7145.
RESPONDENT INFORMATION FORM Please Note this form must be returned with your response to ensure that we handle your response appropriately.
1. Name/Organisation Organisation Name West Lothian Council
Title Mr X Ms Mrs Miss Dr Please tick as appropriate
Surname Jack Forename Jim
2. Postal Address Civic Centre Howden South Road Livingston
Postcode Phone Email
- 37 - 3. Permissions - I am responding as… Individual / Group/Organisation Please tick as appropriate
(a) Do you agree to your (c) The name and address of your response being made organisation will be made available to the public (in available to the public (in the Scottish Government library Scottish Government library and/or on the Scottish and/or on the Scottish Government web site)? Government web site). Please tick as appropriate Yes No (b) Where confidentiality is not Are you content for your requested, we will make your response to be made responses available to the available? public on the following basis Please tick ONE of the Please tick as appropriate following boxes Yes No
Yes, make my response, name and address all available or Yes, make my response available, but not my name and address or Yes, make my response and name available, but not my address
(d) We will share your response internally with other Scottish Government policy teams who may be addressing the issues you discuss. They may wish to contact you again in the future, but we require your permission to do so. Are you content for Scottish Government to contact you again in relation to this consultation exercise? Please tick as appropriate Yes
- 38 - CONSULTATION QUESTIONS
PURPOSE AND REMIT OF SAFETY CAMERA PARTNERSHIPS
Question 1 - Do you consider that the existing remit as outlined above still reflects the fundamental requirement of the Safety Camera Programme or do you consider that it should be widened or given greater flexibility in its deployment?
The key objective of the Safety Camera Programme should remain as follows: “to reduce the number of people killed or injured on Scottish Roads through targeted enforcement at sites that meet criteria in force at the time they are established.” Any widening or ‘greater flexibility’ will dilute the impact of the programme on meeting this key objective. It is also likely to reduce the acceptance of camera enforcement by the public.
Question 2 - Changes in camera technology and other ongoing developments on the road network have created opportunities for the Safety Camera Partnerships to support enforcement activity in other areas such as Traffic Management Intelligent Transport System (ITS) schemes and at road works. Given the varying demands for camera enforcement how do we ensure there is flexibility to support enforcement activity without compromising the casualty reduction strategy?
The only way to utilise camera partnership resources without risking an impact on their ability to meet the key casualty reduction objective is to ensure that sufficient resources are in place to meet both and ensure that casualty reduction always takes priority over other activity. From a local roads perspective, it is not desirable for camera partnership resources to be utilised on trunk road schemes (for example ITS or roadworks schemes) at the expense of enforcement activity on local casualty reduction sites. This is and should remain the core activity of camera partnerships.
STRUCTURE OF SAFETY CAMERA PARTNERSHIPS
Question 3 - Which is your preferred safety camera partnership structure in order to deliver an effective and efficient Safety Camera Programme?
The consultation document does not give options for partnership structures and therefore it is difficult to propose a structure different from what is existing. Expending partners must continue to be represented and in particular, local roads authorities must be properly, individually represented as the agencies with statutory duties for road safety activity (Road Traffic Act 1988) and the powers to erect equipment and signs on the roadside (Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984).
Question 4 - Do you consider that there should continue to be a dedicated local communications resource for each Safety Camera Partnership or would a national
- 39 - communications team provide greater opportunities? If the resource is to remain within the programme what should the proposed structure look like?
There may be some benefit in a centralised communications resource to avoid conflicting messages and to gain economy of scale.
Question 5 - Do you consider that there are functions that could be delivered by alternative methods?
It is important to avoid duplication of activity. Road accident data analysis (for the identification of new sites) is a statutory duty of local roads authorities (Road Traffic Act 1988) and should therefore not be carried out separately by the camera partnerships. However, speed data collection is not a statutory duty and could therefore be centralised/outsourced with resultant economies of scale.
GOVERNANCE OF SAFETY CAMERA PARTNERSHIPS
Question 6 - The Scottish Safety Camera Programme is currently a standing agenda item for discussion by the Strategic Road Safety Partnership Board established under the Road Safety Framework to 2020. What, if any, role should the Board have in reviewing the performance of the Safety Camera Programme?
The Board should ensure that safety cameras continue to contribute to casualty reduction by monitoring statistical reports on camera effectiveness.
Question 7 – Each partnership has a local stand-alone Management Board or Steering Group established as required for consideration of funding through the programme and in terms of a local Service Level Agreement (SLA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Is there a continuing need for local Management Boards or should it only be necessary to have local working groups to deal with practical issues such as site identification, site maintenance etc.?
If there is a continuing need, what functions should local management boards have responsibility for?
As local roads authorities have a statutory duty for road safety, it is imperitive that they continue to have individual representation within the governance of individual partnerships. This ensures that key decisions (eg on deployment) can be effectively monitored and, if necessary, challenged at the local level.
Question 8 – Who should be responsible for making deployment decisions – the police, local management boards, or partnership managers
The partnership managers, with guidance and direction from local management boards. This ensures that the road safety objectives continue to be delivered.
- 40 - Question 9 – How might the functions of the Local Management Team be provided in the future?
From a local roads authority perspective, the important aspect is that the local roads authority continues to be effectively represented within the governance structure. The detail of how partnership management teams are structured is more of a detailed operational issue and therefore, we have no specific comment to make.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS
Question 10
If you have any further comments on the purpose, structure and governance of safety camera partnerships not addressed by the previous questions, please submit these below.
Safety cameras have been shown to make beneficial contributions to road casualty reduction. This must remain the key objective and any widening or flexibility will dilute the casualty reduction benefits. Local roads authorities must continue to have local, individual representation within the governance structures if they are to remain active participants within the programme.
Please note the deadline for responses is 19 May 2014
END OF FORM
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SCOTTISH SAFETY CAMERA PROGRAMME REVIEW CONSULTATION DOCUMENT
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CONSULTATION ON THE SCOTTISH SAFETY CAMERA PROGRAMME
Responding to this consultation paper
We are inviting written responses to this consultation paper by 19 May 2014. Please send your response with the completed Respondent Information Form (see "Handling your response" below) to: [email protected] or
Scottish Safety Camera Programme TRBO 8th Floor, Buchanan House 58 Port Dundas Road Glasgow G4 0HF
If you have any queries, please contact the Scottish Safety Camera Programme Office on 0141 272 7145.
This consultation can be viewed online on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations
The Scottish Government (SG) has an email alert system for consultations, http://register.scotland.gov.uk. This allows stakeholder individuals and organisations to register and receive a weekly email containing details of all new consultations (including web links). It complements, but in no way replaces SG distribution lists, and is designed to allow stakeholders to keep up to date with all SG consultation activity, and therefore be alerted at the earliest opportunity to those of most interest. We would encourage you to register.
Handling your response
We need to know how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to be made public. Please complete and return the Respondent Information Form enclosed with this consultation paper as this will ensure that we treat your response appropriately. If you ask for your response not to be published we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.
All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.
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Next steps in the process
Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public in the Scottish Government Library (see the attached Respondent Information Form). These will be made available to the public in the Scottish Government Library later in 2014. You can make arrangements to view responses by contacting the SG Library on 0131 244 4552. Responses can be copied and sent to you, but a charge may be made for this service.
Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us reach a decision on the future of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme. We aim to issue a report on this consultation process in summer 2014.
Comments and complaints
If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to the contact details above.
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Scottish Safety Camera Programme Review – Summary and Objectives
The Scottish Government aims to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on all of Scotland’s roads in partnership with key road safety partners throughout Scotland. Partnership working is key in helping the Scottish Government achieve the 2020 road safety targets.
The Scottish Safety Camera Programme (SSCP) is one such partnership that brings together Police Scotland, Local Authorities, Transport Scotland, NHS Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Established in 2002, it has a collective aim to help reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on Scotland’s roads through the targeted enforcement of speed limits and red-light traffic signal compliance.
Road traffic deaths in Scotland are at their lowest levels since records began1, however existing partnership practices have been in operation for around ten years. In order to ensure that partnerships deliver the most effective and efficient outcomes, that best use is being made of current resources to help deliver accident reductions on Scotland’s roads, and with the creation of a single police service for Scotland, it is appropriate to undertake a discrete two-stage review of the existing outcomes and functionality of Safety Camera Partnerships. If this process reveals evidence that national and local outcomes can be substantially improved upon and delivered in a more effective and efficient manner, this will influence consideration of the structure of the Safety Camera Partnerships.
The review will focus on two main areas:
Outcomes and functionality of Safety Camera Partnerships – To achieve Scottish Government 2020 casualty reduction targets, there is a need to ensure the camera enforcement strategy is achieving maximum effectiveness. This review will consider how the effectiveness of existing sites is monitored, criteria for new sites and how best use can be made of existing resources and latest technology. There is also a need to ensure consistency in how the
1 Source – Reported Road Casualties Scotland, 2012. Each annual Reported Road Casualties Scotland publication is available at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/analysis/statistics/publications/reported-road- casualties-scotland-previous-editions
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strategy is applied throughout the country, both in the urban environment and on rural roads. New demands to support Scottish Government Journey Time Reliability objectives to optimise traffic flow through Intelligent Traffic Systems will also need to be considered for inclusion in a new Safety Camera Handbook.
Structure of Safety Camera Partnerships – Current partnership boundaries no longer align with the service delivery structures of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, nor with all NHS or Community Planning Partnership (CPP) boundaries. CPPs deliver community planning aims by helping public agencies work together with the community to plan and deliver better services. In line with the Single Outcome Agreements between Scottish Government and the CPPs, Safety Camera Partnerships should take account of local priorities and circumstances. The establishment of Police Scotland and new road policing and specialist services provides an opportunity to review whether the existing partnerships offer the most effective and efficient structure with which to manage and operate the camera programme. If this is no longer the case partnerships will be reformed and realigned to a new structure.
This review is concerned with the delivery and outcomes of the Safety Camera Programme, and this consultation document is seeking views on the purpose, structure and governance of Safety Camera Partnerships. The principle of safety camera enforcement as part of our Road Safety Framework to 20202 is not part of this review.
2 Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/274552/0082161.pdf
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Safety cameras are an integral element of our Road Safety Framework, and are an effective means of reducing accidents. Safety cameras play a crucial role in speed enforcement in Scotland, and while a number of factors influence casualty rates, the main findings from the Key Scottish Safety Camera Statistics 20113 found that:
The number of people killed and seriously injured at safety camera sites each year is around 68% lower following a period of camera enforcement than in the period prior to safety camera enforcement; The number of personal injury accidents at safety camera sites per year is around 48% lower following a period of camera enforcement than in the period prior to safety camera enforcement; and 82% of people responding to the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2010-11 agree that people should see the use of safety cameras as a good thing.
This document includes a series of questions and seeks views on the key themes identified. Respondents should feel free to express views on other relevant areas they identify within the scope of the consultation but not directly addressed by the questions posed. An opportunity to provide further comment on the purpose, structure and governance of Safety Camera Partnerships is included at question 10 in the questionnaire, however the use of this questionnaire is optional and responses on any relevant issue in any format are welcome.
3 Source – Key Scottish Safety Camera Statistics 2011. Available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/07/safetycameras31072012
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Scottish Safety Camera Programme - Background
The National Safety Camera Programme was first piloted across the UK in April 2000. This followed a cost benefit study conducted in 19964 which recommended that highway authorities and Police forces should be allowed to recover their costs from fine revenue.
Glasgow City was one of the eight areas across Britain to take part in this pilot for "cost recovery". This allowed fine revenue from safety cameras to be used to fund additional camera activity for enforcement in specific areas where there was a history of speeding and red-light running.
The Programme in Scotland was further enhanced with the creation of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme.
In December 2005, an announcement was made by the UK Government that hypothecation of safety camera fines would cease on 31 March 2007 – with the Scottish Government committing to continue funding the Safety Camera Partnerships through grant payments. On 1 April 2007 this new grant funding arrangement began.
The Programme in Scotland has expanded in stages, with the first partnership formed in 2002. There are currently eight Safety Camera Partnerships across Scotland (see Figure 1 overleaf).
Safety Camera Partnerships are partnership working arrangements between Transport Scotland, Local Authorities, the Police, district courts and other agencies with an interest in reducing road casualties. These can include the NHS, Fire and Rescue Service and the Ambulance Service.
4 Hooke A, Knox J and Portas D (1996). Cost Benefit Analysis of Traffic Light and Speed Cameras. Police Research Series Paper 20, Police Research Group, Home Office, London.
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Figure 1 - Safety Camera Partnerships
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Theme 1 – Purpose and Remit of Safety Camera Partnerships
There have been various amendments and redrafts of the rules during the life of the programme, primarily to accommodate cameras being used as part of an engineering solution to an identified problem, at road works and elsewhere under exception site rules. However, since its inception the two main objectives of the Safety Camera Programme have been to:
Reduce the number of people killed or injured on Scottish roads through targeted camera enforcement at sites that meet criteria in force at the time they are established; and
Engender a culture of speed limit and red traffic signal compliance by providing a visible and effective deterrent. These support the Scottish Government’s targets for casualty reduction on Scotland’s roads between 2010 and 2020, in line with the objectives set out in the Scottish Government Road Safety Framework to 2020.
Question 1 Do you consider that the existing remit as outlined above still reflects the fundamental requirement of the Safety Camera Programme or do you consider that it should be widened or given greater flexibility in its deployment? Options you may wish to comment upon include: maintaining current arrangements as they are at present; the provision of current arrangements but with greater flexibility to address community concerns; or the removal of existing constraints and restrictions in their entirety. Areas you may wish to consider in your response could include: The ability of the Safety Camera Partnership to respond quickly to community concerns or complaints regarding speeding – should this aspect be stated as part of the Safety Camera Partnership role? The ability of Safety Camera Partnership resources to more readily support ongoing police enforcement operations or other road safety initiatives.
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The impact any change would have on the 2020 casualty reduction targets. The Safety Camera Partnership’s role in delivering wider Community Planning Partnership outcomes e.g. reduction in hospital admissions or Fire and Rescue call-outs to road traffic accidents. Any additional aspects or priorities which in your view should be undertaken by the Safety Camera Partnerships.
Question 2 Changes in camera technology and other ongoing developments on the road network have created opportunities for Safety Camera Partnerships to support enforcement activity in other areas such as Traffic Management Intelligent Transport System (ITS) schemes and at road works. Given the varying demands for camera enforcement, how do we ensure there is flexibility to support enforcement activity without compromising the casualty reduction strategy? Areas you may wish to include in your response could cover: Your view regarding additional enforcement activity for the Safety Camera Partnerships. How would the merits of individual schemes be assessed? The possible option to create a separate yet linked resource and funding stream to deal with any new enforcement activity, such as supporting speed restrictions at traffic management schemes or temporary speed restrictions at road works, which are in addition to the casualty reduction targets.
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Theme 2 – Structure of Safety Camera Partnerships
Scotland’s eight Safety Camera Partnerships are a practical way of branding local partnership working agreements. Each partner agrees to provide specific services or activity in compliance with rules set out in the Programme Handbook under a local Service Level Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding. Expending partners are typically the Police, Local Authorities and Transport Scotland. Camera enforcement activity is currently conducted in all mainland Local Authority areas but to date not on island Local Authorities (Orkney, Shetland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar), nor on islands in other Local Authority areas. In addition to expending partners, a number of other agencies such as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, or NHS Trusts that might benefit from casualty or accident reduction are represented on local Partnership Management Boards. Along with the expending partners, these agencies contribute to community planning aims by working together to plan and deliver better services which take account of local priorities and circumstances.
Question 3 Which is your preferred Safety Camera Partnership structure in order to deliver an effective and efficient Safety Camera Programme?
Question 4 Do you consider that there should continue to be a dedicated local communications resource for each Safety Camera Partnership or would a national communications team provide greater opportunities? If the resource is to remain within the programme what should the proposed structure look like? Areas you may wish to include in your response could cover: Should each Safety Camera Partnership continue to have a dedicated communications resource? Could communications support for media enquiries be provided by Police Scotland, as many of the enquiries are offence or operation related?
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Could communications support be provided by another partner e.g. Transport Scotland or Local Authorities?
Question 5 Do you consider that there are functions that could be delivered by alternative methods? Areas you may wish to include in your response could cover: Currently specific areas of work such as speed data collation are contracted out to partners and the private sector. Are there any other functions that have the potential of being outsourced/ brought in- house?
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Theme 3 – Governance
At a national level the Scottish Safety Camera Programme Office acts on behalf of the Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland. It has responsibility for the conduct and performance of the programme, and: manages the annual Safety Camera Programme budget; develops the rules under which payments may be made to partnerships; and sets data requirements and performance indicators for monitoring and reporting purposes. These rules and data requirements are set out in a Handbook produced and published by the Programme Office.
Each local Safety Camera Partnership is required to have an effective Management Board or Steering Group made up of senior members of key partner organisations. With the Chairs of the boards playing a leadership role, a key consideration is the co- ordination of partner activity to ensure safety camera work is integrated into the wider road safety effort and road safety strategies of partners. To contribute to the road safety targets set out in the Road Safety Framework, board representation and consideration aligns with the priorities set out in the Single Outcome Agreements between CPPs and Scottish Government, and which play an important role in improving outcomes for local people in a way that reflects local priorities and circumstances
Some partnerships have established Working Groups made up of practitioners from the different partner organisations. Their remit is to discuss practical issues and implement agreed solutions to deliver partnership and wider road safety objectives, across both urban and rural roads.
Each partnership is required to have a Local Management Team comprising a nominated Partnership Manager, Communications Officer and Data Analyst. Together they are responsible for managing the day to day activities associated with delivering agreed partnership activities.
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Question 6 The Scottish Safety Camera Programme is currently a standing agenda item for discussion by the Strategic Road Safety Partnership Board, established under the Road Safety Framework to 2020. What, if any, role should the Board have in reviewing the performance of the Safety Camera Programme? Areas you may wish to consider include: The Strategic Road Safety Partnership Board meets twice a year and comprises members from a wide range of organisations with differing priorities and perspectives on enforcement policies. Should the Board have a discussion, advisory or consultation function?
Question 7 Each partnership has a local stand-alone Management Board or Steering Group established as required for consideration of funding through the programme, and in terms of a local Service Level Agreement (SLA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Is there a continuing need for local Management Boards or should it only be necessary to have local working groups to deal with practical issues such as site identification, site maintenance etc.?
If there is a continuing need, what functions should local management boards have responsibility for? Areas you may wish to consider include: Each partner organisation is responsible for paying any costs and expenditure in excess of that covered by grant funding. This is generally limited to excessive costs incurred by their own organisation or on a pre-determined proportion of total overspend as set out in the SLA or MoU. Should membership of local boards be confined to those who incur costs associated with delivering the programme, or expanded to include those bodies who benefit directly from programme outcomes?
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Should all board member organisations be required to deliver some part of the programme by for example providing a financial contribution, services, data or information quantifying benefits being derived from programme activity? Local managers routinely provide performance information on financial control, deployment, offender rates, and local communication activity to local boards but are seldom, if ever, subject to any direction from local boards. Decisions on camera deployment are not routinely co-ordinated with other enforcement activity undertaken by Police Scotland or linked to wider road safety initiatives organised by other partners. Proposals in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill to strengthen Community Planning, so that public sector agencies work as one to deliver better outcomes for communities5.
Question 8 Who should be responsible for making deployment decisions – the police, local management boards, or partnership managers?
Question 9 How might the functions of the Local Management Team be provided in the future? Areas you may wish to consider include: Following recent changes to the Handbook, a number of partnerships have entered into resource sharing arrangements in terms of Communications Officers and Data Analysts. There is a published National Safety Camera Communications Strategy that is delivered in different ways across different partnership areas. Communications activity has been hampered by the lack of an identified budget for national communications in recent years.
5 Community Empowerment Bill available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/11/5740
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Recent independent research suggests that in contrast to other parts of the UK, support for safety cameras is diminishing in Scotland. Data analysis is not used consistently to influence deployment decisions and the role of analyst varies across partnerships.
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ANNEX 1
List of Consultees: Responses to this consultation are welcome from any individual or organisation with an interest. The following have been invited to respond:
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Equality and Human Rights Commission Institute of Advanced Motorists Local Authority Chief Executives National Health Service Police Scotland Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Scottish Court Service Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Scottish Members of the European Parliament Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) Scottish Parliament – Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee Scottish Parliament – Justice Committee Scottish Police Authority Scottish Safety Camera Partnerships Scottish Youth Parliament Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers UNISON
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THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION PROCESS
Consultation is an essential and important aspect of Scottish Government working methods. Given the wide-ranging areas of work of the Scottish Executive, there are many varied types of consultation. However, in general, Scottish Government consultation exercises aim to provide opportunities for all those who wish to express their opinions on a proposed area of work to do so in ways which will inform and enhance that work.
The Scottish Government encourages consultation that is thorough, effective and appropriate to the issue under consideration and the nature of the target audience. Consultation exercises take account of a wide range of factors, and no two exercises are likely to be the same.
Typically Scottish Government consultations involve a written paper inviting answers to specific questions or more general views about the material presented. Written papers are distributed to organisations and individuals with an interest in the issue, and may also be placed on the Scottish Government website enabling a wider audience to access the paper and submit their responses. Consultation exercises may also involve seeking views in a number of different ways, such as through public meetings, focus groups or questionnaire exercises. Copies of all the written responses received to a consultation exercise (except those where the individual or organisation requested confidentiality) will be available upon request.
All Scottish Government public consultation papers and related publications (e.g. analysis of response reports) can be accessed at: Scottish Government consultations (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations)
The views and suggestions detailed in consultation responses are analysed and used as part of the decision making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. Depending on the nature of the consultation exercise the responses received may:
indicate the need for policy development or review inform the development of a particular policy help decisions to be made between alternative policy proposals be used to finalise legislation before it is implemented
Final decisions on the issues under consideration will also take account of a range of other factors, including other available information and research evidence.
While details of particular circumstances described in a response to a consultation exercise may usefully inform the policy process, consultation exercises cannot address individual concerns and comments, which should be directed to the relevant public body.
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Further copies of this document are available, on request, in audio and large print formats and in community languages (Urdu; Bengali; Gaelic; Hindi; Punjabi; Cantonese; Arabic; Polish).
Transport Scotland, Buchanan House, 58 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow, G4 0HF 0141 272 7100 [email protected] www.transportscotland.gov.uk
ISBN: 978-1-78412-293-5
© Crown copyright 2014
You may re-use this information (excluding logos and images) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or e-mail: [email protected]
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
Any enquiries regarding this document / publication should be sent to us at [email protected]
This document is also available on the Transport Scotland website: www.transportscotland.gov.uk
Published by Transport Scotland, February 2014
DPPAS24030 (02/14)
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- 61 - - 62 - Data Label: PUBLIC
ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL
REVIEW OF TRAFFIC WARDEN PROVISION AND POTENTIAL FOR DECRIMINALISED PARKING ENFORCEMENT
REPORT BY HEAD OF OPERATIONAL SERVICES
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to inform the panel of the Police Scotland review of traffic wardens and discuss options for managing on-street parking in West Lothian.
B. RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the panel:
1. Notes the work already undertaken on parking management; and 2. Endorses the recommended option of monitoring and review with regular 6- monthly reports to the Environment PDSP. 3. Notes that the timescale for introducing Decriminalised Parking Enforcement is of the order of three years from a decision to proceed.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I. Council Values Focusing on our customer needs; and
Working in partnership
II. Policy and Legal Policy: Need to develop policy on parking enforcement
Legal: Development of business case and application to Scottish Ministers to take up decriminalised parking enforcement powers under the Road Traffic Act 1991.
III. Implications for Scheme of Delegations Adoption of decriminalised parking to Officers enforcement would require scheme of delegation to be altered accordingly.
IV. Impact on performance and None performance indicators
V. Relevance to Single Outcome Effective parking enforcement contributes
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- 63 - Agreement to outcomes 10 – We live in well- designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the services we need and 12 - We value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations.
VI. Resources (Financial, Staffing and Financial: Decriminalised parking Property) enforcement would require considerable up-front financial investment of the order of £500,000. The detailed business case would indicate whether this could be recouped over time through charges and fines. Development of the parking strategy and detailed business case and is estimated to cost £50,000.
Staffing: Decriminalised parking enforcement would require establishment of a parking team to either directly enforce or manage a contractor for enforcement.
Property: None
VII. Consideration at PDSP/Executive Decriminalised parking enforcement Committee required would require consideration at Environment PDSP and Council Executive at various stages of the process.
VII. Details of consultations None
D. TERMS OF REPORT
D.1 Background
As noted at the meeting of West Lothian Council on 14 January 2014, Police Scotland recently ceased its traffic warden service throughout Scotland. At the meeting, the Council instructed that:
1. The Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary to request a delay to the removal of the Traffic Warden Service until the Council has had the opportunity to fully investigate the practicalities of implementing a DPE in West Lothian, and, 2. Officers to bring forward a paper detailing options on parking management within our towns and villages to the Environment PDSP at the earlier opportunity.
The Chief Executive subsequently wrote to the Cabinet Secretary and the response will be reported to the next full council meeting on 1 April.
This report deals with the instruction to bring forward a paper on parking management options.
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- 64 - Traffic Wardens The Police Scotland decision means that there will be no dedicated resource for routine enforcement of parking restrictions and the Police will only take action where parking is considered to be ‘dangerous or causes significant obstruction’. This is a significant change for West Lothian and is expected to have considerable impact on town centre locations.
Up until November 2013 there were four wardens operating in West Lothian, one is funded by Land Securities for a two year period, due to end in June 2014, and covers the Livingston town centre.
The other wardens covered the other areas in West Lothian, although the areas covered can vary: one warden covered Whitburn, Uphall and Broxburn, one warden covered Bathgate, Armadale and West Calder and one warden was dedicated to Linlithgow.
The hours of operation ranged from 08:45 to 17:15 with wardens working every third Saturday.
Officers have sought details from Police Scotland on the number of fixed penalty tickets issued by the police and traffic wardens. The information provided indicates that around 3,000 parking fixed penalties were issued per annum. There has been a slight increase in each of the last three years.
The removal of the routine enforcement provided by traffic wardens is expected to lead to increased complaints about parking, increased levels of congestion in town centres, negative impacts on air quality in these areas, potential increases in road traffic accidents all of which would increase pressure on the council to seek decriminalised parking enforcement powers. D.2 Decriminalised Parking Enforcement
Currently in West Lothian, on-street parking infringements are criminal offences enforced by the police under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The council has no powers to enforce such restrictions on-street.
The Road Traffic Act 1991 introduced the concept of ‘decriminalised parking enforcement’ (DPE) whereby a local roads authority could apply to central government to designate areas as ‘Special Parking Areas’. In these areas, which usually comprise the entire local authority area, parking infringements are no longer criminal offences but are enforced by the local authority through a civil court procedure. Enforcement can either be parking attendants employed directly by the council or by a contractor working on behalf of the council. Fine revenue in DPE areas goes to the local authority rather than HM Treasury.
Once a local authority has taken DPE powers, the decision is irreversible so the local authority has to be sure that the financial case for DPE is sound before making an application.
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- 65 - There is a considerable amount of work required in preparing an application for DPE including: x a full review of parking policies and implementation; x a full review of exemptions and waivers; x revision of all traffic regulation orders to reflect DPE; x review of all signs and markings and rectification of all defects to ensure that they are in ‘a good state of repair’; x a robust business case showing detailed expenditure and income forecasts for the first year of operation; x details of the plans for provision of parking attendants including provision for training; x details of the documentation, payment facilities and independent adjudication facilities associated with the scheme; and x details of vehicle removal procedures.
The DPE concept has potential advantages for local authorities who are able to direct enforcement in accordance with locally set priorities. However, there is a financial case to be met to ensure that schemes are self-financing. Income from fines and charges needs to balance the costs of operating the scheme and ideally would make a surplus to allow the initial capital costs to be recouped.
In some areas, mainly London and other large cities, DPE has raised a considerable financial surplus but the legislation requires that this money is ring-fenced for transport related expenditure. Recent court judgements have clarified that charges and fines cannot be set for revenue generation – the purpose of parking enforcement is to maintain traffic flow, access to premises and road safety.
In many areas, particularly in Scotland, it has proven much more difficult to run schemes without considerable subsidy, normally from off-street parking accounts (a ring-fenced account established from parking charges and used solely for roads and transportation work).
A recent example from Inverclyde Council which illustrates the scale of the costs and the potential funding shortfall is described in Appendix 1.
Outline DPE Income and Cost Estimates
Using information gleaned from other authority business cases, best practice guidance and the number of parking tickets issued in West Lothian in recent years, officers have developed outline income and cost estimates. These are shown in Appendix 2.
It should be noted that there are considerable assumptions and unknowns in this and it would require considerable refinement and development before officers would be confident to commend it as a sound case. In particular, the adopted parking strategy would directly influence the level of enforcement and in turn the number of tickets issued. Only through the development of a comprehensive parking strategy could this be fully assessed.
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- 66 - However, the figures indicate that it is unlikely that DPE would be self-financing from fine income alone. The annual operating shortfall is currently estimated to be of the order of £30,000 to £80,000.
Ongoing work There is currently an ongoing project to digitise all existing waiting and parking traffic regulation orders and compile into a geographic information system. This project will provide immediate operational benefits but will also provide the base information on existing restrictions and enable easier review of traffic orders should DPE be pursued in the future. It is expected that the project will be complete by the end of 2014.
Options for Parking Management Option 1 – Monitor, review and develop outline DPE business case The council has the option of relying on Police Scotland to provide targeted enforcement to maintain traffic flow and road safety, whilst monitoring the ongoing impact.
This option has the benefit of having minimal cost for the council and provides an opportunity for the council to collect baseline information on parking demand in key town centre locations which could be used to inform a future parking strategy.
In terms of monitoring, it is suggested that the following information could be collected: x Number of complaints/enquiries relating to parking x Monthly parking infringement surveys in key town centre locations x Air quality information from Linlithgow and Broxburn
The proposed plan for surveys is detailed in Appendix 3. The undertaking of the surveys detailed in Appendix 3 can be achieved with a re-prioritisation of existing staff resources and budgets.
In conjunction with the monitoring activity, it is considered prudent to undertake some limited work on developing the outline business case, with assistance from other authorities already operating DPE. Officers can work with colleagues in other authorities to refine costs and estimate income based on their experience. Offers of assistance from several authorities are already in place.
Given that the current evidence points to DPE not being financially viable, it is recommended that this option be pursued in the short-term with a reports to the Environment PDSP every 6-months to review the position and consider whether to progress with a full parking strategy and DPE business case.
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- 67 - Option 2 - Decriminalised Parking Enforcement This option would involve the council committing to a full study and application for decriminalised parking enforcement powers.
Previous work undertaken on behalf of SESTran (September 2009) indicated that DPE in West Lothian would not be self financing. The study also indicated that even a joint scheme with other SESTran authorities would not be self-financing without the involvement of the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). However, CEC indicated that it would not consider such a scheme.
Since that study, Fife Council has moved forward and has established a DPE scheme which came into operation in April 2013. It should be noted that Fife Council already had a well established parking account, with both on-street and off-street parking income.
For a scheme to be developed in West Lothian, significant financial investment would be required of the order detailed below: x Development of parking strategy/business case (includes development of council wide parking policy and strategy, collation of parking survey information, development of finance and funding model, legal process) - £40,000 - £50,000 x Set-up of scheme (includes sign and line marking works, review of traffic regulation orders and legal processes, enforcement equipment, back office set- up, parking attendant equipment, training, staff cost)- £350,000 - £450,000. x Ongoing costs (sign and line maintenance, ticket issuing, enforcement, back office, parking attendant equipment, transport, adjudication costs and parking attendant wages) - £200,000 - £250,000.
The above is based on figures from published business cases for Inverclyde Council and South Ayrshire Council but this has not been tested fully for the situation in West Lothian.
The detailed business case would indicate whether the scheme could operate at a surplus and therefore how long it would take to recoup the initial investment including any charges associated with borrowing. However, based on the previous work, it is unlikely that a self-financing scheme would be possible without income from parking charges.
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- 68 - Wider engagement
Other authorities
Officers have contacted counterparts in East Lothian, Mid Lothian and Scottish Borders Councils to ascertain their authorities’ current position in regard to DPE.
All three authorities were aware of the Police review of traffic wardens but none had considered DPE in any detail since the SESTran study in 2009. Officers in East Lothian indicated that some preliminary in-house work had been done to look at DPE but their view was that it could not be made self financing.
None of the authorities is actively considering DPE at the present time but all did indicate that if other nearby authorities were considering it, they would consider joint development of the business case.
SESTran
The SESTran board now has the issue as a regular agenda item and is holding a special meeting on 31 March to discuss the implications and how SESTran can assist. Officers will continue to engage with SESTran on this.
Transport Scotland
Officers have had initial informal discussions with civil servants in Transport Scotland who deal with DPE applications. They have confirmed the view that a successful DPE application will need to demonstrate a positive financial case within the first five years of operation. They also confirmed that the realistic timescale for developing and implementing a DPE scheme was 3 years.
Transport Scotland organised a workshop in mid-November 2013 for local authority officers. The aim of this was to disseminate best practice advice and discuss the implications of the police proposal for local authorities. Officers from Roads and Transportation attended this meeting and gained a further insight into how DPE has been implemented in other authorities.
There were offers from Glasgow City Council, City of Edinburgh Council and South Lanarkshire Council for officers to visit their operations and see how they work in practice. It is suggested that these offers will be taken up in due course.
Implementation Options There are several possible scenarios for implementing DPE and managing the enforcement and back-office processing. These scenarios would be considered as part of the business case development.
One of the key decisions would be whether the council should undertake all of the activity in-house or contract out elements of the scheme.
Many authorities contract the enforcement, notice processing and vehicle removal activities. For example, it is generally considered that in-house notice processing can only be sustained if there are a minimum of 6,000 penalty charge notices per annum. The cost of contracting out this activity is around £6.50 - £7.50 per notice based on this volume. Some local authorities offer this service to other authorities and the costs are in line with commercial services.
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- 69 - Enforcement staff need specialist training, equipment and uniforms. In order for sufficient penalty charge notices to be issued to sustain the operation of the scheme, they are usually dedicated staff. It is generally not feasible to utilise existing staff by adding duties to existing posts.
The development of a business case would identify the most efficient mechanisms for delivering a DPE scheme.
E. CONCLUSION
The recent removal of the police traffic warden service is likely to result in a significantly reduced level of enforcement of waiting and loading regulations within our towns and villages, with the burden for the enforcement of these regulations falling to the council in order to control the operation of the road infrastructure.
The Police Scotland decision may force the council to consider the introduction of DPE. The work undertaken by SESTran during 2009, indicated that the introduction DPE would not be self financing.
Development of a robust business case and the preparatory work required for submission of an application for decriminalised parking enforcement powers will require a significant capital investment that may not be recouped.
A realistic timescale for the development and implementation of a DPE scheme is three years.
In the meantime, it is recommended that a monitor and review approach is adopted with regular feedback to the Environment PDSP on results.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
None
Appendices/Attachments: Appendix 1 – Inverclyde DPE Case Study Appendix 2 – Outline Income and Cost Estimates Appendix 3 – Proposed Monitoring Survey Programme
Contact Person: Kevin Hamilton, Team Leader – Road Safety and Traffic Management, Whitehill House, Tel: 01506 282341
Jim Jack Head of Operational Services
Date: 27 March 2014
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- 70 - APPENDIX 1
Inverclyde Decriminalised Parking Example
Following the removal of traffic warden service in Strathclyde in April 2011, Inverclyde Council was forced to consider the introduction of DPE.
A review of published information on the Inverclyde proposal has been undertaken and the main points identified. x Upfront costs for getting DPE running in Inverclyde – between £400,000 and £500,000. This includes development of the business case, rationalisation of existing restrictions, infrastructure and setting up the enforcement team. x Ongoing costs for DPE in Inverclyde – around £180,000 per annum. x Estimated income for Inverclyde (from fines only) - £100,000 per annum. x Estimated income from parking charges - £86,000 x Estimated annual surplus - £6,000
The Inverclyde business case clearly illustrates the difficulties of making a small scale DPE scheme self-financing. Inverclyde Council had to propose the introduction of modest long-stay parking charges (£1 per day) in order to cover the shortfall.
Inverclyde Council has now reviewed its traffic regulation orders and advertised the revised orders, suitable for their DPE scheme. This process resulted in 43 un- withdrawn objections and triggered the statutory requirement for a hearing in front of an independent reporter.
The latest position is that subject to the outcome of the hearing, DPE is due to be introduced in July 2014.
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- 71 - APPENDIX 2
OUTLINE INCOME AND COST ESTIMATES
Year 1 2 3 4 5 Assumed PCNs issued per 6000 6000 5100 5100 5100 annum Projected Income £192,902 £192,902 £163,967 £163,967 £163,967
Cost Projections 7.5 7.725 7.95675 8.1954525 8.441316075 Operational Management £ 30,000 £ 30,900 £ 31,827 £ 32,781 £ 33,765 Enforcement £ 150,000 £ 154,500 £ 159,135 £ 163,909 £ 168,826 Ticket processing £ 45,000 £ 46,350 £ 40,579 £ 41,796 £ 43,050 Total £ 225,000 £ 231,750 £ 231,541 £ 238,487 £ 245,642
Annual Net Surplus (£ 32,097) (£ 38,847) (£ 67,574) (£ 74,520) (£ 81,675) (deficit) Capital and start up (£ 500,000) expenditure Cumulative net surplus (£ 532,097) (£ 570,945) (£ 638,519) (£ 713,040) (£ 794,715) (deficit) including capital
Key Assumptions
1. PCNs will initially be 2 times the number issued by police in previous three years (3000) decreasing by 15% after year 2 then stabilising 2. 72% of PCNs paid without contesting (10% at £60, 60% at £30 and 2% at £90) 3. 28% of PCNs will be contested or appealed (recovered at an estimated average rate of £22.68 per PCN) 4. Assumes full operation from day 1 of year 1 5. Assumed 1 car parking supervisor post (1FTE) increasing at 3% per annum 6. Assumed 5 wardens increasing at 3% per annum 7. Ticket processing costs assumed to be £7.50 per PCN increasing at 3% per annum
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- 72 - APPENDIX 3 - PROPOSED MONITORING SURVEY PROGRAMME
Initial Baseline Surveys
At the start of the project, initial baseline surveys of parking infringements will be undertaken in towns and streets listed below:
TOWN STREETS IN BASELINE SURVEY
LIVINGSTON Almondvale Boulevard, Almondvale Place, Almondvale West, Almondvale Road, Almondvale Avenue, Almondvale Parkway, Almondvale South, Almondvale East, Howden South Road (Terrace R/b to Braehead Junction), Howden West Road, Alderstone Road (Newyearfield R/b to Adambrae R/b). LINLITHGOW High Street, West port, Preston Road (High Street to Railway), West Port Place, St John’s Avenue, Royal Terrace, New Well Wynd, Wateryett, Union Road, Lion Well Wynd, Whitten Lane, Dog Well Wynd, Kirkgate, The Cross, Strawberry Bank, Back Station Road, Manse Road (Back Station Road to Friars Way), Rockville Grove, High Port. Edinburgh Road (High Port to Maidlands), Cricket Club Access Road, Barons Hill Court, Capstan Walk, Provost Road, Blackness Road (high Port to Provost Road), Station Road, County Buildings Access Road. BATHGATE Edinburgh Rd (Gordon Ave to King St), King St, Whitburn Rd (King St to Menzies Rd), Menzies Rd, South Bridge Street, Gardners Lane, North Bridge Street, Mansefield St, Livery St, Hopetoun St, Jarvie St, Main St, Gideon St, Marjoribanks St (Hopetoun St to Gordon Avenue), Gordon Avenue, South Mid Street, Academy Street, Mid Street, Rosemount Court, Church Place, Union Road. BROXBURN Buchan Lane, Strathbrock Place, West Burnside, West Main Street (Station Road to Greendykes Road), East Main Street, Greendykes Road (Albyn Place to East main St), Newhouses Road (Edinburgh Rd to A89), Edinburgh Rd, Dunnet Way (Edinburgh Rd to Westerton Road), Westerton Road, Power Station Road. UPHALL West Main Street, East Main Street (Ecclesmachan Rd to Loaninghill Cottages), Ecclesmachan Road (East Main St to Howieson Green) ARMADALE West Main Street (Mill Rd to Cross), East Main Street (Cross to King St), North Street (Cross to Watson Park), South Street (Cross to Wotherspoon Cr). WHITBURN West Main Street (Cross to Bog Road), East Main Street (Cross to Shanks Rd), Armadale Road (Cross to Ellen St), Manse Road (Cross to Union Road). WEST CALDER East End (Polbeth Ter to Main St), Main St, West End (Young St to Main St).
The surveys will only measure parking infringements defined as vehicles parked on yellow line or zig- zag restrictions. The location, type of vehicle, date and time will be recorded along with whether a blue badge is on display. The surveys will be undertaken on a weekday with one survey in each town.
Ongoing Monitoring Surveys
Once each month, on the same day of the week as the baseline survey, the baseline surveys will be repeated.
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- 73 - - 74 - DATA LABEL: PUBLIC
ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION (AIP) CASUALTY REDUCTION PROGRAMME 2014/15
REPORT BY HEAD OF OPERATIONAL SERVICES
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to seek approval for the list of proposed prioritised casualty reduction schemes for the 2014/15 programme.
B. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the panel recommends that the Council Executive approves the list of prioritised casualty reduction schemes for implementation in 2014/15.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I Council Values Making best use of our resources
Working in partnership
II Policy and Legal (including Policy: The Accident Investigation and Strategic Environmental Prevention (AIP) casualty reduction Assessment, Equality programme is identified in the Issues, Health or Risk Community Safety Strategy and in Assessment) the Road Safety Plan. The council has a statutory responsibility for road safety under the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Legal: None
III Implications for Scheme of None Delegations to Officers
IV Impact on performance and The AIP casualty reduction programme performance Indicators contributes to the casualty reduction performance indicators.
V Relevance to Single The AIP casualty reduction programme Outcome Agreement contributes to the outcome: “We live in resilient, safe and cohesive communities.”
VI Resources - (Financial, Financial: The proposed schemes will be Staffing and Property) funded from the council’s road casualty reduction budget with 1
- 75 - £270,000 allocated in 2014/15.
Maintenance costs relating to the schemes will be accommodated in future Roads and Transportation revenue budgets.
Schemes will be designed to minimise these future revenue costs as far as is practicable.
VII Consideration at PDSP Not applicable
VIII Other consultations Consultation will be carried out with Lothian and Borders Police on the programme as a whole and with any frontagers directly affected by any of the proposed schemes.
Schemes which require a traffic regulation order will have additional statutory consultation and a period for objections. Further reports will be prepared for the council executive in these cases.
D. TERMS OF REPORT
Background
The council’s Road Safety Plan and the Community Safety Strategy identify the need for a road casualty reduction programme utilising accident investigation and prevention (AIP) techniques.
Research for the Department for Transport has found that local safety schemes which tackle proven casualty problems represent very good value for money and make a significant contribution to casualty reduction.
Progress to date
The current casualty reduction programme commenced in 2007/08 and since then, a total of 59 schemes have been completed.
It is too early to assess fully the effects of all of these schemes on casualty reduction. However, full monitoring (more than 36 months of after data) has now been carried out for the schemes introduced in 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10. Initial monitoring (less than 36 months of after data) has been carried out on schemes introduced in 2010/11 and 2011/12.
The results of the first five years are provided in Table 1.
The results of this monitoring continue to be very encouraging and indicate an overall reduction in accidents at treated sites of around 41% giving a first year rate of return of 435%. A full explanation of the first year rate of return calculation is given in Appendix 1.
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- 76 - Year Number of Accident reduction at First year rate of schemes schemes return
2007/08 (full monitoring) 9 38% 863%
2008/09 (full monitoring) 12 54% 323%
2009/10 (full monitoring) 9 32% 357%
2010/11 (initial results) 10 38% 672%
2011/12 (initial results) 6 75% 322%
2007-2012 Overall 46 41% 435%
Table 1 – AIP programme monitoring results
Prioritised schemes for 2014/15
For the 2014/15 programme, officers identified so-called ‘sites for concern’ in four ways. Firstly, over 70 single sites where there were four or more accidents in a five year period were identified. Secondly, the accident rates on all rural class A and B class routes and on urban routes were analysed with the 10 urban and rural routes with the highest accident rates investigated in detail. Finally, all residential areas in West Lothian were mapped, the accident rates calculated and detailed investigations carried out on the top five areas.
The investigation / analysis work undertaken involved using the recorded injury accident data collected by the Police to identify sites for concern and analyse crash patterns to develop remedial measures. The process is used nationally and is endorsed by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) through its Road Safety Engineering Manual.
The accident patterns at each of these sites for concern were investigated and a total of 11 sites taken forward for development of remedial measures. These remedial measures have been prioritised based upon value for money criteria. Appendix 1 shows the list of schemes taken forward and prioritised.
The available funding will allow the introduction of around five schemes in 2014/15, subject to final scheme costs. As the accident data is analysed on an annual basis, the programme will be re-ordered next year to take account of up-to-date accident problems.
It is anticipated that results from the 2014/15 programme will be available in early 2017.
E. CONCLUSION
The AIP programme is the council’s main opportunity to make a significant impact in meeting casualty reduction targets and this is backed up by national research and local results.
The schemes prioritised for this financial year maximise the council’s investment through first year rate of return prioritisation and will deliver improvements across West Lothian.
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- 77 - F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
Department for Transport (2009). Road Safety Research Report No. 108 – Contribution of Local Safety Schemes to Casualty Reduction. DfT, London. Available from: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme5/rsrr108.pdf
Appendices/Attachments: Appendix 1 – Casualty Reduction Schemes 2014/15 – Prioritised list Contact Person: Kevin Hamilton, Team Leader - Road Safety & Traffic Management, Operational Services, Whitehill House, Bathgate. Tel: 01506 282341, e-mail: [email protected] Jim Jack, Head of Operational Services
Date: 27 March 2014
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- 78 - APPENDIX 1 – CASUALTY REDUCTION SCHEMES 2014/15 – PRIORITISED LIST
Schemes have been prioritised using an economic assessment method known as First Year Rate of Return (FYRR). It is a simple way of calculating whether a scheme can be justified in economic terms.
The FYRR is calculated using the formula:
Annual_Accident_Savings u100 %FYRR Scheme_cost The annual accident savings are calculated using accident costs from Road Accidents Scotland 2012 and are weighted based upon whether the site is in an urban or rural location. This mechanism reflects that the cost to society of road accidents is higher in rural areas. As a decreasing number of identified sites include fatal or serious accidents, the severity weighting applied in previous years has not been used.
An estimated FYRR of more than 100% indicates that the scheme benefits will outweigh the costs within the first year. An estimated FYRR of less than 100% indicates that the scheme is still beneficial but the benefits take more than a year to outweigh the costs.
Schemes will be implemented in priority order until the available funding is exhausted. It will not be possible to implement every scheme in 2014/15 due to budget constraints. It is anticipated that around 5 schemes will be implemented this year.
Rank Ref Location Ward Proposals Estimated Estimated Estimated Scheme Annual Cost FYRR (%) Cost Saving to Society1
Renewal of Almondvale carriageway 1 AIP/2014/069 Avenue, 4 markings - increase £5,000 £13,950 279.0 Livingston definition of hatching A801 @ B8047 Carriageway re- 2 AIP/2014/006 (Roundabout) 9 £80,000 £104,434 130.5 surfacing Near Torphicen A7066 @ Pyramids Carriageway re- 3 AIP/2014/020 Business Park, 8 £60,000 £70,493 117.5 surfacing Bathgate (Roundabout) Adambrae Roundabout, Carriageway re- 4 AIP/2014/031 4 £54,000 £61,379 113.7 Alderstone Road, surfacing Livingston Deans Road @ Caputhall Road, Carriageway re- 5 AIP/2014/029 3 £48,000 £40,454 84.3 Livingston (Deans surfacing Roundabout)
1 The cost savings identified are not directly recouped by the council but are savings to society as a whole. The costs include both human costs and direct economic costs. 5
- 79 - North Bridge Street and Traffic calming and 6 AIP/2014/061 8 £40,000 £32,085 80.2 Hopetoun Street, 20mph speed limit Bathgate A71 at its Eastern Carriageway re- 7 AIP/2014/058 5 £75,000 £60,049 80.1 Boundary surfacing Deans North Road @ Re-align kerblines Knightsridge to tighten 8 AIP/2014/050 3 £26,000 £18,135 69.7 West Road, approaches to Livingston roundabout. (Roundabout) Provide traffic signal control at A706/A801 junction A706 @ A801, 9 AIP/2014/005 9 and ban right turn at £220,000 £104,434 47.5 Near Torphicen junction immediately east of this junction. B792 Bathgate 10 AIP/2014/073 7 Traffic calming £105,000 £41,849 39.9 Road, Blackburn Houston Road @ Grange Road / Installation of traffic 11 AIP/2014/038 3 £120,000 £41,849 34.9 Nettlehill Road, signals Livingston
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ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL
OPERATIONAL SERVICES MANAGEMENT PLAN 2014 / 2015
REPORT BY HEAD OF OPERATIONAL SERVICES
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
To advise the panel of the purpose, scope and content of the Operational Services Management Plan for 2014 / 2015.
B. RECOMMENDATION
Members of the panel are asked to note the contents of the report and approve the content of the Operational Services Management Plan for 2014 / 2015.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS I Council Values Being honest, open and accountable. Focusing on our customers' needs Making best use of our resources Working in partnership II Policy and Legal (including Actions will be screened as they are progressed Strategic Environmental to determine the need for environment, equality, Assessment, Equality health or risk assessments. Issues, Health or Risk Assessment) III Implications for Scheme of None Delegations to Officers IV Impact on performance and Successful delivery of the plan will ensure good performance Indicators performance against a number of performance indicators detailed in the Management Plan
V Relevance to Single The Management Plan highlights the key Outcome Agreement activities and performance of Operational Services which directly impacts on the Single Outcome Agreement. Performance, activities and actions overseen by the panel contribute to the delivery of SOA04, SOA07 and SOA08. VI Resources - (Financial, The Management Plan sets out the financial and Staffing and Property) staff resources required to deliver the service in 2014/15. 1
- 81 - Identifies the initiatives that are planned for 2014/15, to create efficiencies and quality improvements in service delivery
VII Consideration at PDSP The plan will also be submitted to the Development and Transport PDSP on the 3rd April in relation to Transportation and Public Transport issues. VIII Other consultations The Management Plan has been approved by the Executive Management team for submission to the PDSP, in February 2014.
D. TERMS OF REPORT In accordance with Council procedures and the corporate guidance issued, Operational Services has drawn up a Management Plan for the forthcoming financial year. The Operational Services Management Plan is fundamental to the delivery of its services. The plan takes into consideration the medium term financial strategy of the council, developed under Delivering Better Outcomes and the available resources for 2014/15. The Management Plan also takes into full consideration the council priorities identified in the Corporate Plan 2013 to 2017. As a front line service provider, Operational Services plays a key role in achieving the council’s Corporate Plan priorities, and in particular the priority of ‘Protecting the built and natural environment’.
The Management Plan defines the activities, priorities and actions that Operational Services intends to deliver in the forthcoming year as well as the performance measure we will use to monitor our success. The plan also provides a summary of the work undertaken and the achievements of the services in the preceding year, which include;
x Introduction of a plated meal service in primary schools x Introduction of Breakfast Clubs to all schools in West Lothian x Awarded the Public Sector Green Fleet of the Year award and Fleet Manager of the Year award at the Green Fleet Awards 20213 x New and improved play areas delivered throughout West Lothian x Improved the Street Cleansing Index in West Lothian x Continued support and success of the council’s modern apprenticeship programme x Developed a range of learning and development opportunities for staff across all services x Redesigned public transport contracts allowing the service to maintain existing service levels as well as generate an additional income to the council x Implementation of an integrated public transport management information system
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- 82 - x Improved the condition of the roads in West Lothian for the fourth year running x Delivered the new M8 junction at Whitburn x Delivered the Broxburn Flood Prevention Scheme project x Roll out of the pilot food waste collection service x Developed new opportunities to increase glass recycling across West Lothian
The Management Plan highlights our latest key performance figures and sets out the budget for delivering services in 2014/15. The panel are asked to note that the plan does not contain final performance figures for the year 2013/14. The Management Plan will act as the control document against which the service will monitor progress during 2014/15.
E. CONCLUSION
The Operational Services Management Plan for 2014/15 clearly sets out the framework for service delivery, by all the services under the responsibility of the Head of Operational Services and the remit of the Environment PDSP, for the financial year 2014/15.
Its delivery will contribute to the aims of the Council and enable the Council to meets its obligations.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
West Lothian Council Management Plan Guide 2014-15
Appendices/Attachments: one. 1 Operational Services Management Plan 2014 / 2015.
Contact Person: Jim Jack, Head of Operational Services, Whitehill House, Whitehill Industrial Estate, Bathgate [email protected]
Jim Jack Head of Operational Services
27th March 2014
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Delivering Better Outcomes
Operational Services
Management Plan 2014/2015
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Contents
1 Overview of Operational Services
1.1 Introduction from Jim Jack 3
1.2 Context 5
1.3 Partnership Working 8
1.4 Outcomes, Priorities and Activities 10
1.5 Corporate Strategies 11
2 Operational Services Structure 12
3 Service Activity
3.1 Facilities Management 13
3.2 Fleet and Community Transport 23
3.3 Inprint 34
3.4 NETs, Land and Countryside Services 43
3.5 Public Transport 58
3.6 Roads and Transportation Services 69
3.7 Waste Services 92
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1 Overview 1.1 Introduction
Welcome to the Operational Services Management Plan 2014/15 Operational Services plays a key role in the management and direct delivery of front line services to those who reside, visit and work within West Lothian. These services are grouped into seven functional areas; Facilities Management, Fleet & Community Transport, Inprint & Support Services, Nets, Land and Countryside, Public Transport, Roads & Transportation and Waste Services.
Operational Services include every person who lives in, works in, is educated in, visits and travels through West Lothian as a customer. We consider ourselves to be the front face of the council as we are the only service who directly impact on each household in West Lothian.
This Management Plan will directly outline how Operational Services will contribute to and support the overall priorities and values of the council, through the activities of its Services.
“In Operational Services our aim is to continually improve services, organising them around the needs of our customers and local communities …… “
Operational Services had a successful year in 2013/14, with key achievements across all services.
Significant Achievements in 2013/14
Introduction of a plated meal service in primary schools Introduction of Breakfast Clubs to all schools in West Lothian Awarded the Public Sector Green Fleet of the Year award and Fleet Manager of the Year award at the Green Fleet Awards 20213 New and improved play areas delivered throughout West Lothian Improved the Street Cleansing Index in West Lothian Continued support and success of the council’s modern apprenticeship programme Developed a range of learning and development opportunities for staff across all services Redesigned public transport contracts allowing the service to maintain existing service levels as well as generate an additional income to the council Implementation of an integrated public transport management information system Improved the condition of the roads in West Lothian for the fourth year running Delivered the new M8 junction at Whitburn
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Delivered the Broxburn Flood Prevention Scheme project Roll out of the pilot food waste collection service Developed new opportunities to increase glass recycling across West Lothian
Looking forward the council continues to face significant challenges as the public sector financial pressures worsen and public expectations for quality, choice and accessibility continue to rise.
These are reflected in the Community Plan and in the council’s Single Outcome Agreement, Corporate Plan and Delivering Better Outcomes programme. Operational Services has a key role in delivering the stated outcomes contained within these plans. Doing so will require the service to seek best practice, continued business improvement, appropriate asset management and increased collaborative working. Over the coming months a number of plans and strategies will be progressed to meet these challenges.
Key Actions and Priorities for 2014/15
Managing and delivering the introduction of free school meals to all children in primary 1 to 3 Delivering the planned investment in roads, footpaths, street lights, play areas, open spaces and other assets managed by the services Working towards securing a new rail station in Winchburgh Full roll out of the food waste collection service to all households in West Lothian Working towards the recycling and landfill diversion targets set by the Waste (Scotland) Regulations Introducing a significant number of additional glass collections points throughout West Lothian Developing and implementing the Fleet Use Policy across the council Preparing the Local Flood Risk Management Plan Implementing the new Resource and Recycling Strategy for dealing with waste in West Lothian Dealing with the effects of climate change including the increased risk of flooding
Jim Jack Head of Service Operational Services
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1.2 Context The purpose of this plan is to set out the activities, objectives and initiatives for Operational Services for the forthcoming financial year, 2014/15. The plan will also provide a review of service performance for 2013/14. The Management Plan will be the basis against which services will drive performance, report and be judged on through the council’s corporate performance management system.
1.2.1 West Lothian Council Values West Lothian Council has created its own set of unique values which Operational Services adheres to and conducts all its operations by, these are:
■ Focusing on our customers’ needs ■ Being open, honest and accountable ■ Providing equality of opportunities ■ Developing employees ■ Making best use of our resources ■ Working in partnership
The Council Mission Statement:
“Striving for Excellence ……… working with and for our Communities”
1.2.2 Performance Management The service measures and monitors its performance against their main activities, which feed into the overall objectives of the council, through the council’s performance management system – Covalent. Each service has a published suite of performance indicators which are reported to the public through the council’s website. Performance is measured on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis and reported through the relevant PDSPs. As a service we hold an annual Performance Review Day to assess our performance measures for reliability, relevance and information.
1.2.3 Risk Management In order to minimise the impact of risk, risk management is embedded within our service planning and day-to-day management processes. This includes monitoring and recording the key risks to our service objectives within the council’s corporate risk register as well as agreeing actions which will help minimise the impact or alleviate these risks.
Our services have each developed a Business Continuity Plan which is reviewed and updated regularly to ensure it remains relevant and effective. Operational Services are also fully represented on the council’s Risk Management Board.
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1.2.4 Corporate Plan 2013/17 Through its ‘Delivering Better Outcomes’ consultation the council developed the new Corporate Plan 2013/17 which reflects the views, needs and aspirations of the West Lothian community. The Corporate Plan identifies eight priorities that we believe to be the most critical factors to positive change.
More information about how our service activities directly impact on the council’s priorities can be found in section 1.4.
1.2.5 Depot Modernisation In 2013/14 the Council Executive approved a project to modernise the depot provision for Operational Services. Our current depot provision is no longer fit for purpose and would require substantial investment in coming years to maintain its usability to deliver our services.
On reviewing these issues it was clear that a business case for rationalising our depots would provide a better value for money option for the council, as well as creating an opportunity to address the issues which exist within our current depot provision.
The Depot Modernisation project will result in most of the staff and operations carried out by Operational Services being based within Whitehill Industrial Estate, Bathgate. This is a substantial project for the council and for Operational Services and it is likely to take around two years to complete.
1.2.6 Customer Consultation and Participation
Operational Services have a direct day-to-day impact on those who live, visit or work within West Lothian. How we manage and deliver our services has a significant influence on residents’ overall perception of West Lothian Council.
As a result, effective customer consultation and engagement is a fundamental requirement for our services. It allows us to build stronger, more responsive and focused services which consider the needs and expectations of our customers. We have therefore developed a robust approach to customer consultation, engagement and participation and this is used to review, re-design and, in some cases, help deliver our services.
We vary the way that we engage and encourage participation depending on the targeted customer group. The methods of consultation and engagement used differ for each group and may require additional skills from those already within the service.
Operational Services’ customer groups have been identified through practical experience, staff feedback, working internally with other services and local authorities
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and engaging with the public, communities and businesses across West Lothian. This knowledge and understanding of customers’ needs and preferences is used to help improve our services and make them more accessible.
1.2.7 Learning and Development Operational Services recognise that our employees are our greatest resource and we put the training, learning and development of staff at the heart of what we do. Within the service we have a dedicated Learning and Development team of in-house trainers and assessors.
Learning needs are identified through the council’s PRPDP (Performance Review and Personal Development Plan) process and service requirements, which are compiled by the L&D team to identify the most appropriate and effective learning method for the individual employee.
Operational Services have always been committed to staff development and will continue to ensure that employees have the required knowledge, skills and ability to competently carry out tasks to the best possible standard, enabling high levels of service to be delivered to the community.
Through our Learning and Development programme, our services continue to support the council’s Modern Apprenticeship Programme which enables the services to mould and develop the workforce of the future as well as providing career opportunities for the young people of West Lothian. Furthermore, Operational Services is heavily involved in the current ‘Skills Training Programme’ and ‘West Lothian Job Fund’ programmes which focus on assisting the people of the community into work.
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1.3 Partnership Working
In these demanding times, it is increasingly important that the council make the most effective use of partnerships and the resources effective partnership working can bring to improving service delivery. Partnership working is a key asset to the council if we are to continue to provide the greatest positive impact upon the people, families and communities living within West Lothian.
Locally, we have developed the Single Outcome Agreement and work collaboratively with other public services and the voluntary sector to meet the challenging national priorities. The council and the West Lothian Community Planning Partnership have identified a set of local priority outcomes called the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA).
The SOA reflects the national outcomes but, based on the partnership’s insight and understanding, has been shaped by local knowledge and work to date on driving the delivery of improved outcomes for local people.
The SOA provides the council and our partners with a shared set of priorities that must be driven down through every level of the planning framework. This link between strategic priorities and planning is referred to as a ‘golden thread’ and it ensures that there is a strong focus on the achievement of outcomes at every level of the council.
Operational Services provide a significant contribution, either directly or indirectly, to the success and outcome of the major priorities. The service has number of key activities and performance measure which are part of the SOA priorities.
West Lothian Community Safety Unit (CSU) was formed in April 2010 bringing together partners with a diverse business remit from Police Scotland, West Lothian Council and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Members include experts in fire prevention, crime prevention, road safety, antisocial behaviour, drugs awareness, analytical provision, performance management and community engagement.
The partnership works towards the 'PIER' concept – Prevention, Information, Enforcement and Rehabilitation - and forms the backbone of the joint working by all partners when tackling Community Safety. Officers from our Roads and Transportation service work with the other partners as part of the Community Safety Partnership to help deliver key objectives relating to road safety and protecting road users and pedestrians throughout West Lothian.
Services within Operational Services have developed a number of key strategic partnerships with a variety of partners, groups and organisations to help provide better services, use resources more efficiently and to share information for the benefit of our customers and local communities.
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The table below highlights the key partners of each service area.
Fleet & Community Inprint & Support Support & Inprint Transport Public Transportation Transportation NETs, Land & & Land NETs, Management Management Countryside Transport Facilities Services Roads & & Roads
Waste
Key Partners
Forth Estuary Transport Authority
Keep Scotland Beautiful
NHS Lothian
Public Utility Companies
Police Scotland
Scotrail
Scottish Ambulance Service
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Scottish Fire & Rescue Service
Scottish Forestry Commission
Scottish National Heritage
SEStran
VOSA
Waste Aware Scotland
West Lothian Leisure
West Lothian Recycling
Figure 1: Operational Services key partners
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1.4 O utcomes, Priorities and Activities
The council has set eight priorities in the current Corporate Plan (2013/17) in consultation with the local community, partners, stakeholders and our staff. These priorities, along with the three enablers themes, represent all the vital activities that the council will undertake in order to achieve better outcomes for West Lothian.
Figure 1 illustrates where our services directly contribute to the council’s priorities and enablers. Fleet & Community Inprint & Support Support & Inprint Public Transport Transport Public Transportation Transportation NETs, Land & & Land NETs, Managem Countryside Transport Facilities Services Roads & & Roads Waste ent ent
Council Priorities 1. Delivering positive outcomes and
early intervention for early years
2. Improving the employment position in West Lothian
3. Improving attainment and positive destinations for school children
4. Improving the quality of life for older people
5. Minimising poverty, the cycle of deprivation and promoting equality
6. Reducing crime and improving community safety
7. Delivering positive outcomes on health
8. Protecting the built and natural environment
Enablers
Financial planning
Corporate governance and risk
Modernisation and improvement
Figure 2: Council priorities and Operational Services activity
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1.5 Corporate Strategies
The council has corporate strategies that set out what we want to achieve for a particular priority, outcome or targeted group within a corporate planning period (four years), including what we will do with our partner services and agencies to deliver those outcomes.
The service has responsibility for the development and implementation of the following corporate strategies:
Corporate Review Strategy Outcomes Start End Strategy Date Open Space ■ Establishing a vision and identifying targeted actions to address issues of 2005 2015 August Strategy deficiencies in open space provision / facilities and protect areas that are 2014 valuable and valued ■ Create effective links between open space planning, design and management, and the involvement of local communities ■ Encourage participation from a wide range of partnership agencies, stakeholder groups and community groups in the management of open spaces
Resource and ■ To set the current and future priorities and activities of the council to meet the 2014 2025 March 2015 Recycling requirements of the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 Strategy ■ To identify how West Lothian is going to increase the amount of waste recycled and diverted from landfill ■ To put reducing waste and increasing recycling at the heart of communities
Local Transport ■ Strategic long term transportation issues contained within West Lothian 2012 2016 June 2014 Strategy Development Plan ■ Strategy for long term maintenance of our road, structures, lighting and water (Part of West related assets covered by Roads Asset Management Plan Lothian Development Plan)
Public Transport ■ Policy development to define the council’s strategy for supporting passenger 2013 2023 June 2014 Strategy transport schemes ■ Identify and plan the future needs and requirements of passenger transport throughout West Lothian
Figure 3: Corporate strategies
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2 Operational Services Structure
Operational Services is currently made up of seven separate service areas (WLAM Units) under the leadership of Jim Jack, Head of Service. We are part of the portfolio of services under Depute Chief Executive, Graeme Struthers, including Housing, Construction and Building Services and Corporate Support Services.
Figure 4: Operational Services structure
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3 Service Activity 3.1 Facilities Management
Manager: Elizabeth Wark Number of Staff (FTE): 496.2 Location: Carmondean House, Livingston
Purpose
Facilities Management is the council’s integrated catering, cleaning and facilities management service responsible for 192 council buildings including 92 secondary, primary, special and nursery schools.
The catering service provides more than 1.9 million school meals annually as well as providing a civic catering service.
The cleaning service is responsible for cleaning more than 308,481 square metres of floor space. Our Facilities Management service is responsible for the security and minor maintenance of all education buildings excluding PPP/PFI schools.
Activities The service’s main activities are:
■ Catering services to all primary, secondary and special schools in West Lothian ■ Catering services to council buildings to meet the needs of our partners ■ Provide the Civic Centre with cleaning and catering services as well as a front of house café ■ Cleaning service to all council owned buildings including primary and secondary schools, partnership buildings, council offices, community centres and libraries ■ A comprehensive facilities management service to all council owned primary, secondary and special schools in West Lothian ■ Breakfast Clubs – providing free breakfasts to all pupils in Primary School and those entitled to free school meal entitlement in Secondary Schools
Customers The service’s main customers include:
■ Education Services ■ Primary, secondary and special ■ External catering customers school pupils ■ Police Scotland ■ Other council services ■ Scottish Court Service
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Partners The Service’s main partners include:
■ Community Transport ■ NHS Lothian ■ Other Council Services ■ Suppliers
Customer Participation
The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that services are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer Primary Web based survey Annual Elizabeth Poster sent to all School Pupils carried out in (Spring Wark Schools partnership with 2014) Reported through Education Services to the Public all primary school Performance pupils in West Lothian Indicator on the school meal (FMS024_6a.7) provision
Secondary Web based survey Annual Elizabeth Poster sent to all School Pupils carried out in (Spring Wark Schools partnership with 2014) Reported through Education Services the Public Business Managers to Performance all secondary school Indicator pupils in West Lothian (FMS024_6a.7) on the school meal provision
School Meal Consultation taster As required Elizabeth Feedback via Users sessions exercise Wark revised school carried out with pupils menu prior to new school menu being implemented
Head Online survey Annual Elizabeth Feedback directly Teachers/ distributed to all Head (Autumn Wark to Head Teachers Teachers and Teachers in West 2014) from Service Support Staff Lothian (all schools) Manager on the quality of Reported through service provided by the Public catering, cleaning and Performance janitorial staff. Indicator (FMS021_6a.7) Sandwich Survey distributed to Annual Elizabeth Feedback through Service Users employees who use (Winter Wark FM Management the sandwich service 2014) Team to throughout the various nominated users council offices
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Activity Budget
Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Schools To provide meal Delivering FMS031_9a.1a. Total cost WLAM 156.6 5,892,512 (2,826,634) 3,065,878 Catering service to Primary, positive per meal. (Target £2.65) Secondary and outcomes Special Schools, as on health well as breakfast FMS005_9b.1a. School meal PUBLIC service to schools uptake Primary schools. (Target 38%)
Cleaning To provide a Cleaning Enabler FMS007_9a.1a. Cost per sq HIGH 228.4 5,057,466 (619,222) 4,438,244 Service in over 197 Service - m cleaned (Target £14.32) LEVEL sites including Primary Financial FMS 017_9b.1c Total sq WLAM and Secondary Planning meters cleaned per labour Schools, Offices, hour (Target tbc) Libraries etc Facilities To provide an FM Enabler FMS018_9b.2a Cost of WLAM 107.4 2,222,471 (272,113) 1,950,358 Management Service in all schools, Service - janitorial provision per FTE nurseries and special Financial (Target £18,159) schools Planning FMS013_9b.3 Percentage of WLAM maintenance jobs completed by FM staff within 2 days of being reported (Target 95%) Service Provision of Enabler Support activities contribute 3.8 228,588 (52,029) 176,559 Support management and Service - towards the overall administrative support Corporate performance of the service. Governance Performance is monitored and Risk through the indicators for front line activities. Total :- 496.2 13,401,037 (3,769,998) 9,631,039
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Actions
Listed below are a number of the key improvement actions, challenges and capital projects that the Service unit will be undertaking in the coming year as well as an update on the actions identified in the 2013/14 Management Plan.
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) The introduction of e-learning Introduce online e-learning for Successful implementation of Elizabeth April 2012 March Complete for Catering staff Catering staff undertaking e-learning Wark 2014 hygiene courses
Continuing rolling programme Ongoing training programme The continued success of the Elizabeth April 2012 March Complete of training to capture all new using our ‘train the trainer’ current programme of training Wark 2014 and existing Facilities scheme, e-learning and face- Management staff to-face Review current absence Review and implement A more streamlined and Elizabeth January March Complete management process within absence management consistent reporting of all Wark 2013 2014 Facilities Management processes absences, incorporating one point of contact
Roll out of breakfast clubs to Work in partnership with Breakfast clubs successfully Elizabeth April 2013 March Complete all primary school pupils. Education to assist in roll out implemented within schools Wark 2014 of extended breakfast club provision
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) The monitoring of all schools Ensuring the school meal Ensuring the school meal Elizabeth April 2012 March Active as defined through Education service in all schools service in all schools Wark 2015 Scotland inspections continues to be compliant continues to be compliant as defined through the Education Scotland inspections
Implementation of new New structure put in place and Successful implementation of Elizabeth April 2012 March Active structure for Facilities roles defined new structure to ensure Wark 2015 Management continuous improvement within the service
Re-design of service delivery Implement a ‘plated service’ The successful Elizabeth January March Active in Primary Schools following for hot food in Primary implementation of a ‘plated Wark 2013 2015 customer feedback Schools in consultation with service’ within Primary Head Teachers Schools Ensure compliance with Develop and implement Partnership working in place Elizabeth April 2013 March Active legislation in partnership with partnership working with and success in dealing with Wark 2015 Construction Services Construction Service to assist legislative compliance in complying with legislative compliance e.g. water testing, fire alarm testing
Customer survey to provide Implement a way of capturing Successful consultation Elizabeth April 2013 March Active active feedback with regards feedback from the users of the carried out on users of the Wark 2015 to the sandwich service sandwich survey sandwich service
Review customer survey to Review approach in order to Successful consultation of a Elizabeth April 2014 March Planned Head Teachers, to include capture feedback from a wider wider range of customers Wark 2015 teachers and support staff audience within the schools
Implementation of Free Work in partnership with The provision of free schools Elizabeth April 2014 January Planned School Meals to all pupils in Education in the meals to Primary 1-3 Wark 2015 Primary 1-3 implementation of free school successfully implemented meals in Primary 1-3 within schools
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Performance
Percentage of customers, within Educational Establishments, who rated the overall quality Performance Indicator FMS026_6a.7 of service provided by FM Services (Catering, Cleaning and Janitorial) as good or excellent.
This performance indicator measures the customer satisfaction with the overall service that is provided to them by FM Description Services. Figures taken from the biennial customer survey of all Head Teachers in West Lothian Schools.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The trend shows that from 2010/11 to 2012/13 overall customer satisfaction of the service delivered from catering, cleaning and janitorial has decreased slightly.
Over the last few years we have worked closely with all schools to ensure that all elements of the service we offer meet their requirements and we will continue to do this in future. We have worked hard to develop our staff, through improved training and induction programmes to ensure that they are best placed to deliver the best service possible to customers.
14/15 Target: The next survey is due to go out in Autumn 2014 with the target set at 82% as we aim to increase customer satisfaction.
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Percentage of maintenance jobs completed by Janitorial Staff within 2 days of being Performance Indicator FMS016_6b.2 reported. The Facilities Management Janitorial staff carry out routine and minor maintenance work for customers within schools and the endeavour to do this within 2 days of it being reported or requested. Description
Where the work cannot be carried out by FM staff then calls are logged with the Property Maintenance help desk.
Trend Chart Commentary:
Our performance over the last 4 years continues to be above target as the number of requests received as remained consistent with previous year’s figures.
On average, janitorial staff receive nearly 2000 requests each month for maintenance jobs. Over the past year we have been above our target in completing these jobs within 48 hours of receiving the request. Where jobs are outwith the remit of janitorial staff they are passed over to Property Services.
14/15 Target: Will be increased to 98% based on the last year’s performance
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Performance Indicator Total Cost per Meal produced (Primary and Secondary Schools) FMS005_9a.1a The total cost of each school meal produced (primary and secondary) including food and staff costs as well as direct Description costs such as training, lighting and equipment.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The average cost of school meals, across both primary secondary schools, dropped three pence in 2012/13 which is primarily due to the 11% increase in the uptake or secondary schools with no increase in staff costs.
This figure has decreased over the last 4 years due to the work done with school menus across all schools as well as better portion control at unit levels and also the increase in the uptake of school meals in both primary and secondary schools.
14/15 Target: Will be set at £2.33 based on the budget for next year.
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Performance Indicator School Meal Uptake in Primary Schools. CP:FMS006_9b.1a This performance indicator measures the percentage of primary school pupils who are opting to take a school meal for their lunch. Description Figures are calculated using the total number of Primary School pupils, the total number of meals produced and number teaching days.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The school meal uptake in West Lothian's primary schools remained at 40% for 2012/13.The service produced 1,152,034 school meals in primary schools throughout the year. As was the case in 2011/12, this figure follows a full year’s worth of trading (there were no unplanned days the schools were closed). Performance in the previous two years (2009/10 & 2010/11) was affected by a number of trading days being lost because of school closures due to severe winter weather. We are continually working in partnership with the schools and Education Services to develop ways of increasing the uptake of school meals, as we believe that school meals provide a balanced and nutritious meal for pupils.
14/15 Target: Will be set at 41% as we look to increase the number of
children taking a school meal.
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 () Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Performance management Quarterly Review of Performance Indicators and targets Quarterly Benchmarking Annually Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) n/a Update of PPR information Annually WLAM (assessment) n/a Review Panel As Required Performance Committee n/a Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) As Required Progress review of improvement actions Quarterly CSE preparation Annually Inspection or Audit activity As Required Budget Management activity Ongoing Equality Impact Assessment(s) As Required Health and Safety Assessment(s) Ongoing Business Continuity Planning Annually Workforce Planning Ongoing PRPDPs Annually Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annually Customer consultation Ongoing Review of Service Standards Annually Planned Engagement activity Ongoing Website content management Ongoing
Performance activity Self Assessment activity Consultation & engagement activity External assessment activity Corporate management activity
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3.2 Fleet and Community Transport
Manager: Joe Drew Number of Staff (FTE): 85.5 Location: Deans Depot, Livingston
Purpose Fleet and Community Transport are responsible for the provision, management and maintenance of the council’s fleet of approximately 1000 vehicles which includes commercial vehicles, buses, pool cars and items of plant equipment. With its own team of mechanics, the service undertakes all safety inspections as well as servicing, repairs and MOTs for the council’s fleet of vehicles and also members of the public.
In addition, the service provides community transport to service users with varying needs to a number of locations throughout West Lothian on a daily basis. Also the service provides a school meals delivery service and internal mail service.
Activities The service’s main activities are:
■ Providing an effective and efficient vehicle maintenance service for the council’s vehicles and plant and equipment 24 hours a day ■ Maintaining a fully operational MOT test station authorised to test class IV, V, VII vehicles ■ Managing the council’s vehicle and plant portfolio ■ Ensuring that all council vehicles have adequate fuel, road fund licences and insurances ■ Transporting Community Transport services users to various locations throughout West Lothian ■ Delivering school meals from 25 production centres to schools ■ Collecting and deliver internal mail to all council buildings ■ Providing assistance for service users with a variety of needs during transportation ■ Large involvement in delivering the Green Transport Strategy
Customers The service’s main customers include:
■ Roads and Transportation ■ Waste Management Services Services
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■ NETs, Land and Countryside ■ Housing, Construction and Services Building Services ■ Community Transport Service ■ Social Policy Users and Carers ■ Education Services ■ Inprint ■ Other council services ■ MOT Customers (internal and external)
Partners The Service’s main partners Include:
■ Other Council Services ■ VOSA ■ Police Scotland ■ Scottish Ambulance Service ■ NHS Lothian
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Customer Participation The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that services are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer Social Consultation exercise Ongoing Joe Drew One to one Policy carried out to agree the /Reactive meetings to Community Transport feedback and service provision for discuss changes each individual client and centre for the year. Ongoing consultation to review any changes to circumstances Fleet Ongoing consultation Quarterly Joe Drew Agreed Customers exercise with Fleet specification of coordinators with each service, service to agree service maintenance provision, discuss schedules and issues, develop future solutions to fleet related procurement of problems and agree fleet future needs of each service Fleet Users Online and paper survey Annually Joe Drew Feedback report distributed to all council (January published to all fleet users and 2015) users who customers to evaluate complete the the quality of the service survey provided Reported through the Public Performance Indicator (FTS024_6a.7)
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Activity Budget Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Revenue Corporate Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Budget Plan (FTE) Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Fleet Maintaining the Enabler FTS007_9a.2a: Number of WLAM 26.5 2,203,212 (2,174,769) 28,443 Maintenance council's fleet in Service - Vehicles Maintained accordance with Financial Monthly as per schedule legislative Planning (Target 100%) requirements. FTS008_9b.1a Percentage HIGH of Heavy Goods vehicles LEVEL passing their MOT (DOE) test first time. (Target 100%)
Fleet Management of the Enabler FTS007_9a.2a: Number of WLAM 3.2 7,421,583 (7,256,583) 165,000 Management council's fleet Service - Vehicles Maintained Financial Monthly as per schedule Planning (Target 100%)
FTS009_9b.1a: The WLAM number of hire vehicles within the services (Target 30)
Green Travel Management and Enabler Indicator to be developed WLAM 2.0 1,219,500 (232,766) 986,734 Fleet maintenance of the Service - council's green Financial Indicator to be developed WLAM travel fleet Planning
Transportation Transporting clients Protecting FTS001_9b.1a: PUBLIC 40.5 1,599,928 (1,586,929) 12,999 of service users to locations in West the built and Percentage of Community Lothian and natural Transport bus runs which providing assistance environment are completed as where necessary scheduled (Target 100%)
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Revenue Corporate Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Budget Plan (FTE) Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ FTS014_9a.1a Average WLAM annual maintenance cost per vehicle - Medium Coaches 3.5 tonnes up to 6.5 tonnes (Target £1,821)
Transportation To deliver meals Delivering Indicator to be developed WLAM 6.4 252,828 (250,774) 2,054 meals from 25 production positive FTS004_9b.1a Percentage HIGH centres to local units outcomes on of School meals which are LEVEL such as schools health delivered to schools on a daily basis as scheduled (Target 100%) Internal Mail To collect and Enabler Indicator to be developed WLAM 3.3 130,365 (129,305) 1,060 Service deliver mail to all Service - FTS020_6b.1: No. of WLAM council buildings Corporate upheld complaints Governance received against service and Risk delivery (Target 0) Service Provision of Enabler Support activities 3.6 228,588 (52,029) 176,559 Support management and Service - contribute towards the administrative Corporate overall performance of the support and Governance service. Performance is property costs for and Risk monitored through the depots. indicators for front line activities. Total :- 85.5 13,056,004 (11,683,155) 1,372,849
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Actions Listed below are a number of the key improvement actions, challenges and capital projects that the Service unit will be undertaking in the coming year as well as an update on the actions identified in the 2013/14 Management Plan.
Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Trial of electric vehicles using Five fully electric vehicles Analysis of the cost, merits, Joe Drew July 2011 March Active funding from Transport introduced and one Extended efficiency, reliability and 2015 Scotland Range electric vehicle are practicality of introducing now in service and being electric vehicles more widely evaluated over a four year into the fleet period. 32 vehicles across various Information analysed and Joe Drew January March Active Trial of telematics within the services have had telematics used with mileage analysis 2013 2015 fleet vehicles introduced and the results will and to identify other be analysed after the eight efficiencies month trial period Fleet and Community Identify opportunities to make A reduction in 14 vehicles Joe Drew April 2014 March Planned Transport vehicle reduction reductions and efficiency 2015 savings in line with Delivering Better Outcomes Creation of a Corporate Fleet- Policy to guide in the Improved understanding for Joe Drew April 2014 March Planned use policy reduction of risks and more employees and managers 2015 defined responsibilities for drivers Winter Maintenance Replace the temporary hire of Reduce annual costs Joe Drew April 2014 March Planned preparation – improved vehicles with four permanent 2015 utilisation with the use of vehicles permanent vehicles
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Performance
Percentage of Community Transport customers who rated the overall quality of the service Performance Indicator P:FTS005_6a.7 as good or excellent. This performance indicator measures the percentage of customers who rate the overall service as good or excellent. The figure taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by the service to our main customers.
Description The survey is carried out on annual basis either at our annual Open Day as a paper based survey or directly to customers using the Opinion Taker software where surveys are sent via e-mail or weblink to each customer. Questions and Customer List are reviewed annually.
Trend Chart Commentary:
Performance rose to 100% in 2012/13, following a dip in 2011/12, after we reintroduced our Open Day for all Community Transport service users. At this open day we asked them for their opinion of the service we provide. The dip to 88.8% in 2011/12 was as a result of four 'satisfactory' responses to questions regarding staff attitude and the timescales taken within the service. In 2008/09 and 2009/10 the overall performance was also affected by a couple of 'satisfactory' responses to one question relating to quality of service provided.
The importance we place on the service can be seen by our performance indicator "Percentage of daily Community Transport bus runs completed as daily scheduled by social policy".
14/15 Target: Target will be raised to 98%.
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Performance Indicator Percentage of Community Transport bus runs which are completed as scheduled. P:FTS001_9b.1c This performance indicator measures the percentage of Community Transport runs which are completed on a daily basis as scheduled and agreed with clients and our customers from Social Policy. Description Due to the nature of this service we prioritise the delivery of this service over anything else and therefore we do everything within our power to ensure that we achieve 100% completion on a daily basis without fail. Trend Chart Commentary:
This is a service which has to be provided without fail, on time and on schedule, as clients have agreed pick up times and routes. In the last year we have completed each run, on time and on schedule 100% of the time. Performance dropped below 100% in 2010/11 when sustained periods of heavy snow throughout November and December 2010 meant that a number of runs were not completed as scheduled. On each occasion clients were always transported home or to the relevant centre safely.
We work closely with our partners in Social Policy to ensure that the service is delivered and we are required to be flexible enough to change our service to meet the changing requirements of our clients’ needs.
14/15 Target: Due to the important nature of this service the target will continue to be 100%.
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Performance Indicator Percentage of Vehicles Maintained as per schedule.. FTS007_9a.2a We work closely with each service are to ensure that each fleet vehicle is serviced and maintained as per its maintenance schedule and this performance indicator measures our success in achieving this. The number of vehicles Description maintained each year varies and the performance of this indicator is heavily dependent on the relevant service area presenting the vehicle as planned. Trend Chart Commentary:
Whilst we aim to maintain 100% of vehicles as per the schedule, often difficulties arise in achieving this including vehicles not being presented on time, parts being unavailable and the service being required to reprioritise work e.g. during the winter months to ensure gritters remain working.
We work closely with our customers to ensure that vehicles are maintained as scheduled whilst allowing services to continue with service delivery.
14/15 Target: Due to the important nature of this service the target will continue to be 100%.
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Performance Indicator Percentage of Heavy Goods vehicles passing their MOT (DOE) test first time. FTS008_9b.1c This performance indicator measures the number of heavy goods vehicles which successfully pass their MOT at the first time. Each vehicle has a scheduled annual MOT which it must pass in order to stay roadworthy. Where a vehicle fails its MOT the relevant work will be carried out to rectify any problems. Description
This indicator is part of the suite of indicators we report through our APSE benchmarking group and performance is benchmarked annually through this group.
Trend Chart Commentary:
Whilst we aim for all HGV’s to achieve a first time MOT pass there are occasions when vehicles do fail. Vehicles can fail the test for a variety of reasons, all of which are logged by Fleet and all failures are reported back to services and work is carried out before the vehicle is re-tested and put back into service.
The service prepares each vehicle prior to testing to ensure that each vehicle is in the best possible condition to pass its MOT test
14/15 Target: Due to the important nature of this service the target will continue to be 100%.
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 () Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Performance management Quarterly Review of Performance Indicators and targets Quarterly Benchmarking Annually Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) n/a Update of PPR information Quarterly WLAM (assessment) n/a Review Panel Annually Performance Committee n/a Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) As Required Progress review of improvement actions Quarterly CSE preparation Annually Inspection or Audit activity As Required Budget Management activity Ongoing Equality Impact Assessment(s) As Required Health and Safety Assessment(s) Ongoing Business Continuity Planning Annually Workforce Planning Ongoing PRPDPs Annually Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annually Customer consultation Annually Review of Service Standards Annually Planned Engagement activity Ongoing Website content management Ongoing
Performance activity Self Assessment activity Consultation & engagement activity External assessment activity Corporate management activity
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3.3 Inprint
Manager: Jamie Fisher Number of Staff (FTE): 11.2 Location: Whitehill House, Bathgate
Purpose Inprint is the council’s in-house print management and reprographics service. The service provides competitive, quality printing solutions on a cost recovery basis using primarily internal resources and locally available external services where required. Inprint offers a comprehensive range of printing services to all areas of the council and is committed to ensuring that the service provides high quality cost effective products.
Inprint provides a “one-stop-shop” for its customers regarding materials, production options and delivery. The service is responsive to its customers’ needs, not only in terms of quality, cost and delivery but also to customers’ present and future requirements.
Activities The service’s main activities are:
■ A full colour printing and reprographics service to all council services – both litho and digital ■ Print finishing ■ An extensive pre-press operation. ■ Direct mailing and fulfilment ■ Identity badges
Customers The service’s main customers include:
■ All council services
Partners The Service’s main partners Include:
■ Corporate Communications ■ External Sub Contract Services ■ Other Council Services ■ Other Public Sector Bodies
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Customer Participation The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that services are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer Inprint Online survey issued January Jamie Fisher Reported through Customers annually to the main 2015 the Public service users from over Performance the year to evaluate Indicator quality of the service (IS014_6a.7) provided
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Activity Budget
Activity Name and Link to Corporate Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Revenue Description Plan and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Budget (FTE) Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Printing To provide a Enabler Service - IS001_9b.1a - Percentage HIGH 11.2 521,106 (517,914) 3,192 quality litho and Modernisation and of target turnover achieved LEVEL digital printing Improvement per quarter (Target 100%) service
IS002_9b - Over/Under HIGH Recovery of Cost per LEVEL month (Target zero) Total :- 11.2 521,106 (517,914) 3,192
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Actions Listed below are a number of the key improvement actions, challenges and capital projects that the Service unit will be undertaking in the coming year as well as an update on the actions identified in the 2013/14 Management Plan.
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Investigate options for With the lease for the current To ensure that the service has Jamie January January Complete replacing the digital printing equipment due to expire in the best possible equipment Fisher 2012 2014 equipment 2013 we need to develop a going forward whilst still solution through evaluation of achieving best value the current market position.
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Performance
Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of service delivered by Inprint as good Performance Indicator IS014_6a.7 or excellent. This performance indicator measures the percentage of customers who rated the service delivered by Inprint as good or excellent. The information is gathered on an annual basis from a survey issued to our customers. Customers are asked to rate Description the service delivered as; excellent, good, adequate, poor or very poor. All responses ranked as either ' Excellent' or 'Good' are recorded as positive responses. For each year, the cumulative number of positive responses is divided by the total number of responses to determine a percentage. The results of customer feedback are analysed by Inprint management on an annual basis in order to identify areas for improvement.
Trend Chart Commentary Our annual customer survey for 2013/14 (carried out in January 2014) was distributed to 173 customers of which 81 responded and shows a continued high number of customers who rated our overall service as good or excellent. We will strive to continually offer our customers the best possible service and range of printing options and continue to consult with them on the service they receive.
14/15 Target: Will again be set at 100% based on the previous 3 years’ performance
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Performance Indicator Inprint - Jobs delivered on time. IS003_6b.2 This performance indicator measures the percentage of jobs delivered on time as per the date agreed, with the Description customer, on receipt of order/data and artwork. Trend Chart Commentary:
Over the last 4 years we have been above our target for delivering our jobs. The target was raised in 2012/13 to reflect a sustained period of good performance. Where the performance drops in 2009/10 and 2012/13 this is down to the number of jobs requested within the period and the nature of those jobs. Work is on-going to resolve issues with dates being recorded as the intended production date is being impacted by factors from customers e.g. later delivery of artwork or changes to the job. These issues are outwith control of the service and should therefore not impact on reported performance.
14/15 Target: will be raised to 88% based on the performance of the service over the last 4 years and our desire to improve
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Performance Indicator Inprint - Cost of rework as a percentage of work completed IS005_9a.2a This performance indicator measures the cost of rework as a percentage of the annual sales. It is designed to show Description how much failure there is within the service and the cost of correcting these failures for customers
Trend Chart Commentary:
The cost of rework as a percentage of the work completed was above target for both 2011/12 and 2012/13 as a result of one large quantity job each year requiring re printing. The main reasons why any job may require to be reworked is printing problems. We work closely with all our customers to ensure all artwork and text is correct prior to printing to minimise the need for any rework.
14/15 Target: 0.2% to reflect the sustained low level of rework over the last 4 years
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Performance Indicator Inprint – Over / Under Recovery of Cost IS002_9b Inprint are required to fully recover costs and break even on an annual basis. All material supplies and work undertaken Description by contractors is reallocated at cost. This measures the reallocation of fixed cost. This will be influenced by any sickness absence and work placed with the service.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The Inprint account operates on a full cost recovery basis, with annual target for over/under recovery being zero. If a minus figure is shown this is an over recovery of cost. Where there is a material over recovery at any year end this will be refunded to customers. Work mix and charging rates are constantly reviewed to ensure minimum over or under recovery of cost.
14/15 Target: £0.00 to achieve a break even position at the end of the financial year
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 () Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Performance management Quarterly Review of Performance Indicators and targets Quarterly Benchmarking Annually Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) n/a Update of PPR information Annually WLAM (assessment) As Required Review Panel As Required Performance Committee As Required Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) As Required Progress review of improvement actions Quarterly CSE preparation Annually Inspection or Audit activity As Required Budget Management activity Ongoing Equality Impact Assessment(s) As Required Health and Safety Assessment(s) Ongoing Business Continuity Planning Annually Workforce Planning Ongoing PRPDPs Annually Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annually Customer consultation Ongoing Review of Service Standards Annually Planned Engagement activity Ongoing Website content management Ongoing
Performance activity Self Assessment activity Consultation & engagement activity External assessment activity Corporate management activity
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3.4 NETs, Land and Countryside Services
Manager: Gareth Barwell Number of Staff (FTE): 303.6 Beecraigs Country Park / Waverley Street Depot / Location: Whitehill House, Bathgate
Purpose NETs, Land and Countryside Services are responsible for the development, management, maintenance and cleanliness of West Lothian’s local environment. This includes the three Country Parks of Almondell and Calderwood, Beecraigs and Polkemmet as well as a further 2,600 hectares of open space and countryside land.
The service also manages and maintains 3,000 local residential gardens, 2,100 km of street and footpath surface, 100 hectares of woodland, 299 children’s play areas, 31 cemeteries and churchyards and 18 war memorials. We also have a team of Environmental Enforcement Wardens who are dedicated to educating communities and providing enforcement action to address environmental crime.
Activities The service’s main activities are:
■ Management and maintenance of play areas ■ Manage and deliver Open Space, Cemetery and Asset Management capital investment programmes ■ Manage and maintain woodland and street trees owned by the council ■ Management and maintenance of churchyards and cemeteries ■ Managing, maintaining and controlling public memorial sites ■ Manage and maintain open space, sports grounds and recreational areas ■ Garden Maintenance Scheme for the elderly and disabled ■ Street cleansing on roads, footpaths, town centres, hard surfaces and rural roadside verge areas ■ Environmental Enforcement ■ Managing visitors centres within the 3 country parks ■ Countryside Ranger Service ■ Caravan and Camping Site at Beecraigs Country Park. ■ Facility hire e.g. BBQs, climbing wall, archery range, Sutherland Building, Pioneer Course ■ Nine hole golf course and driving range at Polkemmet Country Park ■ Woodland and Forestry Management
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Customers The service’s main customers include:
■ Everyone who lives in, works ■ All schools in West Lothian in, visits or travels through ■ Friends of the Park groups West Lothian ■ Other council services ■ Community and youth groups ■ Garden Maintenance customers
Partners The Service’s main partners Include:
■ Keep Scotland Beautiful ■ West Lothian Housing ■ Forestry Commission Providers ■ Scottish Environmental ■ Fleet & Community Transport Protection Agency ■ Scottish National Heritage ■ Central Scotland Forest Trust ■ APSE ■ Oatridge College ■ Green Space Scotland ■ Other council services
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Customer Participation The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that services are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer West Annual Survey Annual Gareth Results available Lothian distributed to 2700 (January Barwell on Council Citizens members of the citizens 2015) website panel to evaluate the Reported through satisfaction with the the Public service provided and Performance highlight areas for Indicator service improvement (NLCS030_6a.7) Play Area Web based survey, Ongoing Colin Bell Feed back and Open forums and place (9 planned through the Space Users making events held with in 13/14) council Website. local community prior to Agreed plans the development of a distributed to new play areas or local schools investments in open space to agree user needs, preferences and understand local issues Local Consulting on the Spring / Daniel Information fed Schools & programme of Autumn McComisky back on agreed Community community clean ups to 2014 partnership Groups agree level of arrangements. involvement from each Outcome of the school Clean ups reported through Council website Country Paper based surveys Annual Eirwen Via Almondell, Park Users captured at time of Hopwood Beecraigs and service use to evaluate Polkemmet customer experience Country Park and satisfaction with the Visitor Centre service provided and Reported through how the service could the Public be improved in the Performance future. Indicator (NLCS212_6a.7) Beecraigs Website
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Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer Caravan and Paper based surveys Annual Beverly Via Beecraigs Campsite captured at time of Stirling Country Park Users service use to evaluate Visitor Centre and customer experience on Site and satisfaction with the Reported through service provided and the Public how the service could Performance be improved in the Indicator future. (NLCS212_6a.7) Beecraigs Website Beecraigs Paper based surveys Annual Archie Via Beecraigs Fishery captured at time of Morrison Country Park Users service use to evaluate Visitor Centre and customer experience Fishing Lodge and satisfaction with the Reported through service provided and the Public how the service could Performance be improved in the Indicator future. (NLCS212_6a.7) Beecraigs Website Friends Friends of Beecraigs Ongoing Eirwen Via Beecraigs Groups and Almondell and Hopwood Country Park Calderwood ongoing Visitor Centre involvement in Meeting minutes suggesting and making improvements in the country parks.
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Activity Budget Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15 £ £ £ Countryside Provision of Countryside Protecting NLCS229_9a.1a Cost PUBLIC 23.3 1,048,507 (452,860) 595,647 Recreation Visitor Centres, visitor the built and of providing attractions and recreational natural countryside services activities within our Country environment per head of population Park estate. This includes (Target £6.65) the Camping/Caravan site, Fishery and Animal Attraction sites at Beecraigs as well as SOA12_007 No of PUBLIC the Golf Course and Golf visitors to Country Range at Polkemmet. Parks (Target 863,000)
Ranger Provision of environmental Protecting NLCS222_9a.1a Cost PUBLIC 6.2 257,233 (8,000) 249,233 Service education & interpretation the built and of providing opportunities in the natural countryside services countryside, for formal environment per head of population education groups & the (Target £6.65) general public. Liaison with voluntary groups that are NLCS236_9b Number WLAM involved in the management of educational / school of our open space assets. visits hosted within Delivery of routine patrols of Country Parks (Target open space assets to ensure 50 per annum) that safety standards are being met and that such sites are welcoming to the public.
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15 £ £ £ Woodlands Management of the council's Protecting NLCS040_9b.1c Cost WLAM 11.0 409,383 (206,458) 202,925 and Sawmill tree and woodland stock. the built and of managing and Operations Development of natural maintaining West and management plans to ensure environment Lothian trees and Management that our woodlands/forests woodlands per hectare are managed effectively. (Target £252) Provision of advice to members of the public on NLCS007_6b.3 WLAM tree-related matters. Delivery Percentage of Arbor of a frontline arboricultural related enquiries service that carries out responded to within 3 maintenance tasks, where days (Target 92%) required, in response to service requests from the public and Elected Members.
Parks, Open Management and Protecting NLCS017_9a.1c The WLAM 140.5 5,602,184 (2,084,147) 3,518,037 Spaces and maintenance of the council’s the built and cost of the grounds Garden open space assets (parks natural maintenance service Maintenance and urban open spaces, environment per household. sports grounds and (Target £120) recreational areas). To operate a grass and NLCS022_9b.2a HIGH hedge cutting scheme for the Assessment score of LEVEL elderly and disabled quality improvements on open space parks (Target 1200)
Play Areas To arrange for play area Protecting NLCS041_9a.1c Cost WLAM 6.0 397,128 (67,249) 329,879 inspection, maintenance and the built and of managing and management (includes skate natural maintaining children's parks MUGAs and school environment play areas per play facilities) and to design, household
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15 £ £ £ procure and establish new NLCS006_9b.1a.Play HIGH play area provision. areas - Percentage of LEVEL sites complying with independent annual safety audit standards. (Target 100%) Cemeteries Management and Protecting NLCS042_9a.1c Cost HIGH 22.6 1,060,085 (470,027) 590,058 maintenance of cemeteries, the built and of providing managing LEVEL including the provision of a natural and maintaining the burial service and the environment cemeteries per maintenance of war household memorials (Target £7.76) NLCS010_9b.1c The WLAM average time taken in days to process customer requests/applications for burials and lairs (Target 3 days) Street To cleanse all adopted Protecting NLCS018_9a.1c The WLAM 90.4 2,905,893 (766) 2,905,127 Cleaning and roads, footpaths, Civic the built and cost of the street Environmental centres, hard surfaces & natural cleansing service per Enforcement rural road side verges at a environment household (£32) frequency to comply with the NLCS008_9b.2a Local PUBLIC Environmental Protection Environment Act.To provide a dedicated Management System resource to educate, take (LEAMS) index of enforcement action and street cleanliness provide a visible deterrent in (Target 72) relation to environmental crime including litter, graffiti, fly tipping, abandoned vehicles and dog fouling.
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15 £ £ £ Support Provision of management Enabler Support activities 3.6 228,588 (52,029) 176,559 Services and administrative support Service - contribute towards the Corporate overall performance of Governance the service. and Risk Performance is monitored through the indicators for front line activities. Total :- 303.6 11,909,001 (3,341,536) 8,567,465
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Actions Listed below are a number of the key improvement actions, challenges and capital projects that the Service unit will be undertaking in the coming year as well as an update on the actions identified in the 2013/14 Management Plan.
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Investment in improving and Investment of capital funds Improved Open Space in Colin Bell April 2013 March Complete upgrading Open Space in into the improvement of play West Lothian 2014 West Lothian areas, open space and sports Tony pitch drainage Fleming
Finalise and implement Production of management The plans allow the parks to Colin Bell April 2013 March Complete management plans for plans to identify maintenance be appropriately resourced 2014 Beecraigs, Polkemmet and requirements and opportunity and identify opportunities for Eirwen Almondell Country Parks and for improvement improvement Hopwood Almond Park
Identify opportunities for Work with communities to Increased volunteering will Colin Bell April 2013 March Complete volunteering and community encourage greater complement our staff in 2014 involvement in conjunction participation in the making West Lothian a Eirwen with our residents and maintenance and cleaner and greener place Hopwood businesses management of the local environment
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Work with the IT service to Utilisation of new technologies A more efficient service that Gareth April 2013 June 2014 Active identify and deliver service to allow better customer can accessed more easily by Barwell modernisation by adopting access and reduce customers new technology inefficiency within the service Embed the new service Delivery of a new fit-for- Revised service structure Gareth April 2013 June 2014 Planned structure for NETs, Land and purpose structure that Barwell Countryside contributes towards the council’s savings requirements and improves service delivery Construction of the new Investment of capital funds in Increased cemetery provision Colin Bell July 2014 February Planned cemetery at East Calder. the provision of a new in West Lothian 2015 cemetery at Calderwood, East Calder Delivery of management plans Produce management plans The plans will allow the parks Colin Bell April 2014 March Planned for all of West Lothian’s major that will help us identify to be appropriately resourced 2015 parks and open spaces investment needs and ensure and identify opportunities for consistent maintenance improvement standards Continue to deliver the actions The ongoing programme of Improved cleanliness of open Daniel April 2014 March Planned contained within the West actions will ensure that a space in West Lothian McComisky 2015 Lothian Litter Action Plan focus is maintained on making West Lothian a cleaner place Identify further opportunities to We will identify those Improved customer service Gordon April 2014 March Planned utilise IT systems to further processes that need to be and more robust processes Caldwell 2015 improve our processes for modernised and make them customers and the more efficient and robust organisation
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Performance
Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of the Service provided by Performance Indicator P:NLCS030_6a.7 Neighbourhood Environment Teams (NETs) & Land Services as good or excellent. This Performance Indicator measures the number of respondents rating the overall quality of service as good or excellent. The figures are taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by NETs and Land Services to the West Description Lothian Citizens Panel.
The figure is based on respondents who rated the service as good or excellent.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The number of customers rating the overall quality of the service as either 'good' or 'excellent' has increased to over 60% following our most recent survey in 2012/2013. We have made a number of improvements to our services in the past year including street cleaning and our play area and open space investment which we are pleased our customers have recognised and appreciate. The main areas customers highlighted in the survey as causing concern include dog fouling and fly-tipping.
14/15 Target: 65% to achieve an improvement in satisfaction
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Performance Indicator Percentage of Abandoned Vehicles Removed within 14 Days. CP:NLCS015_6b.3 This performance indicator measures the percentage of reported abandoned vehicles which have been issued with removal notices and are actually removed within the stated timescale (14 days). Each reported incident of an abandoned vehicle is checked, in partnership with the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Police, and Description where appropriate removal notices are issued.
The target is based on our experience of this service both in terms of the numbers of vehicles and the difficulties which can be involved in removing them.
Trend Chart Commentary:
In 2012/13 the service issued 7 notices of removal to abandoned vehicles throughout West Lothian. Of the 7 vehicles 6 were removed within the statutory notice period issued. In percentage terms this is an increase from the previous year. Performance dropped in 2011/12 when we removed 7 out 10 vehicles within the time period and in 2010/11 when we removed 9 out of 11 vehicles within the timescales. These dips were as a result of the number of different agencies involved with the removal of the vehicles which meant the process took longer than normal.
Whilst we endeavour to remove all vehicles within the 14 day limit, on some occasion factors outwith our control can cause a delay in the process.
14/15 Target: 90%, based on the performance over the last few years
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Performance Indicator Annual cost of providing Countryside Services per head of population to West Lothian. P:NLCS222_9a.1a This performance indicator measures the cost of providing the Countryside Service to the people of West Lothian. The figure is based on the West Lothian population figure published by the General Register Office The cost figure is calculated by dividing the total amount spent, at the end of the financial year, of providing the service for the year by the Description head of population figure. The target is calculated using the budget at the start of the financial year divided by population figure. The population figures were 169,510 for 2008/09 and 2009/10. The updated figure of 172, 080 from the General Register Office was used from 2010/11 and 172, 990 for 2011/12 and 2012/13.
Trend Chart Commentary:
This chart reflects the cost of providing a service from Countryside Section per head of the West Lothian population. Costs can vary due to the range and diversity of services provided within the Service as a whole. From the chart it can be seen that cost has been relatively consistent between 2008/09 and 2010/11. The drop in cost shown for 2011/12 is due to the latest population figures which have risen and also the decrease in Countryside Section’s budget. The target was adjusted for 2011/12 to reflect removal of Outdoor Pursuits budget. In 2012/13 the overall budget for Countryside Services was increased as the service previously received income from rented properties which has now been removed which resulted in a net increase in the budget.
14/15 Target: £6.65 based on the budget for 2014/15
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Performance Indicator Local Environment Management System (LEAMS) Index of Street Cleanliness. P:NLCS008_9b.2a This indicator measures the cleanliness of West Lothian town centres, streets, footpaths and road verges. Seven assessments are carried out each year at different times of the year - 4 self-assessments, 2 assessments by external Description assessors from other local authorities and one validation assessment by Keep Scotland Beautiful. The average score of the seven assessments is used to provide the annual figure.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The breakdown of results for the year 2012/13 was: Internal (4 per year): April 2012= 73; June 2012 = 72; October 2012= 69; December 2012 = 69 External (2 per year): August 2012= 88; February 2013 = 74 Validation (1 per year): Jan 2013 = 66
Performance has been maintained to a comparable level with 2011/12 with an overall score of 73. The temporary establishment of street cleansing staff were employed throughout the whole of 12/13. This additional resource being deployed throughout the year assisted the permanent establishment in maintaining a good cleanliness standard. 2013/14 will see the introduction of the Litter Action Plan for West Lothian. This plan includes a number of actions that will help us improve the overall cleanliness index score
Target 14/15: 74 to achieve an improvement based on the additional investment in the service
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 () Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Performance management Quarterly Review of Performance Indicators and targets Quarterly Benchmarking Annually Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) Annually Update of PPR information Annually WLAM (assessment) As Required Review Panel As Required Performance Committee As Required Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) As Required Progress review of improvement actions Quarterly CSE preparation Annually Inspection or Audit activity As Required Budget Management activity Ongoing Equality Impact Assessment(s) As Required Health and Safety Assessment(s) Ongoing Business Continuity Planning Quarterly Workforce Planning Ongoing PRPDPs Annually Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annually Customer consultation Ongoing Review of Service Standards Annually Planned Engagement activity Ongoing Website content management Ongoing
Performance activity Self Assessment activity Consultation & engagement activity External assessment activity Corporate management activity
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3.6 Public Transport
Manager: Ian Forbes Number of Staff (FTE): 11.6 Location: Whitehill House, Bathgate
Purpose
Public Transport are responsible for ensuring the provision of efficient council passenger transport services within West Lothian and to neighbouring areas. The service is also responsible for the provision of free and fare paying school transport services for pupils in West Lothian schools including bespoke services for additional needs pupils.
Activities
The service’s main activities are:
■ Provision of contract local bus services ■ Taxibus and other Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services ■ A local concessionary rail travel scheme ■ Maintenance of bus service and bus stop data for the Traveline and Transport Direct national public transport information services ■ Provision of bus shelters and stops ■ Provision of bus timetable information ■ Promotion of public transport services ■ Mainstream school transport services ■ Additional needs pupils’ transport ■ Support for Dial-a-Ride services ■ Support for Dial-a-Bus services ■ Taxi-card
Customers The service’s main customers Include:
■ Bus and Taxibus Customers ■ School transport users ■ Rail Concessionary ■ Education Services Passengers ■ Dial-a-Ride and Dial-a-Bus ■ Bus Passengers users
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Partners The Service’s main partners Include:
■ West Lothian Residents ■ Scottish Government ■ SEStran ■ Scotrail ■ Bus Companies ■ Traveline ■ Taxi Companies ■ Other local authorities ■ Community Transport Service ■ User Groups and Industry providers Groups ■ NHS Lothian
Customer Participation The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that services are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer Public We will survey service 2014 Ian Forbes Via Council Transport users on our most Executive Service popular routes to Users improve service users’ influence on service design. School Consultation exercise to Annual Ian Forbes Via the Transport be carried out on the consultation Users changes to the school exercise and transport service subsequent Committee Reports West Online survey of all Annual Ian Forbes Feedback through Lothian members of the West (January Council website Citizens Lothian Citizens Panel 2015) and on request to gain feedback on public transport in West Lothian and the service provided by our service Bus Service Ongoing consultation Ongoing Ian Forbes Via face to face Providers with our main service meetings with providers on the service service providers provided by staff from Public Transport Services and the ongoing future of bus service provision in West Lothian
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Activity Budget
Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue
Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget
2014/15 2014/15 2014/15 £ £ £ Subsidised bus To manage cost Protecting the PTS018_9a.1c Cost of WLAM 2.2 3,256,779 (1,279,851) 1,976,928 and Taxibus effective subsidised built and network per resident services public transport natural served at minimum services environment service level (Target £13.50/year)
PTS003_9b Percentage PUBLIC of residents with access to an hourly or more frequent bus service (Target 90%)
Local travel Discounted local rail Protecting the PTS019_9a.1a WLAM 0.6 699,527 0 699,527 concessions for travel, Taxicard and built and Administration cost per the elderly and Dial-a-Ride and Dial- natural Taxicard on issue disabled a-Bus schemes environment (Target £4.00)
PTS022_9b.1c Number WLAM of passenger journeys made on Dial a Ride and Dial a Bus services (Target 25,000/year)
Asset Bus stop and bus Protecting the PTS020_9a.1a Cost per WLAM 1.8 147,138 0 147,138 management service information built and bus shelter maintained and promotion database natural (Target £190/year) of public maintenance, environment transport Traveline data feed,
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15 £ £ £ shelter, stop and PTS023_9b.1c Number WLAM publicity provision of timetable displays maintained at bus stops shelters and interchange points (Target 450) School To provide free and Protecting the PTS021_9a.1c Cost per WLAM 3.4 6,799,070 (83,000) 6,716,070 Transport fare paying built and mainstream pupil mainstream and natural offered free transport special needs environment (Target £650/year) transport to and from school PTS024_9b.1b WLAM Percentage of entitled pupils offered free transport (Target 100%)
Service Support Provision of Enabler Support activities 3.6 228,588 (52,029) 176,559 management and Service - contribute towards the administrative Corporate overall performance of support Governance the service. and Risk Performance is monitored through the indicators for front line activities. Total :- 11.6 11,131,102 (1,414,880) 9,716,222
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Actions
Listed below are a number of the key improvement actions, challenges and capital projects that the Service unit will be undertaking in the coming year as well as an update on the actions identified in the 2013/14 Management Plan.
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Identify and procure a The service requires a reliable Have new system in place in Ian Forbes April 2012 December Complete suitable IT system to manage IT system to manage the 2013 2013 public transport services public transport network and identify potential gaps in the service
Introduce new demand Provide public and bespoke New schemes in place and Ian Forbes April 2012 March Complete responsive transport schemes services to meet sporadic and working effectively for 2014 low levels of demand for travel travellers including that for niche groups
Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Set up a West Lothian Bus We will set up a consultation Bus and Rail users forum set Ian Forbes October March Active and Rail users Forum forum with bus and rail users up and producing effective 2012 2015 to determine issues and feedback to help improve priorities for the services services Review conditions of contract Review of the conditions of Full review of contracts carried Ian Forbes April 2013 March Active for passenger transport contract to ensure that the out with updated conditions 2015 services council is achieving best value applied to all new contracts and best possible service for users
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Develop and carry out a Inspecting services to ensure Planned programme of Ian Forbes April 2013 March Active programme of planned service they are meeting conditions of inspections in place and being 2015 inspections their contract carried out Create a clearly defined series Setting the priorities for the Clear policy priorities agreed Ian Forbes April 2013 March Active of policy priorities for service service which will lead to the by the Council Executive 2015 support development of the Public Transport Strategy The management and input of Pilot carried out on MIS All information transferred into Ian Forbes April 2014 March Planned Public Transport information System and then the new IT system 2015 into the new MIS System implementation of Stage 1 migrating of Public Transport information
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Performance
Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of the Service provided by Public Performance Indicator PTS017_6a.7 Transport as good or excellent. This PI measures the number of respondents rating the overall quality of service as good or excellent. The figures are Description taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by Public Transport to the West Lothian Citizens Panel.
Trend Chart Commentary
This is the first year that Public Transport have been included in the Operational Service annual customer survey which is distributed to West Lothian Councils Citizens panel.
685 responses were received. We will continue to review our customer service to ensure it meets the high standards expected by our customers
14/15 Target: 60% to achieve an improvement in satisfaction
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P:PTS003_9b.1 Performance Indicator Percentage of residents with access to an hourly or more frequent bus service. b This performance indicator measures the number of West Lothian residents who live within 800 metres of an hourly or more frequent bus service. This is a simple accessibility indicator adopted by the council in April 2011. The indicator is Description defined as the percentage of residents within a 10 minute walk of a bus stop with an hourly, or more frequent, daytime (Monday to Saturday) service. A 10 minute walk equates to about 800m at a walking speed of 3 miles per hour. The indicator does indicate the level of availability of at least a basic level of public transport in West Lothian.
Trend Chart Commentary
The majority of bus services in West Lothian are profitable and operate on a commercial basis without council subsidy. These services need no council approval and the council cannot influence their availability or design. Commercial services tend to be the busiest routes and the busiest times of operation. Councils can only legally provide services they deem to be socially necessary once the extent of the commercial network is known. Council contract bus services build on this commercial core and can increase the number of residents with access to services at the level defined by the indicator by either providing new bus or Taxibus services to places otherwise unserved, or by adding additional subsidised journeys onto otherwise commercial bus services to bring their availability up to the standard to meet the indicator definition.
14/15 Target: 90% to maintain the current level of performance
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Performance Indicator Cost of the Public Transport network per resident served at minimum service level PTS018_9a.1c This performance indicator measures the cost per head of population in West Lothian to provide the Public Transport network at the minimum service level. The indicator measures the number of West Lothian residents who live within 800 metres of an hourly or more frequent bus service. This is a simple accessibility indicator adopted by the council in Description April 2011. The indicator is defined as the percentage of residents within a 10 minute walk of a bus stop with an hourly, or more frequent, daytime (Monday to Saturday) service. A 10 minute walk equates to about 800m at a walking speed of 3 miles per hour. The indicator does indicate the level of availability of at least a basic level of public transport in West Lothian.
Trend Chart Commentary
The effect of inflation on costs of providing bus and Taxibus contracts are reviewed annually and this has increased the cost of service provision over time. Targets have been reviewed as a result of this.
14/15 Target: £13.50 based on the budget 14/15
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Performance Indicator Cost per mainstream pupil offered free transport PTS021_9a.1c This performance indicator measures the cost, per pupil, of providing a free school transport service to mainstream Description school pupils
Trend Chart Commentary
The database formerly used to manage school transport does not report on historical pupil numbers so only two years’ of data are available. Cost increases in 2012/13 were as a result of the need to provide replacement services for those withdrawn by contractors in mid-term, including at very short notice due to operator failure. A new framework contract governing all school transport services and contracts for mainstream transport is due to commence at the start of the 2013/14 academic year though the impact is as yet unknown as the arrangements have yet to be finalised.
14/15 Target: £650 based on the 14/15 budget
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 () Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Performance management Quarterly Review of Performance Indicators and targets Quarterly Benchmarking Annually Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) n/a Update of PPR information Annually WLAM (assessment) n/a Review Panel n/a Performance Committee n/a Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) As Required Progress review of improvement actions Quarterly CSE preparation Annually Inspection or Audit activity As Required Budget Management activity Ongoing Equality Impact Assessment(s) As Required Health and Safety Assessment(s) Ongoing Business Continuity Planning Quarterly Workforce Planning Ongoing PRPDPs Annually Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annually Customer consultation Ongoing Review of Service Standards Annually Planned Engagement activity Ongoing Website content management Ongoing
Performance activity Self Assessment activity Consultation & engagement activity External assessment activity Corporate management activity
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3.7 Roads and Transportation Services
Manager: Graeme Malcolm Number of Staff (FTE): 225.1 Location: Guildyhaugh Depot and Whitehill House, Bathgate
Purpose Roads and Transportation Services provide an integrated service to construct, manage and maintain the road, footpath and transportation network in West Lothian in the safest way possible. The service manages and maintains over 1004 km of public roadway, 1281 km of public footway, 46,018 street lights, 4,338 traffic lights, over 2000 grit bins, 11,063 illuminated and non-illuminated signs and bollards, 526 bridges and other structures.
Activities The service’s main activities are:
■ To promote and protect the council’s interests nationally, regionally and locally on developing roads and transportation issues ■ To manage and maintain the roads and footpath network ■ To manage and maintain the traffic management network ■ To design and deliver new capital roads and transportation schemes ■ To provide a comprehensive Winter Maintenance Service ■ To improve road safety through investigation, prevention, training and campaigning ■ Flood Risk Management ■ Emergency response to road traffic accidents, severe weather and street lighting incidents ■ Road works and utilities co-ordination ■ To maintain and manage the street lighting network ■ To manage and maintain traffic signals on the road and footpath network ■ Provide Christmas lighting ■ Sign maintenance ■ Street Name and numbering including installing new and maintaining existing name plates ■ School Crossing Patrol Officers ■ To provide road advice associated with new planning applications
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Customers The service’s main customers include:
■ Everyone who lives in, works in or travels through West Lothian ■ All road and footpath users ■ Other council services such as Construction Services, Housing, Education, Building Control and Planning Services
Partners The Service’s main partners Include:
■ Transport Scotland ■ SEPA, APSE & SCOTs ■ Utility companies ■ West Lothian Recycling ■ Other local authorities ■ Police Scotland ■ Fleet & Community Transport ■ Forth Estuary Transport ■ Traffic Signal Consortium Authority (FETA) ■ Network Rail & Scotrail
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Customer Participation The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that services are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer West Annual Survey Annually Graeme Citizens Panel Lothian distributed to 2,700 (January Malcolm Newsletter Citizens members of the citizens 2015) Results available panel to evaluate the on Council satisfaction with the website service provided and highlight areas for Reported through service improvement the Public Performance Indicators (RTS050_6a.7)
Community Regular meetings held Ongoing Various Via face to face Groups with local community Officers meetings with groups e.g. Community members of each Councils, to consult on group any potential issues and how the service can assist in improving local communities. This consultation also forms part of the Winter Maintenance review
Local Regular meetings held Ongoing Graeme Via face to face Business with local business Malcolm meetings with Groups groups e.g. Town members of each Centre Management group groups, Traders’ Associations etc on any potential issues and how the service can assist in improving business opportunities. This consultation also forms part of the Winter Maintenance review
Disabled Annual paper based Annual Kevin Feedback Parking survey sent to all Hamilton provided on (February Customers disabled parking bay request and 2015) holders and applicants published on the to evaluate the standard council website of service provided and identify any potential issues with the service
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Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer
Community Consultation exercise As required Kevin Via the Safety carried out with Hamilton consultation Groups members of the public exercise and and interested subsequent community safety Committee groups on the council’s Reports Road Safety Plan
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Activity Budget
Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Road and To manage and Protecting Total Carriageway WLAM 113.1 6,393,524 (2,493,724) 3,899,800 footpath maintain the public the built and maintenance Maintenance - road and footpath natural expenditure by structural and network environment carriageway length (to routine works be developed) RTS025_9b.2a. PUBLIC Percentage of the overall road network which should be considered for maintenance treatment (Target. 31.7%) Flood To reduce the risk of Protecting Indicators to be WLAM 3.7 535,513 (2,000) 533,513 Prevention flooding to non- the built and developed agricultural land natural environment Winter To manage and deliver Protecting Total cost for WLAM 28.0 2,428,915 0 2,428,915 Maintenance the winter the built and carriageway winter maintenance service natural maintenance period for public roads and environment divided by the total footpaths network length (to be developed)
RTS006_6b.2. HIGH Percentage of occasions LEVEL precautionary salting routes are completed before the formation of ice (Target. 100%)
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Street lighting Maintenance of street Protecting RTS018_9a.1a. HIGH 20.5 3,506,079 (5,000) 3,501,079 lighting the built and Average running cost LEVEL natural (including electricity and environment maintenance) per lighting unit per year (Target £54.76) RTS013_9b. Average HIGH time in days to repair LEVEL street lights (Target 7 days)
Street lighting Maintenance of traffic Protecting Indicator to be 1.9 254,000 0 254,000 lights the built and developed natural environment RTS001_9a. Average Public time in hours to repair Traffic Lights (Target 48 hours) Street lighting To maintain Protecting RTS018_9a.1a. HIGH 4.2 361,569 0 361,569 illuminated and non the built and Average running cost LEVEL illuminated natural (including electricity and signs/bollards and environment maintenance) per street nameplates. lighting unit per year (£54.76)
RTS014_9b. Average HIGH time (days) to repair LEVEL road signs (Target. 28 days)
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Street To provide a crossing Protecting Average cost of School 25.8 482,210 0 482,210 Crossing patrol officer (CPO) for the built and Crossing per location (to Patrols all locations which natural be developed) meet guidelines environment RTS012_9b. WLAM Percentage of school crossing patrols locations staffed (Target. 100%)
Transportation To promote and Protecting No Indicators 1.2 51,659 0 51,659 Policy protect the council's the built and interests nationally, natural regionally and locally environment on developing transportation issues. Supporting SEStran and FETA. Input to national, regional and local policies. Consultation responses. Securing partnership funding. Cycling promotion
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Development Manage the council Protecting RTS231_6b.3 Draft WLAM 1.7 73,184 (29,999) 43,185 Planning statutory function of the built and Road Construction issuing Road natural Consents Completed Construction Consents environment within 12 weeks (Target for new developments 85%) and to support the RTS232_6b.3 Final PUBLIC council's private roads Road Construction scheme. Consents Completed within 4 weeks (Target 85%)
Development Inspecting Protecting Recovery of RCC WLAM 1.0 43,050 0 43,050 Planning prospectively the built and Inspection Charges (To adoptable roadworks natural be developed) being built by environment developers under a Road Construction Consent. Cost of inspections met through inspection charges. Development Providing statutory Protecting RTS230_6b.2 HIGH 1.8 77,489 0 77,489 Planning advice to Development the built and Percentage of Management on the natural responses to planning Transportation impacts environment consultations within 3 of new developments. weeks (Target 80%)
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Development Providing Protecting No Indicator 0.7 30,135 0 30,135 Planning Transportation input the built and and advice to Strategic natural Planning on environment Development Planning Briefs, the statutory Strategic Development Plan and Local Development Plans. Providing development related transport advice on pre application planning discussions with developers and Development Management. Structures - To manage and Protecting RTS202_9b Bridges - WLAM 3.3 317,563 (100,000) 217,563 Highway maintain bridges and the built and Percentage failing 40 Structures other highway natural tonnes (All bridges) Management structures in environment (Target 4%) accordance with Best Practice adhering to guidance contained RTS205_9b Bridges - WLAM within the Percentage weight/width 'Management of restricted (All bridges) Highway Structures - A (Target 2%) Code of Practice' and to ensure that council bridges are 'safe for use' and 'fit for purpose'.
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Structures - Provision of structural Protecting No Indicator 1.2 115,478 0 115,478 Structural advice on the Council's the built and Advice building stock and natural check and approve environment building warrant submissions Structures - Assessment of the Protecting RTS207_6b. HIGH 1.0 96,231 0 96,231 Highway condition of highway the built and Percentage of principal Structures structures through natural inspections carried out Inspections completion of environment (Target 100%) General/Principal RTS208_6b. HIGH Inspections in Percentage of general accordance with Best inspections carried out Practice. (Target 100%) Structures - Provision of structural Protecting RTS213_6b.2 WLAM 0.9 86,608 0 86,608 Highway advice on highway or the built and Percentage of Abnormal Structures flooding related natural Loads processed on Advice matters. Technical environment time (Target 100%) approval of structural elements within proposed developments. Maintain RAMP. Maintain a system to receive notifications from hauliers in respect of abnormal load movements and advise hauliers within statutory time limits if there is any reason why the movement should not proceed.
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Projects Design To design and deliver Protecting Fee Target of less than WLAM 3.1 119,265 (119,231) 34 and capital projects for the built and 15% for schemes more Implementation Roads and natural than £50,000 (To be Transportation environment developed) Feasibility, Detailed Fee Target of less than WLAM Design and Work 20% for schemes less Procurement, and Site than £50,000 (To be Supervision developed) Projects Design To design and deliver Protecting Fee Target of less than WLAM 2.1 79,559 (80,770) (1,211) and projects for the built and 15% for schemes more Implementation Construction Services, natural than £50,000 (To be Housing Services, environment developed) West Lothian Leisure, Fee Target of less than WLAM Property Services, 20% for schemes less Planning Services and than £50,000 (To be Waste Services. developed) Detailed Design and Work Procurement, and Site Supervision Disabled To provide disabled Protecting Average time taken from WLAM 2.0 142,273 (19,167) 123,106 Persons persons’ parking the built and deciding to provide a Parking Places places for blue badge natural parking place to holders in line with environment initiating statutory statutory duties procedure. Target: 45 days (To be developed) Traffic Provide safety, traffic Protecting Complaint rate (Annual WLAM 2.7 182,174 (29,876) 152,298 management management, parking the built and number of complaints / schemes and schemes and traffic natural annual enquiries). Traffic Orders orders. Respond to environment Target: 2.5% (To be customer demand and developed) - effectively manage the use of the road network.
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate and Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ School road To provide road safety Protecting No. of schools requiring WLAM 0.8 53,353 (7,188) 46,165 safety engineering measures the built and further measures. programme around schools. natural Target: 0 (To be and enquiries environment developed) Road Safety To provide engineering Protecting Average First Year Rate WLAM 0.8 53,353 (7,188) 46,165 casualty measures which the built and of Return of completed reduction contribute in a cost natural schemes. Target: 400% programme effective way to road environment (To be developed) - casualty reduction. Efficiency indicator Service Provision of Enabler Support activities 3.6 228,588 (52,029) 176,559 Support management and Service - contribute towards the administrative support. Corporate overall performance of Governance the service. and Risk Performance is monitored through the indicators for front line activities. Total :- 225.1 15,711,772 (2,946,172) 12,765,600
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Actions
Listed below are a number of the key improvement actions, challenges and capital projects that the Service unit will be undertaking in the coming year as well as an update on the actions identified in the 2013/14 Management Plan.
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Review tendering process To make the procurement and A new tendering process is Ronnie April 2012 March Complete through the use of e- tendering process for now in place to ensure that all Fisher 2014 procurement contracts easier and more works are procured through efficient to use e-procurement Develop a skid resistance Develop a policy and Production of approved policy Kevin April 2013 March Complete strategy programme for skid resistance and procedure and Hamilton 2014 testing and monitoring in undertaking of surveys accordance with approved codes of practice Invest in backlog and lifecycle Undertake a variety of Continuing with the Graeme April 2013 March Complete maintenance of adopted and refurbishment works ranging improvement of deteriorated Muir 2014 non-adopted structures from bearing replacement, structures and maintain masonry repairs, painting, and structures to an acceptable concrete repairs to complete standard as part of the Asset replacement structure Management Plan Invest in upgrading, improving Replacement programme for Continuing with the David April 2013 March Complete and maintaining Street street lighting columns over 30 improvement and Wilson 2014 Lighting throughout West years of age maintenance programme for Lothian street lighting set out in the Asset Management Plan Invest in upgrading, improving Replacement programme for Continuing with the David April 2013 March Complete and maintaining traffic signals traffic signals which are improvement and Wilson 2014 throughout West Lothian coming to end of their life maintenance programme for cycle traffic signals set out in the Asset Management Plan
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Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Investigate and evaluate the To ensure that light sources To achieve a reduction in the David April 2013 March Complete use of energy efficient light are as efficient as possible to energy usage for street Wilson 2014 sources for street lighting and achieve maximum energy lighting and illuminated signs illuminated signs and bollards savings and continue to and bollards review our environmental credentials as well as achieving Best Value
Safety surveys of all footways Electronic safety surveys of all All safety surveys completed Graeme April 2013 March Complete and footpaths footways and footpaths to in full compliance with the Malcolm 2014 ensure they are in a safe Road Maintenance code of condition practice Reduce flood risk and tackle Invest capital and revenue Reduced overall flood risk Graeme April 2013 March Complete severely impaired drainage funding, including Housing Hedger 2014 Capital in measures to identify, investigate and resolve flooding and severely impaired drainage
Develop a policy on provision Develop a policy for the use of Production of approved policy Kevin April 2013 March Complete of pedestrian guardrail and pedestrian guardrails and and procedure Hamilton 2014 vehicle restraint systems vehicle restraint systems
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Review and update framework Review and update the Updating the framework Ronnie February August Active contract for minor works using framework contract for minor contract will provide an Fisher 2013 2014 NEC3 conditions of contract works to utilise a more alternative source to procure appropriate form of contract works for minor works effectively and efficiently.
Removing the need to tender works where it is deemed appropriate. It should also reduce the risk of challenge providing a more robust form of contract
Complete detailed condition Electronic surveys carried out All surveys completed in Ross January August Active surveys of all public footway by inspectors on all footways compliance with the code of McDonald 2013 2014 and footpath network and footpaths to ascertain practice for roads current condition maintenance and inform priorities of future programmes of work
Local Flood Risk Management Work in liaison with other Publication of the Local Flood Graeme April 2013 December Active Plan members of the Forth Estuary Risk Management Plan in Hedger 2014 Local Flood Risk Management December 2014 Plan District to prepare for the publication of the Local Flood Risk Management Plan
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Invest capital money to Strengthening or replacement Continuing with the Graeme April 2013 March Active strengthen weak bridges of Kinnenhill Bridge, a improvement and Muir 2015 masonry arch structure with strengthening programme of steel beam and concrete slab weak bridges and so minimise widening the number of weight restricted structures in West Lothian as part of the Asset Management Plan
Ensure that all structures are New guidance to assess the To complete an assessment Graeme April 2013 March Active assessed for scour, where potential risk of scour was of scour on all structures, Muir 2015 appropriate, in accordance introduced in 2012. In where appropriate, in with BD97/12 – ‘The compliance with best practice accordance with BD97/12 assessment of scour and this guidance needs to be other hydraulic actions at utilised to check the risk of highway structures’ scour and take appropriate action where necessary
Broxburn Flood Prevention Continue to design and Completion of measures at Graeme April 2013 March Active Scheme construct components of the West Burnside, Station Road Hedger 2016 Broxburn Flood Prevention and West Main Street Scheme to reduce the risk of flooding
Linlithgow Loch Catchment The LLCMP Group will publish Identify and establish a Graeme April 2013 March Active Management Plan the Linlithgow Loch suitable model to help Hedger 2016 Catchment Management Plan stakeholders realise planned and begin to take forward improvements actions arising that will reduce the risk of flooding and improve the quality of water
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Livingston South Blue Green Work with the communities of Improved water quality, Graeme April 2013 March Active Network Bellsquarry, Dedridge, reduced flood risk, improved Hedger 2016 Murieston, Livingston Village public access, landscape, and Central Scotland Forest habitat value and the creation Trust to bring forward an of habitat networks, reduced integrated schedule of cyclic maintenance and improvements for open space stronger links with local and the water environment in people Livingston South
Prepare Maintenance Maintenance Manuals to be All maintenance manuals Graeme April 2014 June 2014 Planned Manuals in line with the Roads created for Winter created and operational Malcolm Asset Management Plan Maintenance, Roads Maintenance, Footway Maintenance, Structures and Flooding Roll out of new risk In partnership with Health and All new risk assessments Graeme April 2014 March Planned assessments and safe Safety risk assessments and completed and safe systems Malcolm 2015 systems of work for Roads & safe systems of work are of work in place throughout Transportation required for all areas of the the service service Roll out of Supervisors A new training programme for All supervisors to have Andy April 2014 March Planned Training for all Roads supervisors has been completed the training Johnston 2015 Supervisors developed with 9 different programme modules
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Invest in backlog and lifecycle Undertake a variety of Continuing with the Graeme April 2014 March Planned maintenance of adopted and refurbishment works including improvement of deteriorated Muir 2015 non-adopted structures masonry repairs, painting, structures and maintain concrete repairs, culvert lining, structures to an acceptable steel repairs, re-waterproofing standard as part of the Asset and joint replacement Management Plan
Invest in the programme to Strengthening of B7002 Continuing with the Graeme April 2014 March Planned strengthen weak bridges Boghall (Paulville) Bridge - a improvement and Muir 2015 twin masonry arch structure strengthening programme of an identified weak bridge which is currently being monitored and so avoid placing a weight restriction on this structure and comply with our Asset Management Plan of improving weak structures Invest in the programme or Identified scour defects noted Continuing with the Graeme April 2014 March Planned repairing scour damage to from scour inspections shall improvement of deteriorated Muir 2015 structures be prioritised and appropriate structures and maintain measures implemented structures to an acceptable standard as part of the Asset Management Plan Introduction of LED within The installation of approx. To reduce energy David April 2014 March Planned street lighting 2000 LED units within suitable consumption and carbon Wilson 2015 existing street lights (year 1) emissions as part of the Reducing Energy Use Workstream within the council`s Delivering Better Outcomes approach
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Performance
Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of service provided by Roads Performance Indicator RTS050_6a.7 &Transportation as good or excellent.. The figure for this performance indicator is taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by Roads and Description Transportation Services to the West Lothian Citizens Panel. Figure based on respondents who rated the service as good or excellent.
Trend Chart Commentary:
This is the first year that customer satisfaction has been measured across the full Roads and Transportation Service (previously it was reported as two separate services). The figures from this year will be used as our baseline target figure and we will look to increase customer satisfaction and perception in the coming years.
The figure is based on 685 responses from the Citizens Panel.
14/15 Target: 60% to achieve an improvement in satisfaction
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Performance Indicator Percentage of Repairs to Street Lights Completed Within 7 Days. CP:RTS004_6b.2 This performance indicator measures the number of repairs to Street Lights which are completed within the 7 day target from notification of a fault. All faults are logged in our electronic system (Confirm) which measures the time taken for us Description to repair the fault. The figure is calculated by using the total number of faults reported and the number completed with the 7 day period.
Trend Chart Commentary:
Performance over the last 5 years has fluctuated with 2 out of the 5 years falling below our target. The main reason for these dips in performance in 2010/11 and 2012/13 were due to periods of bad weather including high winds and winter weather which increased the number of faults and also made it more challenging for staff to repair them. Over the last 5 years we have dealt with between 6,500 and 8,000 faults per year. We will review our processes with an aim to improve performance and achieve our target during 2013/14, so that the best possible service is provided.
14/15 Target: 90% based on previous year’s performance on to improve again on the latest year’s figures
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Performance Indicator Average running cost (including electricity and maintenance) per lighting unit per year. P:RTS018_9a.1c This performance indicator measures the average costs to maintain each lighting section unit including electricity, inspections, testing, reactive maintenance and section and central overheads. Units include all lighting, signs and traffic Description signals - all costs divided by all units. The target is set based on the budget made available at the start of each financial year.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The drop in average cost per unit in 2010/11was primarily down to a reduction in the cost of electricity. The cost of electricity dropped following the agreement of a national contract for electricity provision which meant electricity was being bought cheaper. The further, although smaller, reductions in cost in the preceeding 2 years, 2011/12 & 2012/13 have been achieved as a result in a reduction in maintenance costs as well as smaller electricity costs.
This indicator is strongly influenced by the cost of electricity, which is now procured through a national contract. Initial indications are that energy costs will remain similar for 2013/14.
14/15 Target: £54.76 based on the budget for 14/15 and the number of lighting units
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Percentage of the overall Road Network which should be considered for maintenance Performance Indicator P:RTS025_9b.2a treatment. In West Lothian Council we aim to keep our roads in as safe and servicable condition as possible and this performance indicator measures our success in achieving this. The whole of the network is checked through a national road condition machine based survey. The output from this survey indicates the percentage of the network which should be considered for detailed investigation and then future maintenance.
Description West Lothian Council currently maintains over 1000 km of Road Network: A Class: 152 km B Class: 118 km C Class: 116 km U Class: 92.5 km Urban (Housing Estates etc): 526 km
Trend Chart Commentary:
The condition of our overall road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has improved from 30.5% to 26.9%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 12/13 West Lothian was ranked 4th out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator. This equates to an overall improvement of 4 places and has shown an improvement in our road condition in all categories.
14/15 Target: 24.5% to achieve further improvement in road condition based on planned , targeted investment
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 () Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Performance management Quarterly Review of Performance Indicators and targets Quarterly Benchmarking Annually Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) Annually Update of PPR information Annually WLAM (assessment) n/a Review Panel As Required Performance Committee n/a Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) As Required Progress review of improvement actions Quarterly CSE preparation Annually Inspection or Audit activity As Required Budget Management activity Ongoing Equality Impact Assessment(s) As Required Health and Safety Assessment(s) Ongoing Business Continuity Planning Annually Workforce Planning Ongoing PRPDPs Annually Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annually Customer consultation Ongoing Review of Service Standards Annually Planned Engagement activity Ongoing Website content management Ongoing
Performance activity Self Assessment activity Consultation & engagement activity External assessment activity Corporate management activity
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3.9 Waste Services
Manager: David Goodenough Number of Staff (FTE): 205.9 Location: Nairn Road, Deans
Purpose Waste Services are responsible for the collection of all household waste and the environmentally responsible management of waste in line with the government’s Zero Waste Plan. The service provides a weekly uplift to around 75,000 households and a monthly uplift of garden waste during the growing season to the majority of these households. Every year the service carries out around 21,000 bulky uplifts. Waste Services also provide commercial uplifts from approximately 1,100 trade waste premises and council services. This amounts to more than 4.6 million uplifts a year. Over 43% of all waste managed was recycled (47,600 tonnes), which is approximately 4,700 bin lorries a year diverted from landfill.
The service also has six Community Recycling Centres strategically located throughout West Lothian where residents bring their own household waste for recycling. In addition to this we provide information and support to customers on how to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste. We also provide 13 public conveniences in various locations in West Lothian.
Activities
The service’s main activities are:
■ Domestic refuse collection ■ Kerbside recycling ■ Food waste collection ■ Commercial waste collection ■ Clinical waste collection ■ Operating community recycling centres ■ Bulky uplifts ■ Collections from registered charities ■ Disposing of residual waste to landfill ■ Provision of public conveniences ■ Storage, removal and provision of wheeled bins to households ■ Operation of a waste transfer station ■ Waste strategy ■ Customer liaison and advice services ■ Waste/Recycling education to the community ■ Securing future waste management infrastructure ■ Data collation and reporting
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Customers The service’s main customers include:
■ All households – flatted and ■ Household clinical waste non-flatted producers ■ Bulky waste producers – ■ All schools in West Lothian residential and commercial ■ Community groups ■ Community recycling centres’ ■ Other council services users ■ All commercial users (as per service requested)
Partners The Service’s main partners include:
■ SEPA ■ COSLA ■ WRAP ■ Scottish Government ■ Zero Waste Scotland ■ Waste disposal and recycling ■ ECO Schools contractors ■ Fleet and Community ■ Other council services Transport
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Customer Participation The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that services are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15 Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer West Lothian Annual Survey Annual David Citizens Panel Citizens distributed to 2,700 (January Goodenough Newsletter members of the citizens 2015) Results available panel to evaluate the on Council satisfaction with the website service provided and Reported through highlight areas for the Public service improvement. Performance Indicator (WM030_6a.7) CRC Site Consultation with As required David Through Users customers as they use Goodenough programme of the service as part of an consultation overall review of the facilities available on site e.g. signage, recycling opportunities, opening times and ease of use.
Community Consultation with As required David Community Groups and community groups and Goodenough Groups and Focus focus groups e.g. Focus Groups Groups Community Councils, with regards to the siting of new bottle banks and public conveniences in local areas, food waste collection (which will assist with improvements and extended services in local areas).
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Customer Consultation Schedule 2014/15
Customer Responsible Survey Method Frequency Feedback Method Group Officer Partnership Face to face Monthly David Through monthly Working consultation with Goodenough meetings Group members of the fire service, police and community support teams e.g. social care. Schools and Feedback from As required Alison Via face to face Community Education Awareness Towers meetings with Groups sessions to assist in members of ongoing improvements School and to schools Community Group presentations. Bulky Waste Feedback from As required Gary Improvement Plan Feedback customers as they use Morrison Management Cards the service to evaluate Team satisfaction with the service provided and highlight areas for service improvement.
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Activity Budget
Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Domestic To collect waste from Protecting 9a: WM017: No. of bins WLAM 127.2 5,530,602 (6,600) 5,524,002 Waste domestic premises the built and missed during collection per Collection (residual and natural 100,000 collections (not recycling) environment including contamination) (Target 125)
WM001: Cost of Refuse PUBLIC Collection Service per Household (Target £66.89) Commercial To collect waste and Protecting WM050: Cost of Commercial WLAM 8.0 841,000 (841,000) 0 Waste recycling from the built and Collection Service per Collection commercial premises natural premises environment (To be developed) WM054: Number of bins WLAM missed during Commercial Collections per 100,000 collections (To be developed) Bulky Uplifts To carry out Bulky Protecting WM051: Cost of Bulky Uplifts WLAM 14.5 412,972 (6,000) 406,972 Uplifts within West the built and per request Lothian natural (To be developed) environment WM053: Number of bulky WLAM uplifts carried out within the agreed service standards timescales (To be developed) Number of To deliver Protecting WM052: Cost of new and WLAM 3.0 188,404 (15,525) 172,879 Bins delivered replacement bins to the built and replacement receptacles per domestic and trade natural month (Target = Capital
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ customers environment Replacement Programme budget for containers) 9b: WM014_6b.3 Percentage HIGH of new/ replacement bins LEVEL delivered within Service Standards Period (5 working days). (Target = 80%) Development To research and Protecting WM055: Cost per % increase WLAM 3.6 182,201 0 182,201 of future develop future zero the built and in Recycling strategy and waste and efficiency natural (To be developed) services strategies, contracts, environment projects and services WM056: Increase in % WLAM Recycling year on year (To be developed) Waste To recycle waste Protecting WM057: Cost per % of HIGH 35.0 2,869,443 (230,500) 2,633,943 disposal - collected to various the built and Recycling Disposal (Disposal LEVEL recycling recycling centres, natural Costs/Recycling Percentage) recycling points and environment (To be developed) via kerbside 9b: WM040_9b.1a PUBLIC collections Percentage of Household waste recycled/ composted per quarter. (Target 50% average to reflect Zero Waste Regulations Target, seasonal variations to be built in) 9b: SSPi24: Percentage of municipal waste collected that was composted or recycled per annum (Target 50%) 9b: WM060_9b.1a Average Percentage of Material Recycled at Community
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Target 2014/15 Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Recycling Centres (per quarter). (Target 50% average, with seasonal variations to be built in) Waste To dispose of Protecting 9a: sspi23b: Net cost of PUBLIC 7.5 6,941,029 (720,000) 6,221,029 disposal to Household Waste the built and refuse disposal per premise landfill/ and Recyclates for natural (Target £103.41) treatment treatment and to environment 9b: SSPi24i The total tonnes PUBLIC landfill sites of municipal waste handled(Target =112,520t) Public To provide clean and Protecting WM058: Cost per use WLAM 3.5 49,120 0 49,120 Conveniences accessible the built and (To be developed) automated public natural conveniences 7 days environment WM059: Number of uses per WLAM a week and to quarter provide clean and (To be developed) accessible staffed public convenience 12 months of the year Service Provision of Enabler Support activities contribute 3.6 228,588 (52,029) 176,559 Support management and Service - towards the overall administrative Corporate performance of the service. support. Governance Performance is monitored and Risk through the indicators for front line activities. Total :- 205.9 17,243,359 (1,876,654) 15,366,705
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Listed below are a number of the key improvement actions, challenges and capital projects that the Service unit will be undertaking in the coming year as well as an update on the actions identified in the 2013/14 Management Plan.
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Review of the Commercial Review of the Commercial Develop proposals for service David April 2012 March Complete Waste Service Waste Service efficiencies and a new Goodenough 2014 commercial waste recycling service
Develop proposals that Develop proposals that Complete David April 2013 March Complete comply with the Waste comply with the Waste proposals/implementation Goodenough 2014 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (initial phase) for the and address options for and address options for introduction of new food further recycling - food waste further recycling - food waste recycling options in waste compliance with statutory requirements
Develop proposals that Develop proposals that Complete David April 2013 March Complete comply with the Waste comply with the Waste proposals/implementation Goodenough 2014 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (initial phase) for the and address options for and address options for introduction of new recycling further recycling - commercial further recycling - options in compliance with food waste commercial food waste statutory requirements
Develop proposals that Develop proposals that Complete David April 2013 March Complete comply with the Waste comply with the Waste proposals/implementation for Goodenough 2014 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 the introduction of new and address options for and address options for recycling options in further recycling - further recycling - compliance with statutory commercial recycling service commercial recycling service requirements
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Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Recycling ‘on the go’ Recycling ‘on the go’ Introduction of dry/mixed David April 2013 March Complete recylate availability within Goodenough 2014 commercial premises e.g. shopping centres
CRC sites - separation of CRC sites - separation of Increase diversion from David April 2013 March Complete bags from non-bagged bags from non-bagged landfill and lower treatment Goodenough 2014 materials materials costs
Installation of web link CCTV Installation of web link CCTV To put CCTV in place to David April 2013 March Complete systems at CRC sites systems at CRC sites address trade waste fee Goodenough 2014 evasion, monitoring of sites and safety
The review and update of the The review and update of the All assessment to be 100% David April 2012 March Complete risk assessments for risk assessments for complete – currently at Goodenough 2014 collection routes to ensure collection routes to ensure approx 65% safety of the public and the safety of the public and the workforce workforce Develop proposals that Develop proposals that Complete David April 2013 March Complete comply with the Waste comply with the Waste proposals/implementation for Goodenough 2014 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 the introduction of new and address options for and address options for recycling options in further recycling - glass further recycling - glass compliance with statutory requirements
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Design, implement and To design new collection New collection regime and David April 2012 August Active optimise collection routing in routes to take account of new shift patterns operational Goodenough 2014 line with efficiency savings developments and the introduction of the food waste collection service Implementation of updated New service standards for the New standards approved and David April 2012 November Active Waste Service Standards service to be agreed with operational Goodenough 2014 staff, customers and partners in conjunction with the new strategy Kerbside Food Waste Trial and introduction of Introduction of kerbside food David April 2013 September Active Collection Kerbside Food Waste waste collection to eventually Goodenough 2014 Collection to commence in 66,000 customers with April 2013 increased recycling rates
Glass Collection Extending the bottle bank Extended and increased bottle David April 2013 March Active provision that is currently in bank and glass collection Goodenough 2015 place to provide more provision throughout West recycling opportunities Lothian
Implementation of the service To re-organise the service to Reorganisation and David April 2013 March Active re-organisation and re- meet the changing needs and restructure of the service Goodenough 2015 structure issues that we face and make agreed and implemented up a more efficient and effective service for both staff and customers Develop proposals that To introduce new Complete David April 2013 March Active comply with the Waste opportunities for households proposals/implementation for Goodenough 2015 (Scotland) Regulations 2012 to recycle their dry and mixed the introduction of new and address options for recyclate to maximise recycling options in further recycling - blue bin recycling across West Lothian compliance with statutory material – dry/mixed recyclate requirements
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Management and renewal of To ensure that adequate Monitor/manage and tender David April 2014 March Planned all waste contracts contracts are in place for all contracts in relation to waste Goodenough 2015 services that provide the best and disposal recycling value for the council and the best service to customers Continue the optimisation of To introduce new To continue to improve from David April 2014 March Planned Waste Services in working opportunities for households the 43% of waste currently Goodenough 2015 towards the future recycling to recycle and maximise recycled, and work towards targets as set by Waste recycling across West Lothian the new 2013/14 target of (Scotland) Regulations 2012 50% as set by the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 SVQ Level 2 Qualification – To provide the best possible Career/development David April 2014 March Planned Frontline Environmental training opportunities to staff opportunities and the Goodenough 2015 Services for Operates and ensure staff are able to enhancing knowledge for continue to deliver the service frontline operatives as it evolves Development and support for To provide a new transfer New facility will increase David November July 2015 Planned the construction of a transfer station for the waste, which is recycling, reduce the risk of Goodenough 2013 station/sorting facility collected. This will increase contract failure and save in the recycling opportunities disposal costs and divert waste form landfill
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Performance
Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of the service provided by Waste Performance Indicator P:WM030_6a.7 Services as good or excellent. This Performance Indicator measures the number of respondents rating the overall service as good or excellent. The figure is taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by Waste Services to the West Lothian Citizens Panel. The Citizens Panel is made up of residents of West Lothian who will have varying involvement and experience of the Description service.
The figure is based on respondents who rated the service as good or excellent.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of our service as 'good' or 'excellent' increased again to over 83% following our most recent survey (2012/2013). This increase is primarily down to a further increase in the satisfaction with our Community Recycling Centres and our new Bin Management Unit for the delivery of new bins to households. We are keen to maintain our customer satisfaction levels at a high level and feedback from our customers is used to try and improve our services as much as possible and we will continue to work hard to provide a good service to the households of West Lothian. The dip in satisfaction in 2010/11 was down to a number of customers being unhappy with the service provided during the periods of bad weather, which lead to service disruption. We have since implemented a number of measures to improve our service during periods of service disruption.
14/15 Target: 85% to maintain the current high levels of satisfaction
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Percentage of new/ replacement bins delivered within Service Standard period (5 working Performance Indicator P:WM015_6b.2 days). This performance indicator measures the amount of new or replacement bins (grey, blue and brown) which are Description delivered to the customer within 5 working days of the request being received. We have a Bin Management Unit in place to manage the delivery of all new bins.
Trend Chart Commentary:
On average we receive requests for and deliver over 8,000 new bins to residents in West Lothian every year. Stock issues can lead to a delay in delivering some bins, however following the drop in performance in 2011/12 a new bin management system and depot in Blackburn meant was created. This has improved the performance in providing new and replacement bins and we hope to see new further improvements in the coming years.
14/15 Target: 90% based on the performance throughout the last 2 years
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Performance Indicator Net cost of refuse collection per premise. CP:sspi23a This is a Specified Performance Indicator, used by all Scottish authorities. The target set is the previous year's performance and the aim is to undercut the target and minimise the overall cost of Description refuse collection. This information is updated in September each year with the previous year's performance figures.
Trend Chart Commentary: The cost of refuse collection in 2012/13 decreased by £1.32 per premise (household and commercial). This decrease was due to savings made with vehicles despite the continuing rise of fuel costs and other materials, plant and equipment.
In 2011/12, West Lothian Council was ranked 22nd out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
14/15 Target: Will be decided following publication of the results for 2013/14
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Performance Indicator The percentage of household waste collected that was composted or recycled. CP:sspi24a This is a Specified Performance Indicator, used by all Scottish authorities. The waste management information has been taken from the Scottish Environment Protection Agencies (SEPA) Waste Data Flow information for 2012/13. Description The target set is the based on this year's performance as this is the first year that this is an SSPI and the aim is to do better than the target and maximise the overall percentage of waste that is recycled. This information is updated in September each year with the previous year's performance figures.
Trend Chart Commentary:
In comparison with 2012/13 the main differences to 2011/ 2012 are as follows: Decrease in the blue bin material recycled (1000t) Decrease in tonnage collected of brown bin (1100t) and CRC green waste (400t), probably due to the poor summer. There were decreases in materials recycled through our CRCs, namely electrical items (950t), rubble (350t), wood (330t), which may be down to the economic downturn. There was 175t more waste recycled from the bulky waste collections. There are increases in recycling (950t) from the new material recycling facility at Avondale which removes further recyclates from the grey bin residual waste stream. As a consequence and also due to a drop in the tonnage collected there was less residual waste landfilled (2000t) The overall tonnage of household waste collected decreased in 2012/13 compared to 2011/12 by approximately 4000t
14/15 Target: 47.5% based on the projected increase in food waste and brown bin waste
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 () Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Performance management Quarterly Review of Performance Indicators and targets Quarterly Benchmarking Annually Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) Annually Update of PPR information Annually WLAM (assessment) n/a Review Panel As Required Performance Committee As Required Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) As Required Progress review of improvement actions Quarterly CSE preparation Annually Inspection or Audit activity As Required Budget Management activity Ongoing Equality Impact Assessment(s) As Required Health and Safety Assessment(s) Ongoing Business Continuity Planning Annually Workforce Planning Ongoing PRPDPs Annually Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annually Customer consultation Ongoing Review of Service Standards Annually Planned Engagement activity Ongoing Website content management Ongoing
Performance activity Self Assessment activity Consultation & engagement activity External assessment activity Corporate management activity
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Operational Services
Management Plan 2014/15
Jim Jack Head of Service
March 2014
For more information:
Email address:[email protected]
Telephone number:01506 776284
Whitehill House Whitehill Industrial Estate | Bathgate | West Lothian | EH48 2HA
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ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL
PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN 2014/15
REPORT BY HEAD OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of the report is to make the panel aware of the Planning and Economic Development Management Plan 2014/15.
B. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the panel notes the terms of the report and the attached management plan.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
I Council Values Focusing on our customers' needs; being honest, open and accountable; making best use of our resources; and working in partnership
II Policy and Legal (including Actions will be screened as they are progressed Strategic Environmental to determine the need for environment, equality, Assessment, Equality health or risk assessments. Issues, Health or Risk Assessment)
III Implications for Scheme of None. Delegations to Officers
IV Impact on performance and Successful delivery of the plan will ensure good performance Indicators performance against a number of performance indicators detailed in the plan document.
V Relevance to Single SOA : 3 Our economy is diverse and dynamic, Outcome Agreement and West Lothian is an attractive place for doing business. SOA : 4 We live in resilient, cohesive and safe communities. SOA : 8 We have the most efficient and effective use of resources by minimising our impact on the built and natural environment.
VI Resources - (Financial, Resource implications are detailed throughout Staffing and Property) the plan, particularly in the sections headed “Activity Budget”. 1
- 195 - VII Consideration at PDSP This is the first consideration of the plan by the PDSP. The plan will also be reported to the Development & Transport PDSP.
VIII Other consultations The plan has been approved by the Executive Management Team for submission to the panel.
D. TERMS OF REPORT
D1 Introduction
The management plan comprises of three sections as follows:
1. An overview from the head of service outlining the key achievements of the service in 2013/14, the key challenges for 2014/15, the context within which the service expects to operate in the coming year and links to corporate strategies.
2. An organisation chart showing the high-level structure of the service and the reporting link to the Executive Management Team.
3. A summary of each of the West Lothian Assessment Model units (Economic Development, Environmental Health and Trading Standards and Planning Services) outlining their main purpose and activities, commitment to customer participation, activity budget, main actions (or initiatives) and key performance indicators.
D2 Key areas of interest
The plan sets out that significant progress has been made on the key activities in the previous plan. In particular the panel may wish to note that during the year the service:
x Introduced a Trusted Trader Scheme. x Introducing a Food Hygiene Information System. x Progressed the introduction of biomass boilers at council facilities and LED technology on street lighting as part of the energy reduction workstream. x Made significant progress with the implementation of the Economic Growth Plan and approval of a revised Economic Strategy. x Saw significant progress in the core development area and other key sites such as Heartlands. x Hosted a successful Tourism Conference at Howden Park Centre. x Progressed the Housing Recovery Action Plan. x Continued to secure significant levels of developer contributions to support infrastructure improvements. x Facilitated additional school capacity at Boghall Primary, St. Anthony’s Primary, Armadale Primary and Winchburgh Primary / Holy Family Primary.
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- 196 - In the coming year the service will continue to focus on facilitating economic growth and continue working with the house-building industry in order to increase the rate of house construction in West Lothian. The service will also ensure protection of our communities through promoting a safe and legal trading environment.
Specific activities for the year will include:
x dealing with the regulatory impact of the economic downturn including tackling an increasing number of hygiene problems in food premises, trade in counterfeit goods and door-step selling; x progressing a Business Improvement District ballot in Linlithgow, ensuring engagement of local businesses in the process; x continuing the programme of projects in villages and traditional towns to achieve full spend of the capital allocation; x publishing the Main Issues Report of the West Lothian Local Development Plan and working toward the main issues report for the second SESplan strategic development plan; x implementing a number of education and roads projects supported through the Local Infrastructure Fund; and x continuing to ensure that all statutory applications from small businesses are prioritised with a target of 100% processed within the statutory timescale.
E. CONCLUSION
The management plan provides the framework for service delivery by Planning and Economic Development in the coming financial year, including those services that report through the Development and Transport Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
None.
Appendices/Attachments: One.
Appendix 1 : Planning and Economic Development Management Plan 2014/15.
Contact Person: Craig McCorriston, Head of Planning and Economic Development, Tel. 01506 282443 e-mail [email protected]
Craig McCorriston Head of Planning and Economic Development
Date of meeting: 27 March 2014
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Delivering Better Outcomes Planning & Economic Development Management Plan 2014/15
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Contents
1 Overview of Planning & Economic Development 2
2 Planning & Economic Development Structure 12
3 Service Activity 13
3.1 Economic Development 13
3.2 Environmental Health & Trading Standards 25
3.3 Planning Services 38
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1 Overview
1.1 Introduction
Welcome to the Planning & Economic Development Management Plan 2014/15
West Lothian Council’s Planning & Economic Development service grouping covers the functional areas of Economic Development, Environmental Health & Trading Standards, and Planning Services which includes the Education Planning, Environment and Climate Change teams. The management plan sets out the service priorities for 2014/15, and provides a review of performance over the previous management plan period.
The teams in the service group are linked in three main ways. Firstly, much of the work of the service group is regulatory in nature, covering a range of statutory processes including planning and related applications, building warrants and various licence applications. In addition, the regulatory functions cover food safety, workplace safety, trading standards, metrology and a range of consumer and environmental protection activities.
Secondly, all service teams in the service group have a role in increasing economic activity in West Lothian. This is focused through the work of the Economic Development service, however the teams in Environmental Health & Trading Standards and Planning Services are also focused on creating a supportive environment for increasing economic output, whilst maintaining protection for consumers and the environment.
Finally, the climate change activities of the service overarch the work of not just the service group but the council as a whole.
The activity budget information set out in the body of the Management Plan details the full range of activities in the service.
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A Review of 2013/14
During the year significant progress was made with implementing the West Lothian Economic Growth Plan which was established following the closure of the Vion / Halls plant in Broxburn in early 2013, with the loss of 1,700 jobs.
Despite the difficult economic conditions, good progress continued to be made with implementing the core development area and strategic housing sites identified in the adopted West Lothian Local plan. During the year, the first house completions were achieved at Winchburgh, and on the strategic site at Heartlands in Whitburn. Housebuilding also commenced at the Calderwood CDA. Overall the rate of house completions during the year increased to [around 600 - final figure to be inserted after 31/3] compared to 497 in the previous year.
At Heartlands the new motorway junction on the M8 was opened in September. This is the first wholly privately funded motorway junction in Scotland. In early January Oil States Klaper announced that it was to develop a major production facility at the Cowhill Business Park, marking the first significant development on the site.
During the year, additional school capacity was provided at Boghall Primary, St. Anthony’s Primary, Armadale Primary and Winchburgh Primary / Holy Family Primary. These extensions, together with a catchment area change in central Livingston, have helped to support further housing building in West Lothian. Other key successes during the year included:
x Introducing a Trusted Trader Scheme. x Introducing a Food Hygiene Information System x Hosting a successful Tourism Conference at Howden Park Centre and attended by over 100 delegates. x Progressing the Housing Recovery Action Plan. x Gaining approval for the introduction of biomass boilers at council facilities and LED technology on street lighting as part of the energy reduction workstream. x Making significant progress with the implementation of the Economic Growth Plan and approval of a revised Economic Strategy. x Continuing to secure significant levels of developer contributions to support infrastructure improvements.
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The Year Ahead – 2014/15
Outcomes for 2014/15 will continue to challenge and improve on those in previous years. The service will continue to focus on supporting business and creating employment, with the commitment of supporting 3,000 jobs through the Economic Growth Plan over the next two to four years. In addition, the service will continue to assist developers with progressing key development projects while ensuring that the council meets its regulatory obligations, particularly in Building Standards, Environmental Heath, Trading Standards and Planning.
A number of strategies will be progressed during the year. The council's Economic Strategy and Climate Change Strategy will be progressed and implementation commenced. The Main Issues Report to the first West Lothian Local Development Plan will be published and work will commence on the second Strategic Development Plan for Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland.
A number of changes necessitated by legislative changes and budget efficiencies will be introduced during the year. These include the transfer of Environmental Health & Trading Standards call handling to the Customer Contact Centre and, at the same time, the introduction of charging for pest control work and the movement of planning and building standards advice on-line.
Specific activities and targets for 2014/15 include:
Ŷ progressing a Business Improvement District ballot in Linlithgow; Ŷ continuing the programme of projects in villages and traditional towns to achieve full spend of the capital allocation; Ŷ publishing the Main Issues Report of the West Lothian Local Development Plan and working toward the main issues report for the second SESplan strategic development plan; Ŷ implementing a number of education and roads projects supported through the Local Infrastructure Fund; Ŷ continuing to ensure that all statutory applications from small businesses are prioritised with a target of 100% processed within the statutory timescale; and Ŷ dealing with the regulatory impact of the economic downturn including tackling an increasing number of hygiene problems in food premises, trade in counterfeit goods and door-step selling. Ŷ supporting growth, particularly in the housing and construction sectors.
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Planning & Economic Development has a key role in facilitating development. This role is of increasing importance given the on-going economic difficulties faced by the country. During the year the service will continue to strive to support economic growth through pro-active engagement with the business sector and supporting and promoting West Lothian as an attractive place to invest and do business.
Craig McCorriston Head of Service Planning & Economic Development Services
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1.2 Context
West Lothian Council continues to operate in a challenging financial climate with the overall economic position placing severe public expenditure constraints on UK and Scottish budgets with associated implications for council funding. Under Delivering Better Outcomes, the council has developed a medium term financial strategy that, through nine modernisation workstreams, will deliver efficiencies to balance income and expenditure plans. Planning & Economic Development will support delivery of this strategy through direct delivery of a number of projects and working in partnership to support delivery of projects in other service areas. Individual units within the service will continue to modernise structures and processes to provide the most efficient model for service delivery.
The principal focus of the work of the service is two–fold. Firstly to promote economic growth while ensuring that development is delivered in compliance with regulatory frameworks. Secondly, to protect the health of the community through application of statute. Growth in the housing and construction sector remains a key focus for the service. The council has identified additional funding to invest in the infrastructure required to support growth. However, while economic circumstances appear to be improving, investment still has to be balanced against risk, and managing risk will continue to be a core consideration. All parts of the service are committed to supporting existing businesses and potential investors and to minimise, as far as possible, the negative impacts created by difficulties in the wider economy.
In these demanding times, it is ever more important that the council makes the most effective use of assets and financial resources in service delivery to continue to provide the greatest positive impact upon the people, families and communities living within West Lothian.
The purpose of the Management Plan is to outline the specific activities and actions that the service intends to carry out through the year. It sets out activities and related performance measures. All units within Planning & Economic Development play a vital role in supporting economic growth and balancing this with appropriate protection for customers and the environment. Contributing to the overall strategies, plans and values of the council and the revised Single Outcome Agreement is integral to all service activities.
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1.3 Partnership Working
Effective partnership working is central to the delivery of many of the outcomes supported by Planning & Economic Development. These partnerships take a variety of forms, including statutory and non statutory arrangements. Some operate within a fairly rigid framework, while others are more flexible and take different forms depending on the outcome which is to be achieved. The principal partnerships are as follows:
SESplan is the strategic planning authority for Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland. It is a statutory partnership of six planning authorities. The partnership has responsibility for producing the Strategic Development Plan for the area.
The West Lothian Economic Partnership Forum is a sub group of the Community Planning Partnership and is focused on promoting West Lothian as an attractive place to do business. Partners include the Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, Department of Works and Pensions, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and representatives of the private sector.
Business Gateway Consortium is a partnership between the four Lothian local authorities which oversees the operational delivery of the service and provides strategic leadership for future delivery.
The South East of Scotland Building Standards Consortium is an informal partnership of Building Standards services in the Lothians. It provides for peer review when an authority is authorising its own building works and ensures that these works meet the building regulations.
The Joint Health Protection Plan is a plan prepared in partnership with NHS Lothian and the other three local authorities within the Health Board area. It outlines how all partners will work together to protect the health of the community.
West Lothian College is an active member of the Economic Partnership Forum and Enterprise Sub Group which provide leadership to the Economic Growth Plan.
The Working Together Group is an operation sub group of the Economci partnership Forum which brings together SDS, DWP and the Council to promote a joined up employer offer.
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Service teams also act on an initiative basis with a number of West Lothian Community Planning Partnership partners particularly, but not exclusively, Police Scotland and NHS Lothian. Initiatives are wide ranging and include joint working to address door step crime and partnership working to progress a viable development led solution for the former Bangor Hospital site at Dechmont.
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1.4 Outcomes, Priorities and Activities
The council has set 8 priorities in the current Corporate Plan (2013/17) in consultation with the local community, partners, stakeholders and our staff. These priorities, along with the 3 enablers themes, represent all the vital activities that the council will undertake in order to achieve better outcomes for West Lothian.
Figure 1 illustrates where the WLAM units in the service directly contribute to the council’s priorities (and/or) enablers. H e E a D n l t v e h i v S r E & e o t P c S l a n T o o l e n a m r p n r d n a v m o e d n a i n m c r i e i n n d t e n i a g g c s s t Council Priorities l 1. Delivering positive outcomes and early intervention for early years 9 2. Improving the employment position in West Lothian 9 9 3. Improving attainment and positive destinations for school children 9
4. Improving the quality of life for older people 9
5. Minimising poverty, the cycle of deprivation and promoting equality 9 9
6. Reducing crime and improving community safety 9 9
7. Delivering positive outcomes on health 9
8. Protecting the built and natural environment 9 9
Enablers Financial planning 9
Corporate governance and risk
Modernisation and improvement 9 9 9 Figure 1: Council priorities and activities
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1.5 Corporate Strategies
The council has corporate strategies that set out what we want to achieve for a particular priority, outcome or targeted group within a corporate planning period (4 years), including what we will do, with our partner services and agencies, to deliver those outcomes.
The service has responsibility for the development and implementation of the following corporate strategies:
Corporate Review Strategy Strategy Outcomes Start End Date Strategic Ŷ Provide a framework Nov 2013 Nov 2024 Sept 2014 Development for strategic planning Plan decisions (The strategic Ŷ Ensure sufficient land component of is identified to meet the West housing and economic Lothian growth Development Ŷ Identify strategic Plan) infrastructure requirements
West Lothian Ŷ A framework for Jan 2009 Jan 2024 Mar 2014 Local Plan development (The local management decisions component of Ŷ Indentify sites to meet the West projected housing and Lothian economic growth Development Ŷ Identify local Plan) infrastructure requirements
Economic Ŷ Support 3000 Mar 2014 Mar 2019 Jan 2019 Strategy individuals into jobs / training Ŷ Reduce the unemployment rate particularly for those aged 18-24 Ŷ Promote West Lothian as a place to do business Ŷ Increase attainment levels
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Corporate Review Strategy Strategy Outcomes Start End Date Climate Ŷ Provide a framework June 2014 June 2019 Jan 2019 Change for reducing the Strategy council's impact on climate change Ŷ Provide a framework for adaptation to the impacts of climate change Ŷ Set a framework for carbon management and reduction
Figure 2: Corporate Strategies
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2 Planning & Economic Development Service Structure
The service is part of the Education, Planning and Area Services directorate and the management structure is outlined in figure 3 below:
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3 Service Activity
3.1 Economic Development
Manager: Alice Sinnet Number of Staff (FTE): 39 FTE Location: Civic Centre
Purpose
The Economic Development service has a key role in monitoring the West Lothian Economy and providing services to individuals and businesses to help deliver the conditions for economic growth in West Lothian. The Business & Enterprise team deliver support, advice and assistance to individuals starting up businesses in West Lothian; assist existing companies to safeguard jobs and to grow and expand locally; and help attract firms to relocate to the area. The Economic Policy & Business Intelligence team inform and develop the local economic strategy, monitor the economy and maximise income from external sources to support service delivery.
Activities
The main activities of the service in 2014/15 will be: Ŷ Implementation of the West Lothian Economic Growth Plan. Ŷ Promoting enterprise and improving the competitiveness of local firms to retain and strengthen businesses that can grow and create new jobs. Ŷ Creation of the new Enterprise and Skills Hub in the Centre in partnership with West Lothian College and Land Securities Ŷ Partnership project with Scottish Enterprise to create a centre of excellence around manufacturing and engineering Ŷ Maximising income from external sources to support and enhance local delivery. Ŷ Promoting West Lothian as a tourism \ visitor destination and promoting the competitiveness of our town centres.
Key Partners
The service actively works with our partners to plan, design and deliver improved services for our customers. Our key partners are:
Ŷ The Scottish Government including agencies such as Scottish Enterprise. Ŷ The Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses. Ŷ West Lothian College. Ŷ Department of Work and Pensions. Ŷ Skills Development Scotland.
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Customer Participation
The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that they are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences:
Customer Consultation Schedule Responsible Feedback Customer Group Survey Method Frequency Officer Method Business Telephone / Ongoing Jim Publication on Gateway – Start Online Henderson the website Up Service users
Business Telephone / Ongoing Jim Publication on Gateway – Online Henderson the website Growth Service users
Women in WIB Steering Ongoing Yvonne Shaw Circulation of Business Group minutes
Visitors to West Market Annual Anna Young Publication on Lothian Research the website
Business Survey Monkey Ongoing Jill Staniforth E mail Information customers
E-zine readers Survey Monkey Annual Andrew Cotton E mail
Traditional Town Market Annual Hazel Hay Circulation of Centre users Research minutes
Workshop Feedback Ongoing Jim E mail attendees Forms Henderson
Economic Survey monkey Annual Andrew Cotton E mail conference attendees
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Activity Budget
Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Economic To develop the 1. Improving EDS034_9b - Economic Development Strategy PUBLIC 4.0 135,259 (83,249) 52,010 Development Council and the and Policy - Total number of stakeholders and Strategy and Partner’ economic employment project partners given advice and support on Policy development position in European Funding. Target 26 awards. strategies and to West Lothian EDS013_6A.7 - Percentage of customers who PUBLIC promote West rated the overall quality of the service provided by Lothian as a Business Gateway as good or excellent. Target business location 100% to provide economic intelligence and support to inform policy Town Centre To improve and 1. Improving EDS032_9B - Town Centre Occupancy Levels for PUBLIC 2.0 285,911 0 285,911 Management & promote the Armadale, Bathgate, Broxburn/Uphall, Linlithgow, BIDS traditional town employment Whitburn, and Livingston. Target 93% centres as retail, position in leisure, West Lothian employment and EDS013_6A.7 - Percentage of customers who PUBLIC visitor locations rated the overall quality of the service provided by Business Gateway as good or excellent. Target 100% Tourism - via To maximise the 1. Improving EDS035_9b - Tourism - Visit West Lothian: total PUBLIC 1.0 133,436 0 133,436 Visit West tourism offering the number of businesses and projects supported. Lothian for West Lothian employment Target 40 businesses supported through support to position in Visit West Lothian West Lothian EDS013_6A.7 - Percentage of customers who PUBLIC rated the overall quality of the service provided by Business Gateway as good or excellent. Target 100%
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ LEADER To support the 1. Improving EDS033_9B - LEADER Project - Total number of PUBLIC 2.0 67,629 (41,625) 26,004 development and the Projects supported. Target 24 sustainability of employment rural business position in and organisations West Lothian EDS013_6A.7 - Percentage of customers who PUBLIC rated the overall quality of the service provided by Business Gateway as good or excellent. Target 100% Entrepreneurs To provide a wide 1. Improving EDS001_9B.1A - Number of new businesses PUBLIC 6.5 219,795 (135,280) 84,515 hip range of support the started in West Lothian assisted by Economic through Business employment Development Service – Business Gateway. Gateway branded position in Target 450 services to start West Lothian EDS013_6A.7 - Percentage of customers who PUBLIC up, small and rated the overall quality of the service provided by growing local Business Gateway as good or excellent. Target companies 100% through one to one consultancy, training, business planning advice, specialist support and access to finance Business To provide a 1. Improving EDS036_9b - Economic Development - Business PUBLIC 1.5 50,722 (31,218) 19,504 Information quality information the Information - Total number of qualitative and research employment information and research service provided to new service to new position in and existing businesses. Target 600 and existing West Lothian ED013_6A.7 - Percentage of customers who PUBLIC businesses rated the overall quality of the service provided by Business Gateway as good or excellent. Target 100%
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Business To support the 1. Improving EDS002_9b.1a - Number of small and medium PUBLIC 6.0 202,888 (124,874) 78,014 Development growth of existing the sized enterprises receiving support by the business in West employment Economic Development Service's Business Lothian by position in Gateway service. Target 500 supporting them West Lothian to develop new EDS013_6A.7 - Percentage of customers who PUBLIC products and rated the overall quality of the service provided by process which will Business Gateway as good or excellent. Target lead to higher 100% turnover and employment Service Provision of Enabler Support activities contribute towards the overall 0.6 70,327 0 70,327 Support management and Service - performance of the service. Performance is administrative Corporate monitored through the indicators for front line support Governance services. and Risk
Total :- 23.6 1,165,967 (416,246) 749,721
Time Limited Young People's 1. Improving Progress on this activity is reported to both CMT 0.5 40,000 0 40,000 Employability Business Start Up the and Council Executive on a quarterly basis. Measures employment Target 50 position in West Lothian Total :- 24.1 1,205,967 (416,246) 789,721
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Actions
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Refresh West Lothian Update strategy to include Revised Economic Strategy Alice Sinnet / May 2013 March 2014 Complete Economic Strategy developments through David Greaves Economic Growth Plan
Post 2014 EU Funding Plan for West Lothian to Plan completed by David Greaves March 2013 February 2014 Complete Action Plan ensure continued external February 2014 income from EU ERDF /ESF/ Leader
Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) West Lothian Implementation and Delivery a series of outputs Alice Sinnet / April 2013 January 2017 Active Economic Growth Plan monitoring of the plan as agreed by year one of Jim (Implementation) the plan Henderson
Launch of the Skills Additional enterprise Increase number of young Alice Sinnet April 2014 May 2017 Active and Enterprise Hub activity within the centre people in business
Linlithgow Bid Progress the BID project Bid process complete for Alice Sinnet / October 2012 May 2014 Active to ballot Linlithgow Stewart Ness
Launch of the Rapid Working with local Increase skills and Alice Sinnet / February 2014 April 2014 Active Prototype Project manufacturing companies competitive base of local Jim to create a centre of companies Henderson excellence
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Town Centre and Manage the Improve the attractiveness Alice Sinnet / June 2013 March 2017 Active Villages Management implementation of the and competitiveness of our Hazel Hay Projects Town Centre and Villages towns and villages Capital Funds
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Performance
Number of new businesses started in West Lothian through Business Performance Indicator CP:EDS001_9b.1a Gateway.
Business Gateway West Lothian provides a wide range of information, advice and training to support local entrepreneurs who want to start a new business. This performance indicator Description identifies the number of businesses who have started trading as either a sole trader, partnership, or limited company. Information for this indicator and target is collated cumulatively, with results produced on an annual basis.
Trend Chart Commentary: The trend shows the number of new business starts achieved through the Business Gateway contract is approximately 308 per annum (taken as an average over past 5 years), plus additional start-ups from activities and initiatives, such as Enterprise in Partnership to promote entrepreneurship and hard to reach individuals. Targets for Business Gateway start ups have been set within the 5 year contract won by West Lothian Council in 2007, as part of a Lothian Consortium. These targets were set by Scottish Government who report annually on the number of start-ups across all the Business Gateway Contract areas. Business Gateway collects the information on a monthly basis, with a monthly target, which cumulates to the annual value and target. From October 2012, Business Gateway contracts have been held solely by local authorities, which allows more flexibility and enable more resources to go to frontline delivery. As a result, the target was increased to 350 in 2012/13. This target was also split between core activity, New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) & Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) and be related back to activity costs and survivability in order to measure effectiveness in each of these areas. Scottish Local Authorities European Economic Development Group (SLAED) has also brought in a series of performance indicators which allow benchmarking across all local authorities. In 2008/09 to 2009/10 there was an increase due to additional advisers focusing on start-ups. There was a decrease between 2010/11and 2011/12, which was due to an emphasis on more intense working with clients needing longer-term support to reach start-up, and an increase between 2011/12 and 2012/13 was due to benefits of earlier outreach promotion and client support starting to filter through. For 2013/14 targets were reviewed and increased to 420 to reflect the changes within the Business Gateway contract. In 2014/15 this will be increased to 450.
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Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of the service Performance Indicator P:EDS013_6a.7 provided by Business Gateway as good or excellent.
This performance indicator measures the number of Business Gateway customers that rated our overall quality of the service as good or excellent. Collected as part of our monthly survey, customers are asked to rate the quality of the service provided. The survey is a representative Description sample of customers from the preceding month which are invited to provide feedback by means of a postal, e-mail or online feedback form. Results are analysed to identify improvements to way the service is delivered to customers. West Lothian Business Gateway provides advice and assistance for new/growing businesses and promoting entrepreneurship.
Trend Chart Commentary: Business Gateway customer satisfaction is collated and monitored on a monthly basis, with dips in performance in 2012/13 due to customers feeding back that the service was satisfactory in May 2012. In 2008/09 and 2011/12 levels of survey responses were low, and this had a larger impact on the overall levels of satisfaction. In 2013/14, Business Gateway will seek to improve the response rate for surveys, and ask more in-depth and challenging questions to address customers' satisfaction issues fully. The target for 2014/15 has been set at 100%.
Total number of jobs generated by new business start-ups Performance Indicator P:EDS003_9b.2a assisted by Business Gateway. This performance indicator measures the total number of jobs generated by new Description business start-ups assisted by the Business Gateway. Trend Chart Commentary: In 2010/11, the target for this indicator was revised to include jobs created by both new start- ups and existing small firms. The actual for 2011/12 was 545 jobs generated. However, from 2012/13 onwards only the jobs created by new start-ups were measured. The service is on track to assist 400 new start-ups in 2013/14. At an average of 1.2 jobs per start-up, this translates to 480 jobs generated. While this may appear a decrease in jobs generated from the 545 in 2011/12, it is a more accurate indicator because only jobs created by start-ups are included.
In 2014/15 the start up target will be increased to 450 this will equate to a target of 540 for this indicator.
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Economic Development - Business Information - Total number of information and Performance research responses provided to new and existing businesses and other EDS036_9b Indicator stakeholders. This Performance Indicator tracks the overall number of economic and business information enquiries responded to by Economic Development. The target of 550 is based on volume of enquiries that were previously separately tracked and recorded. The combined total covers information requests from: · Businesses · Potential investors · Business start-ups Description · Partner organisations · Council services, management and elected members
Service standard is that requests for information will be responded to within 5 working days where possible. If it is not possible to respond in five working days (because of the nature and complexity of the enquiry) a revised response time will be agreed with the customer. Trend Chart Commentary
This Performance Indicator analyses the scale of enquiries for business and economic information responded to by the Economic Development service. The service exceeded the target for the year 2012/13 with 578 enquiries being handled against a target of 550. There is a seasonal variation in the volume of enquiries - with the first quarter being particularly busy. The first quarter for 2013-14 generated 163 enquiries, 33 less than the first quarter of 2012-13. In the second quarter a total of 147 enquiries were received and responded to. By the end of quarter 3 the total enquiry numbers had reached 437, exactly in line with the volume for the same period in 2012-13, and above target for the year.
The target for 2014/15 will be set at 600 to reflect the increase in number of enquiries.
This PI does not include the specific research and analysis exercises undertaken by Economic Development to inform council and partners on policy issues. In 2013/14 these have included: · Analysis of latest employment data released in December 2013 · Analysis of Census 2011 results - with partners alerts circulated at each census release · Provision of Monthly economic updates to stakeholders
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 (3) Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar } Performance management Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Review of Performance Indicators and targets Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Benchmarking As Required } Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) N/A } Update of PPR information Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } WLAM (assessment) Annual 9 } Review Panel Annual 9 } Performance Committee As Required } Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) N/A } Progress review of improvement actions Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } CSE preparation Annual 9 9 } Inspection or Audit activity As Required } Budget Management activity Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Equality Impact Assessment(s) Annual 9 } Health and Safety Assessment(s) Annual 9 } Business Continuity Planning Annual 9 } Workforce Planning Six Monthly 9 9 } PRPDPs Six Monthly 9 9 } Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annual 9 } Customer consultation Annual 9 } Review of Service Standards Annual 9 } Planned Engagement activity Annual 9 } Website content management Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Performance activity } Self Assessment activity } Consultation & engagement activity } External assessment activity } Corporate management activity
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3.2 Environmental Health & Trading Standards
Manager: Andrew Blake Number of Staff (FTE): 39.9 Location: County Buildings
Purpose
The role of Environmental Health & Trading Standards is to protect and enhance, through the application of statute, the health, welfare, environment, safety, and trading market place of the people of West Lothian. Teams within the service deliver health protection in relation to food safety and composition; workplace safety; pollution control, including air quality and noise issues; animal health, welfare and control; pest control; consumer protection and compliance with fair trading legislation. Without the fundamental principles of a clean and safe environment, food which will not harm you, and trust in trading operations, the other aspirations of the council would be diminished, highlighting the importance of this small service.
Activities
The main activities of the service in 2014/15 will be: Ŷ Protect consumer health by ensuring compliance with food hygiene and food compositional standards. Ŷ Monitoring highest risk workplace health & safety activities, carrying out accident investigation and processing miscellaneous licence applications. Ŷ Promote community safety and cohesion by investigating and abating nuisance, including concerns relating to unfit housing conditions and noise. Ŷ Protect the whole community by monitoring air quality standards. Ŷ Ensuring animal welfare, including dog control issues. Ŷ Protect the agricultural economy by enforcing animal health legislation in relation to animal movement and disease control. Ŷ Promote and protect legitimate businesses by consistent application of a fair trading environment within West Lothian. Ŷ Protect children from early introduction to age restricted products, such as tobacco, by carrying out appropriate test purchasing. Ŷ Promote a fair trading environment, and protect consumers, through enforcement of weights and measures legislation and provision of advice and calibration facilities to businesses. Ŷ Fulfilling the council’s statutory role in ensure that the district is free from vermin, particularly in peoples’ homes. Ŷ Monitoring, promotional and educational activities, related to vehicle emissions.
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Key Partners
The service actively works with our partners to plan, design and deliver improved services for our customers. Our key partners are:
Ŷ Scottish Government Ŷ Scottish Environment Protection Agency Ŷ Citizen’s Advice National Consumer Helpline Ŷ Health & Safety Executive Ŷ NHS Lothian Ŷ Police Scotland Ŷ Trading Standards Scotland
Customer Participation
The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that they are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule Customer Responsible Feedback Survey Method Frequency Group Officer Method Business Enquiry Annually Andrew Blake Collated survey owners questionnaire to results are premises displayed on the subjected to web inspection within a specific time period.
Public using Enquiry Annually Andrew Blake Collated survey service questionnaire to results are customers displayed on the accessing the web service within a specific time period.
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Activity Budget
Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Food Safety Protect public 8. Deliver an EH044_9a Percentage of commercial premises PUBLIC 10.1 501,604 (3,608) 497,996 Enforcement ; health, integrated rated as high risk or food hygiene, food standards, Health & Safety workplace safety service that trading standards or health & safety, which were Enforcement. and a fair trading has positive inspected on time as per the annual inspection environment by outcomes on program. Target 95% application of health EH045_9b Premises rated as broadly compliant PUBLIC food hygiene, with food hygiene legislation as a percentage of all food risk rated food premises. Target 85% compositional and safety at work legislation. Assist new businesses tocomply. Investigate food and water borne diseases and reported accidents. Carry out licensing functions and facilitate food export from WL
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Pest Control Protect public 7. Protect the EH048_6b - Percentage of requests for service to PUBLIC 4.0 154,335 (86,658) 67,677 health and built and Environmental Health responded to within the damage to natural specific service level targets. Target 85% properties environment through and ensuring eradication of other council EH050_6aPercentage of customers (public and WLAM vermin and activities are business) responding to satisfaction surveys who specified pests carried out in rate the Environmental Health and Trading a sustainable Standards service as either Good or Excellent. manner Target 85% Animal Welfare Protect the 7. Protect the EH048_6b Percentage of requests for service to PUBLIC 2.0 79,770 (120) 79,650 safety and built and Environmental Health responded to within the welfare of the natural specific service level targets. Target 85% public and environment animals by and ensuring EH050_6aPercentage of customers (public and WLAM business) responding to satisfaction surveys who applying animal other council rate the Environmental Health and Trading establishment activities are controls. carried out in Standards service as either Good or Excellent. Investigating a sustainable Target 85% animal related manner noise complaints and complaints relating to out of control dogs, dog fouling and dog straying. Promoting good dog ownership through carrying out education activities.
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Public Health, Protect public 8. Deliver an EH048_6b Percentage of requests for service to PUBLIC 7.0 315,303 (2,733) 312,570 Housing & health and integrated Environmental Health responded to within the Pollution Control prevent service that specific service level targets. Target 85% deterioration of has positive well-being outcomes on through the health EH050_6aPercentage of customers (public and WLAM application of business) responding to satisfaction surveys who various noise, rate the Environmental Health and Trading pollution, public Standards service as either Good or Excellent. health and Target 85% housing standards. Prevent increase in detriment to health through assessing the environmental impact of planning activities. Fair Trading Protect 6. Reducing EH044_9b - Percentage of commercial premises PUBLIC 7.1 280,854 (1,537) 279,317 Enforcement consumer crime and rated as high risk or food hygiene, food standards, interests, improving trading standards or health & safety, which were consumer safety community inspected on time as per the annual inspection and promote a safety program. Target 95% fair trading EH047_9b Percentage of business owners who PUBLIC environment by rated the officers explanation of how to comply the application with relevant legislation as Excellent or Good of legislation and (target 95%) EH007_9b Percentage of Trading provision of Standards consumer complaints completed within advice and test 14 days. Target 75% purchasing.
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Commercial & Protect 8. Deliver an EH044_9b Percentage of commercial premises PUBLIC 3.0 118,654 (649) 118,005 Agriculture consumer integrated rated as high risk or food hygiene, food standards, Enforcement interests, service that trading standards or health & safety, which were consumer safety has positive inspected on time as per the annual inspection and animal outcomes on program. (target 95%) welfare by the health EH047_9b - Percentage of business operators PUBLIC application of who, following an inspection, considered that they metrology, better understood what they needed to do to petroleum safety comply with relevant legislation. EH007_6b - and animal Percentage of Trading Standards consumer welfare complaints completed within 14 days.(Target 95%) legislation Vehicles Reduce negative 7. Protect the Performance measure to be developed WLAM 2.0 150,000 (150,000) 0 Emissions health effects built and Testing caused by natural vehicle environment emissions. and ensuring Testing and other council promoting good activities are Performance measure to be developed WLAM vehicle carried out in operation. a sustainable Education and manner enforcement relating to vehicle idling. Service Support Provision of Enabler Support activities contribute towards the overall 4.7 258,521 0 258,521 management Service - performance of the service. Performance is and Corporate monitored through the indicators for front line administrative Governance services. support and Risk Total :- 39.9 1,859,041 (245,305) 1,613,736
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Actions
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Trusted Trader Introduce a Trusted The Trusted Trader Ed Machin January 2013 August 2013 Complete Trader Scheme to West scheme will promote Lothian. business and assist consumers.
Food Hygiene Introduce a Food Hygiene The Food Hygiene Craig Smith January 2013 August 2013 Complete Information System Information System to Information System will West Lothian. allow consumers to view premises ratings.
Regulatory Reform Ensure that the aims of Service delivery meets the Andrew Blake June 2013 January 2014 Complete the Regulatory Reform requirements of the Bill. Bill, once enacted, are promoted in service activities where appropriate.
Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Pest Control Charging Introduce a charging Charging scheme Andrew Blake April 2014 May 2014 Planned regime for pest control implemented and cost activities recovery targets achieved.
E.Coli Action Plan Incorporate Scottish New policy will be Andrew Blake April 2014 September Planned Government E.Coli action embedded in to inspection 2014 plan in to service policy procedures and staff training.
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Improve resilience Improve resilience to deal A formal agreement will be Andrew Blake April 2013 Aug 2014 Active with any outbreak by in place to give mutual progressing more formal assistance in the event of a arrangements with serious public health neighbouring authorities. incident.
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Performance
Percentage of commercial premises rated as highest risk for food hygiene, food Performance Indicator standards, trading standards or health & safety, which were inspected on time as P:EH044_9b per the annual inspection program. Commercial properties are given a risk rating depending upon their inherent risk and the management controls applied. This rating, based on national guidelines, determines how often the business is inspected; higher risk premises being inspected more frequently than lower risk premises. Inspections are carried out for the purposes of workforce H&S, food hygiene, food standards (composition) and trading standards. For the Description purpose of this indicator, highest risk premises are considered to be category A and B1 for Health & Safety, category A and B for food hygiene, category A for food standards, and High for trading standards. 'On time' is within 28 days of the planned inspection date for EH and by the planned date for TS - this is in keeping with national guidance. Inspections lists are prepared annually and refreshed following every inspection.
Trend Chart Commentary: The trend indicates a generally stable performance of inspecting high risk premises on time. The dip in quarter 2 was as a result of two approved establishment inspections not being allocated to officers, plus two higher risk H&S inspections, which were linked to low risk food inspections, being missed due to staff prioritising on the higher risk food work. All involved have been reminded to look at scores for all disciplines and prioritise accordingly; quarter 3 results would tend to indicate that this has been effective. The target for 2014/15 remains at 95% rather than 100% as incidents out with the control of the service may necessitate staff diverting their attentions to more urgent activities.
Change to Annual report
Percentage of businesses owners who rated the officer’s explanation of how to Performance Indicator P:EH047_9b comply with relevant legislation as Good or Excellent. Correct communication of compliance information is vital to promoting good business; it requires competent staff who can communicate relevant, and sometimes complex information to all types of businesses and business operators. This indicator, obtained through annual consultation, indicates whether the business operators understood what was being asked of them and is the prime driver of all Environmental Health & Description Trading Standards commercial inspection work. Customers are asked to rate the quality of the officer's explanation of how to comply with relevant legislation provided as: excellent, good, satisfactory, poor or very poor. Uptake of information will be directly related to the training, awareness and language skills of food operators.
Trend Chart Commentary: Over the past six years levels of satisfaction have remained consistently high although a slight dip has been recorded in the past two years. The 2013 feedback was analysed to try and identify any reason for this dip - of the 72 businesses surveyed, 68 ranked the service as Good or Excellent, the remaining four ranked the service as Satisfactory - all comments lodged were highly complementary therefore no explanation can be offered why they chose Satisfactory rather than Excellent or Good. The service aims for a high score as this indicator is particularly relevant to securing improvement however as it is subject to opinion, the target for 2014/14 remains at 95%.
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Percentage of requests for service to Trading Standards responded to within the Performance Indicator P:EH049_6b specific service level targets. This indicator shows the percentage of service requests attended to within the specific specified targets. Different response times exist depending upon the nature of the request. Most will be subject to a target of 2 working days, although requests regarding licensing matters will be 10 days or more, and freedom of information requests will be 20 working days. The timeframes are allocated to each type of service request on a Description computerised database which is used to report performance against individual complaint type targets. Performance is influenced by the number of staff available to handle the number of service requests received linked to the timeliness of complaints being allocated to officers by support staff. Service request numbers are outwith the control of management therefore fluctuations within the indicator are to be expected.
Trend Chart Commentary: Within the eight quarters shown levels have remained within acceptable tolerances of the particularly ambitious target of 96%. The slight dip in 2012 is attributed to a higher number of complaints being received than could be handled by staff available. The wide variance in the nature and complexity of the service requests received make small variances inevitable, for this reason the target for 2014/15 remains at 96%.
Percentage of customers (public and business) responding to satisfaction Performance Indicator surveys who rate the Environmental Health and Trading Standards service as P:EH050_6a either Good or Excellent. This performance indicator measures the percentage of Environmental Health & Trading Standards customers, both business and public, who rated our service as Excellent or Good out of the five descriptors Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor or Very Poor. The data was collected by asking those accessing the service within a Description specified three month period to complete and return a questionnaire. The results are analysed to identify improvements to the way the service is delivered. Data prior to 2013 used rankings for Excellent, Very Good or Good - the new description now aligns with the corporate question set.
Trend Chart Commentary The 2013/14 entry is the first set of data using the corporate scoring system of two rankings, Excellent or Good, therefore no trends are available. The 2012/13 figure is provided only to show the dip resulting in changing the question set from the three rankings of Excellent, Very Good or Good, to the two rankings shown. Despite this narrowing of selection, the target for 2013/14 remained at 85% and it is intended that 2014/15 will also remain unchanged. During 2013/14, 120 out of 145 respondents rated the service as Excellent or Good - negative comments related to a reduction in the dog warden service at the time of survey due to a vacancy which has now been filled.
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 (3) Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar } Performance management Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Review of Performance Indicators and targets Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Benchmarking As Required } Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) Annual 9 } Update of PPR information Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } WLAM (assessment) Annual 9 } Review Panel Annual 9 } Performance Committee As Required } Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) N/A } Progress review of improvement actions Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } CSE preparation Annual 9 9 } Inspection or Audit activity As Required } Budget Management activity Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Equality Impact Assessment(s) Annual 9 } Health and Safety Assessment(s) Annual 9 } Business Continuity Planning Annual 9 } Workforce Planning Six-Monthly 9 9 } PRPDPs Six-Monthly 9 9 } Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annual 9 } Customer consultation Annual 9 } Review of Service Standards Annual 9 } Planned Engagement activity Annual 9 } Website content management Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Performance activity } Self Assessment activity } Consultation & engagement activity } External assessment activity } Corporate management activity
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3.3 Planning Services
Manager: Vacant Number of Staff (FTE): 39.9 Location: County Buildings
Purpose
The principal purpose of Planning Services is to carry out the statutory planning and building standards functions of the council and ensure that sufficient education capacity exists for predicted levels of demand in nurseries and schools. The service also leads on delivering the council's duties and responsibilities in responding to climate change. The overall aim of the service is to promote economic development and ensure protection of the environment.
Activities
The main activities of the service in 2014/15 will be: Ŷ Maintaining, monitoring and implementing an up to date development plan. Ŷ Preparing, monitoring and reviewing supplementary planning guidance. Ŷ Verifying applications for building warrants and recording completion certificates. Ŷ Enforcement of Building (Scotland) Act 2003 in relation to dangerous buildings and unauthorised works. Ŷ Processing planning and related applications. Ŷ Processing appeals and participating in local reviews against decisions on planning applications. Ŷ Enforcement of planning control. Ŷ Conservation and design of the built heritage. Ŷ Preparing school roll projections. Ŷ Progressing school consultations to support the development plan alongside appropriate school provisioning and capacity increases.
Key Partners
The service actively works with our partners to plan, design and deliver improved services for our customers. Our key partners are:
Ŷ SESplan Ŷ Scottish Government Ŷ Other Government agencies including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Historic Scotland. Ŷ Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools (HMIE)
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Customer Participation
The service will actively engage customers and potential customers in the delivery and re-design of services to ensure that they are accessible and focused on their needs and preferences.
Customer Consultation Schedule Customer Responsible Feedback Survey Method Frequency Group Officer Method Development Online and Annually, linked Fiona McBrierty Development Planning Newsletter to development Plan Customers plan timetable.
School Online, in As required per David McKinney Education Consultations writing, ad hoc consultation Executive meetings, public meetings, HMI review
Applicants and Focus group Bi-annually Chris Norman Minutes and agents – follow up Development meeting Management
Applicants and Questionnaires Annually Chris Norman Service agents – Improvement Development Plan as part of Management the Planning Performance Framework
Applicants and Focus group Bi-annually Jim McGinley Minutes and agents – follow up Building meeting Standards
Applicants and Questionnaires Annually Jim McGinley Balanced agents – Scorecard Building Standards
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Activity Budget
Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Development To determine 7. Protect Applications determined within the statutory time PUBLIC 10.2 523,437 (723,876) (200,439) Management - applications for the built and period: Processing planning natural (a) householders applications determined within Planning permission, environment 2 months: Target 80% Applications and advertisement and ensure (b) DBS030_6b no-householder applications appeals consent and other council determined within 2 months: Target 80% listed building activities are (c) DBS004_6b all applications determined consent in carried out in within two months: Target 80% accordance with a sustainable (d) DBS014_9b Number of successful appeals: the development manner Target 0% plan and other (e) DBS018_6b Number of appeal statements material submitted within 28 days: Target 100% considerations Applications determined within the statutory time PUBLIC period: DBS004_6b all applications determined within two months. Target 80%
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Development To regulate 7. Protect Breach of condition and enforcement notices WLAM 1.0 66,019 0 66,019 Management - unauthorised the built and served: 32 Enforcement development in natural PPF456_9A Enforcement – time since the interests of environment enforcement charter published (full years) – 2 our communities and ensure and the other council PPF457_9A Enforcement – number of breaches environment activities are identified – 450 carried out in a sustainable PPF458_9A Decision-making timescales – local manner developments (non-householder): local: less than 2 months (average timescale (weeks)) – 7.1
PPF472_9A Enforcement – number of breaches resolved – 350
Building To ensure new 7. Protect New PIs to be established to accord with the WLAM 8.7 507,019 (726,232) (219,213) Standards- development is the built and revised building standards performance Processing undertaken in natural framework applications for the interests of environment KPO 1 - Year on year reduction in the average Building the health & and ensure time taken to grant a building warrant Warrants, safety and other council Completion welfare of the activities are KPO 3 - Increased commitment to meeting WLAM Certificates, general public carried out in customer expectations Letters of and the a sustainable Comfort environment manner
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Dangerous To ensure new 7. Protect Action on unauthorised alterations, dangerous WLAM 0.5 26,686 0 26,686 Building Notices development is the built and buildings and defective buildings: 150 cases & Other undertaken in natural New PI to be established based around % cost Enforcement the interests of environment recovery of costs associated with carrying out Notices the health & and ensure direct action safety and other council welfare of the activities are New PI to be established based around time to WLAM general public carried out in respond to possible dangerous buildings and the a sustainable enquiries environment manner Planning Briefs To prepare 7. Protect STP001_9B Percentage of population HIGH 0.5 37,715 0 37,715 planning briefs the built and covered by a finalised or adopted Local Plan. LEVEL natural Target 100% environment and ensure STP002_9B Percentage of planning other council permissions for housing development which activities are require a contribution to affordable housing in carried out in accordance with the council’s affordable housing a sustainable policy. Target 100% manner STP009_9B Percentage of housing development on brownfield land. Target 50%
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Development Maintain and 7. Protect STP001_9B Percentage of population HIGH 3.9 294,570 (51,480) 243,090 Planning implement an up the built and covered by a finalised or adopted Local Plan. LEVEL to date natural Target 100% development environment plan and provide and ensure STP002_9B %age of planning permissions a statutory other council for housing development which require a framework for activities are contribution to affordable housing in accordance development carried out in with the council’s affordable housing policy. and to a sustainable Target 100% implement plan manner policies and STP009_9B Percentage of housing proposals development on brownfield land. Target 50%
Supplementary To prepare, 7. Protect Review, customise and stylise all SPG. HIGH 3.2 242,497 0 242,497 Planning monitor and the built and New PIs to be established based around LEVEL Guidance review natural developer contributions secured and additional supplementary environment infrastructure capacity created planning and ensure guidance (SPG) other council including activities are promotion of carried out in TPOs and a sustainable progressing tree manner consents and preparation of development briefs
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Environmental Protect and 7. Protect Environmental projects and initiatives delivered. WLAM 0.5 10,846 0 10,846 Projects enhance the the built and Target 10 projects delivered environment. natural To make West environment Lothian a more and ensure sustainable other council environment for activities are working, living carried out in and leisure a sustainable manner
Climate Change To reduce the 7. Protect CMP001_9a Carbon Footprint. Target 30% WLAM 1.7 36,934 0 36,934 Projects council's carbon the built and reduction achieved by 2020 footprint and to natural work with others environment to manage and ensure carbon other council reductions activities are across West carried out in Lothian. a sustainable manner
Access Projects To implement 7. Protect New PIs to be established based around length WLAM 0.5 10,846 0 10,846 and review the the built and of paths improved. core paths plan natural including project environment based and ensure improvement other council works and activities are dispute carried out in resolution a sustainable manner
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Revenue Plan (FTE) Budget Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ Contaminated Protect and 7. Protect New PIs to be established based around number WLAM 1.0 75,431 0 75,431 Land enhance the the built and of investigations carried out and number of environment natural owner / developer led remediation schemes through environment implemented. implementation and ensure of contaminated other council land studies activities are carried out in a sustainable manner Service Support Provision of Enabler Support activities contribute towards the overall 4.7 190,453 0 190,453 management Service - performance of the service. Performance is and Corporate monitored through the indicators for front line administrative Governance services. support and Risk Total :- 36.4 2,022,453 (1,501,588) 520,865
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Activity Name and Description Link to Performance Indicator and Target 2014/15 PI Staff Revenue Revenue Net Revenue Corporate Category Resource Expenditure Income Budget Plan (FTE) Budget Budget 2014/15 2014/15 2014/15
£ £ £ School Ensure sufficiency 7. Protect All pupils placed within statutory legislation HIGH 3.0 130,956 0 130,956 Provisioning of places to meet the built and and Council Policy. Target 100%. LEVEL including statutory natural Section 75 requirements and environment Development to secure Best and Value and ensuring education other provision. council activities are carried out in a sustainable manner Service Support Provision of Enabler Support activities contribute towards the 0.5 10,216 0 10,216 management and Service - overall performance of the service. administrative Corporate Performance is monitored through the support Governance indicators for front line services. and Risk Total :- 3.5 141,172 0 141,172
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Actions
Actions 2013/14 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Review building Review building standards Standardise information in Jim McGinley April 2013 October 2013 Complete standards customer customer charter in line local customer charter and charter. with Scottish Government include information with performance framework. national context.
Respond to A more holistic annual Annual submission to Chris Norman September 2013 March 2014 Complete improvement tasks account of the Scottish Government resulting from the performance of the showing improvements planning performance planning service. undertaken. framework.
Review Enforcement Review and update the Charter updated to reflect Chris Norman April 2013 October 2013 Complete Charter. charter as necessary. agree enforcement procedures and priorities.
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Actions 2014/15 Status Action Description Planned Outcome Owner Start End (Planned, Active, Complete) Planning training for Quarterly evening Better informed community Chris Norman April 2014 December Active community councils, presentation on planning councils that are able to 2014 including design practice and procedures. engage more fully with the awareness. planning process.
Improvements to Implement revised Average processing Chris Norman April 2014 December Active processing procedures procedures for processing timescales reduced and 2014 and reporting planning applications and percentage of applications revise reporting processed within statutory procedures to conform to timescales increased. Government guidance. Monitoring process for Implement a system Aid the submission of Chris Norman April 2014 December Active pre application which meets Scottish planning applications. 2014 discussions. Government requirements.
Introduce processing To provide greater Formal processing Chris Norman April 2014 December Active agreements for major certainty for the delivery agreements set up for 2014 planning applications. of major planning major applications. decisions.
Carbon Management Update, approve and Targets set and achieved Caitlin Hamlett May 2014 March 2015 Planned Plan. implement a carbon for carbon reduction. management plan.
Environmental Implement a programme Targets for reduced energy Caitlin Hamlett April 2014 March 2015 Planned Behaviour Change to encourage behavioural use in schools achieved. Project. change with respect to Programme incorporated energy efficiency. into the school curriculum. CPD requirements on environmental awareness for teachers achieved.
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Performance
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Percentage of all planning applications determined (processed) within two Performance Indicator P:DBS030_6b months. This specified performance indicator, set by the Scottish Government, measures the percentage of how many applications are submitted to the council which are determined within two months from the date of the Description applications being registered by the council, with results analysed to identify improvements to the way the service is delivered to customers.
Trend Chart Commentary: The trend shows that the Service's performance on all planning applications determined within two months can fluctuate as a result of the number, complexity and type of decisions issued over that period. Each application which fails to meet its target is the subject of post determination monitoring which sets out the reason on a case by case basis. Longer determination periods are principally caused by the issuing of planning permissions for applications that have been subject to lengthy negotiations on planning obligations and this in turn helps to provide funding for essential infrastructure. The Service will continue to dispose of inactive applications where no progress has been made in finalising planning obligations even though this may in the short term continue to increase determination periods. Prior to a statutory change in September 2013 a high number of council interest applications needed a committee referral often extending determination periods
Additionally a large number of ‘legacy cases’ comprising planning applications submitted prior to the economic downturn require to be removed from the system. These are applications which are long standing but on which no progress is being made. All these applications will fail to meet the target but the impact of this will be relatively short term.
The council continues to have the second highest proportion of major application as a percentage of all applications across Scotland. The figure for 2013 is 2.7%. This adversely impacts on the council’s performance as the statutory period allowed for processing these applications is four months rather than two although they continue to be measured against the two month target in the national indicator.
The 2013/14 target for this indicator is set at a statutory level of 80%.
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Average number of working days to respond to request for completion Performance Indicator DBS017_9a certificate. This performance indicator measures the average number of working days for building standards to respond to completion certificate submissions. This is the average number of working days from receipt of a completion Description certificate submission to building standards visiting the premises or contacting the applicant to arrange a specific appointment.
Trend Chart Commentary: The trend shows that the service has maintained a level of responding to requests for completion certificates within the target of three days up until and including March 2013. In 2013 the target was reviewed and reduced from three days to two days.
The target for 2014/15 is retained as two days with levels monitored throughout the year.
It should be noted that this is an ‘inverse’ indicator i.e. the intention is to keep performance below the target.
The percentage of customers completing satisfaction surveys who rate the Performance Indicator P:STP005_6a.7 service provided by Planning Services as Good or Excellent.
This performance indicator measures the percentage of Planning Services' customers that rated our overall service as good or excellent. The survey is standardised across the teams within Planning Services, and the survey is carried out on an annual basis. Customers are asked to rate the quality of the service provided as: Description excellent, good, satisfactory, poor, or very poor. The survey is a representative sample of customers that accessed the service and the results are analysed to identify improvements to the way the service is delivered to customers.
Trend Chart Commentary: The trend chart shows that since 2010/11 Planning Services’ has maintained a reasonably constant customer satisfaction level. In 2011/12, a new target of 90% was set, with questionnaires reviewed to ask more in-depth and challenging questions, to address customers’ satisfaction issues fully.
The target for 2014/15 is retained at 90%.
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Performance Indicator Percentage of population covered by the adopted Local Plan. STP001_9b.1b
This performance indicator measures the percentage of population covered by an adopted Local Plan. Results Description are analysed to identify improvements to the way the service is delivered to customers.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The trend shows that the service has year on year maintained 100% of percentage of population covered by a finalised or adopted Local Plan. The service met last year's target of 100%.
Revised Planning regulations mean that this indicator will only ever be either 100% or 0% and for this reason it has been discontinued as a national indicator. A revised measure of development plan performance will be implemented for the service in 2014/15.
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Calendar of Improvement and Efficiency Activity
2014/15 (3) Action Frequency Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar } Performance management Monthly 3 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Review of Performance Indicators and targets Monthly 3 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Benchmarking As Required 3 } Collation Specified Performance Indicators (SPIs) Annual 9 } Update of PPR information Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } WLAM (assessment) 3 Yr Cycle 9 } Review Panel 3 Yr Cycle 9 } Performance Committee As Required } Process Review (Lean/RIE activity) N/A } Progress review of improvement actions Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } CSE preparation Annual 9 9 } Inspection or Audit activity As Required } Budget Management activity Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Equality Impact Assessment(s) Annual 9 } Health and Safety Assessment(s) Annual 9 } Business Continuity Planning Annual 9 } Workforce Planning Six-Monthly 9 9 } PRPDPs Six-Monthly 9 9 } Review of customer groups/segmentation matrix Annual 9 } Customer consultation Annual 9 } Review of Service Standards Annual 9 } Planned Engagement activity Annual 9 } Website content management Monthly 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 } Performance activity } Self Assessment activity } Consultation & engagement activity } External assessment activity } Corporate management activity
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- 249 - Planning & Economic Development Services Management Plan 2014/15
Craig McCorriston Head of Service
April 2014
For more information:
Email address:[email protected] Telephone number:01506 282443
West Lothian Civic Centre Howden South Road | Livingston | West Lothian | EH54 6FF
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ENVIRONMENT POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY PANEL
PERFORMANCE REPORT
REPORT BY HEAD OF OPERATIONAL SERVICES
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
To report the current levels of performance for all indicators which are the responsibility of the Environment Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel.
B. RECOMMENDATION
That the Panel note the performance information and determine if further action or enquiry is necessary for any of the indicators mentioned within the report.
C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS I Council Values Being honest, open and accountable.
II Policy and Legal (including In compliance with the Corporate Code of Strategic Environmental Governance. Assessment, Equality Issues, Health or Risk Assessment) III Implications for Scheme of None Delegations to Officers IV Impact on performance and Challenges current service performance through performance Indicators the evaluation of performance indicators
V Relevance to Single Indicators support various outcomes in the SOA Outcome Agreement VI Resources - (Financial, Met from existing budgets Staffing and Property)
VII Consideration at PDSP Performance reports will be submitted to the PDSP quarterly VIII Other consultations None
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Background
The council’s performance management system, Covalent measures the performance of service activities through the use of key performance indicators (KPIs). A number of these indicators have been deemed high level, are publically reported or are reported to Audit Scotland as Statutory Performance indicators (SPI’s).
Covalent uses a simple traffic light system to show if progress is on target (green), in danger of falling behind target (amber), or below target (red). The trend chart commentary field provides an explanation of the ongoing trend in the performance as well as describing any shortfall in performance and what action is being taken to rectify this shortfall.
Members will note that the performance indicators linked to the Environment PDSP range across five service areas – Environmental Health, Fleet and Community Transport, NETs, Land and Countryside Services, Roads and Transportation and Waste Services.
Performance Update
There are currently 44 High Level Key Performance Indicators under the remit of the Panel and the current performance.
The 44 performance indicators are categorised as follows: x 41 Green x 1 Amber x 2 Red
Each indicator is shown in full detail in appendix 1 of this report, including latest notes and trend chart commentary to explain the current performance.
Red Indicators
EH007_9b Percentage of Trading Standards complaints completed within 14 days.
Current Performance: 54% Target: 75%
The trend shows that dips and peaks occur due to various factors including the number and nature of complaints received, staff availability, the complexity of complaints, and the involvement of third parties such as analysts or manufacturers. The higher attainment in September, October and December 2013 was due to a full complement of staff available to handle the service requests, the dip in January 2014 was due to the absence of two members of staff with no reduction in demand.
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- 252 - WM040_9b.1a Percentage of Household waste recycled or composted per annum.
Current Performance: 54% Target: 75%
The main differences in the recycling rate for 2012/13 compared to 2011/ 2012 are decreases in the blue bin material recycled, the tonnage of material collected via the brown bin and CRC green waste. There were also decreases in various materials recycled through our CRC’s, namely electrical items, rubble and wood which may be down to the economic downturn.
There were increases in recycling from the new material recycling facility at Avondale which was able to remove further recyclates from the grey bin residual waste stream. As a consequence and also due to a drop in the tonnage collected there was less residual waste landfilled. The overall tonnage of Household waste collected decreased in 2012/ 13 compared to 2011/12 by approximately 4000t.
Amber Indicator
RTS033_6a.7 Percentage of Roads customers who rated the overall quality of the Service provided by Roads Services as good or excellent.
Current Performance: 46.35% Target: 60%
The number of customers rating the overall service as good or excellent has increased following our most recent survey in 2012/2013, although still remains below our target level and the result we have achieved in previous years. This increase was primarily down to an increase in the number of respondents who rated the Winter Maintenance service as good or excellent.
The result dropped in 2011/12 primarily because of a decrease in customers satisfaction with the Winter Maintenance Service (only 27.70% rated the service as good or excellent). This was a direct result of the severe winter weather, in particular prolonged periods of heavy snow, we experienced during November and December 2010. The number of customers rating this area of the service as good or excellent increased this year to 39.8% and we believe the improvements we have made to the service should see this result improve again next year.
Customers rated the main service areas for Roads (Good and Excellent) as follows: Street Lighting: 67.3 % (11//12 - 65.3%) Roads Maintenance: 44.4% (11/12 - 46.8%) Winter Maintenance: 39.8% (11/12 - 27.7%) Flood Prevention: 53.7% (11/12 - 56%)
We will continue to work hard to improve the service we provide to the people of West Lothian and engage and consult with them to make the service better.
The 2012/13 Survey was distributed to 1600 members of the West Lothian Citizens Panel in June 2012 with 685 responses being received.
The survey for 2013/14 was distributed in February 2014 and the service are currently analysing the results.
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- 253 - E. CONCLUSION
The attached performance report is intended to keep members of the Environment PDSP informed about the performance of the wide range of activities taking place to support the remit of the panel.
The summary chart at the front of Appendix 1 shows that the majority of performance indicators which are the responsibility of the Environment PDSP are categorised as green.
The information contained in Appendix 1 will allow the Panel to focus on the issues that services currently face and includes the indicators where services performance is currently below target.
This information allows the Panel to function in accordance with the Council’s Code of Corporate Governance and the principles of Best Value.
F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES
Best Value and Community Planning Audit, 2006
Appendices/Attachments: One. 1 Environment PDSP Performance Report
Contact Person:
Daniel Matonti, Project Team Leader, Operational Services, Whitehill House, Bathgate. [email protected]
Jim Jack Head of Operational Services
27th March 2014
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Appendix 1. Environment PDSP Performance Report
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PI Code & Short Name P:EH007_9b Percentage of Trading Standards complaints completed within 14 days. PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake This performance indicator measures the percentage of requests for service from consumers completed within 14 days of receipt. The indicator relates to the time taken to complete a complaint or enquiry irrespective of the outcome. The indicator covers a range of requests, some of which are complex and relate to potential statutory infringements; others Description require the involvement of third parties such as analysts or manufacturers to complete. The completion times are Traffic Light Icon
therefore not solely within the control of the service. Despite this position, the target resolution time for 2013/14 was reviewed and increased from 64% to 75%. Simple requests for civil law advice, which do not require casework intervention, are dealt with by the national consumer helpline operated by Citizens Advice. Linked PIs CP:sspi21aii Current Value 54% Current Target 75% Notes on Latest Data Entry
Trend Chart Commentary: The trend shows that dips and peaks occur due to various factors including the number and nature of complaints received, staff availability, the complexity of complaints, and the involvement of third parties such as analysts or manufacturers. The higher attainment in Sept, Oct and Dec 2013 was due to a full compliment of staff available to handle the service requests, the dip in Jan 2014 was due to the absence of two members of staff with no reduction in demand.
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PI Code & Short Name P:EH043_9b.2a Number of cases of infectious disease within West Lothian reported to the service. PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake This indicator shows the number of cases of infectious disease within West Lothian which have been reported to Environmental Health & Trading Standards by NHS for consideration. Infectious diseases notifications include Campylobacter, Salmonella, E.Coli, cryptosporidiosis and other food poisoning or waterborne infections. Environmental Health investigate these as appropriate to ensure there is no common source of infection. The numbers are outwith the control of the service, however are a good barometer of the general controllable infection in the Description community and the historical information allows trends to be monitored. The food hygiene and public health activities Traffic Light Icon
carried out have an impact on this indicator, and the absence, reduction or poor application of these controls, could result in a markedly upward trend in this indicator. Occasional dips and peaks have occurred over the years as most cases are sporadic or isolated. Monitoring cases reported allows immediate action to be taken if a generalised outbreak is suspected - fortunately there has been no recognised food poisoning outbreaks in West Lothian during the reporting period shown. Linked PIs Current Value 207 Current Target 240 Notes on Latest 24-Apr-2013 Increase in campylobacter Data Entry notifications during year.
Trend Chart Commentary: The peaks and troughs are influenced by the number of persons reporting to their GP with food poisoning symptoms, the numbers tested, and the results of those tests. They are out with the control of the service therefore the trend commentary can only be very general. The trend shows a dip in 2011/12 but this was not sustained in 2012/13. The figures are more useful as a general indicator of health in the community rather than service performance and are best considered along with other indicators such as inspection activities and budget allocation to preventative activities. The absence, reduction or poor application of these controls, could result in a markedly upward trend in this indicator. 2013/14 figures are awaited, the target is set at 240, and will be used as a trigger level for areas of concern.
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P:EH044_9b Percentage of commercial premises rated as highest risk for food hygiene, food PI Code & Short Name standards, trading standards or health & safety, which were inspected on time as per the annual PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake inspection program. Commercial properties are given a risk rating depending upon their inherent risk and the management controls applied. This rating, based on national guidelines, determines how often the business is inspected; higher risk premises being inspected more frequently than lower risk premises. Inspections are carried out for the purposes of workforce H&S, food hygiene, food standards (composition) and trading standards. For the purpose of this indicator, highest risk Description Traffic Light Icon premises are considered to be category A and B1 for Health & Safety, category A and B for food hygiene, category A for food standards, and High for trading standards. 'On time' is within 28 days of the planned inspection date for EH and by the planned date for TS - this is in keeping with national guidance. Inspections lists are prepared annually and refreshed following every inspection. Linked PIs Current Value 100% Current Target 95% Notes on Latest 10-Jan-2014 44 inspections due. Data Entry
Trend Chart Commentary: The trend indicates a generally stable performance of inspecting high risk premises on time. The dip in quarter 2 was as a result of two approved establishment inspections not being allocated to officers, plus two higher risk H&S inspections, which were linked to low risk food inspections, being missed due to staff prioritising on other higher risk food work. All involved have been reminded to look at scores for all disciplines and prioritise accordingly; quarter 3 results would tend to indicate that this has been effective. The target for 2013/14 was 95% rather than 100% as incidents out with the control of the service may necessitate staff diverting their attentions to more urgent activities, it is intended that the 2014/15 target will remain the same.
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P:EH045_9b Premises rated as broadly compliant with food hygiene legislation as a percentage of PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake all risk-rated food premises. The Food Standards Agency (Scotland) has determined a mechanism to rate food premises as 'broadly compliant' or 'in need of improvement'; they require an annual report in relation to this. Broadly compliant premises are premises which, following inspection for food hygiene, score 10 or less for hygiene, structure and confidence in management in Description accordance with the scoring scheme in the food law code of practice (lower scores are better). In general an officer Traffic Light Icon
would be satisfied there are no major issues of concern requiring follow up or formal action. This new indicator covers all food premises and is a good means of determining whether premises are in general slipping, improving or remaining static. Linked PIs Current Value 86.5% Current Target 85% Notes on Latest 06-Jan-2014 This reflects 1308 out of Data Entry 1512 risk rated premises.
Trend Chart Commentary: This is still a relatively new indicator and trends are just emerging. The results however appear satisfactory and are above the current target of 85% of premises being broadly compliant. The figures each quarter are not comparable as the inspections relate to different premises - variations will therefore occur. Annual trends and national comparators are of more interest. Comparative figures are not yet available from the Food Standards Agency to assist in target setting.
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P:EH046_9a Resources allocated to Environmental Health & Trading Standards delivery per head of PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake population compared to the Scottish average. Environmental Health and Trading Standards deliver health and consumer protection activities relating, amongst other things, to food safety, workplace safety, pollution control, dog warden, pest control, public health nuisances, air quality monitoring, metrology, fair trading, business advice, and animal health and welfare. The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) produce annual reports on the financial resources allocated to delivery of these services, there is a lag time in producing the reports therefore the figure is not for current year. The report is populated from Description financial returns therefore should be consistent across authorities although they do include a significant element of Traffic Light Icon
central overheads. The figures show the finances allocated to Environmental Health & Trading Standards provision in West Lothian compared to the Scottish average. This figure is relevant as it impacts all other performance indicators. It is understood that SOLACE are reviewing this indicator and may split it in to the two separate services of Environmental Health and Trading Standards when they report upon the 2013/14 figures in mid 2014.The 2013 figure is still awaited to allow population of this indicator. Linked PIs Current Value £17,811.00 Current Target £26,398.00 Notes on Latest 20-Nov-2012 Target in 2010/11 was Data Entry changed to the Mean Scottish figure provided by SOLACE.
Trend Chart Commentary: Due to the retrospective nature of the information gathering and production by SOLACE, the figures do not represent the current year. They are however indicative of general resource allocation and show that EH&TS services in West Lothian have less resources than the Scottish Average
(shown as the target). They are in fact the fourth least in Scotland, however, despite this, the service still performs well in all other performance indicators and is seen as an exemplar in many areas of work. As at Jan 2014, the 2012 figure is still awaited from SOLACE hence the lack of data.
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P:EH047_9b Percentage of businesses owners who rated the officers explanation of how to comply PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake with relevant legislation as Good or Excellent. Effective communication of compliance information is vital to promoting good business; it requires competent staff who can communicate relevant, and sometimes complex information to all types of businesses and business operators. This indicator, obtained through annual consultation, indicates whether the business operators understood what was being asked of them and is the prime driver of all Environmental Health & Trading Standards commercial inspection Description work. Customers are asked to rate the quality of the officer's explanation of how to comply with relevant legislation Traffic Light Icon
provided as: excellent, good, satisfactory, poor or very poor. Uptake of information will be directly related to the training, awareness and language skills of food operators. The service aims for a high score as this indicator is particularly relevant to securing improvement however as it is subject to opinion, it is intended that the target for 2014/15 will remain at 95%. Linked PIs Current Value 94.4% Current Target 95% Notes on Latest 07-Feb-2014 7 Feb 2014 - 68 out of Data Entry 72ranked Excellent or good, remaining 4 ranked us satisfactory.
Trend Chart Commentary: Over the past six years levels of satisfaction have remained consistently high although a slight dip has been recorded in the past two years. The 2013/14 feedback was analysed to try and identify any reason for this dip - of the 72 businesses surveyed, 68 ranked the service as Good or Excellent, the remaining four ranked the service as Satisfactory - all comments lodged were highly complementary therefore no explanation can be offered why they chose Satisfactory rather than Excellent or Good.
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P:EH048_6b Percentage of requests for service to Environmental Health responded to within the PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake specific service level targets. This indicator shows the percentage of service requests attended to within the specific specified targets. Different response times exist depending upon the nature of the request. Most will be subject to a target of 2 working days, although requests regarding licensing matters will be 10 days or more, and freedom of information requests will be 20 working days. The timeframes are allocated to each type of service request on a computerised database which is used Description Traffic Light Icon to report performance against individual complaint type targets. Performance is influenced by the number of staff available to handle the number of service requests received linked to the timeliness of complaints being allocated to officers by support staff. Service request numbers are outwith the control of management therefore fluctuations within the indicator are to be expected. Linked PIs Current Value 85.1% Current Target 85% Notes on Latest 06-Jan-2014 Improved performance Data Entry from previous quarter assisted by reduction in service requests. Total requests received 1224.
Performance is influenced by the number of staff available to handle the volume of service requests received, linked to the timeliness of requests being allocated to officers by support staff. The control of this indicators is therefore not solely within the delivery service. The drop in performance for Q2 (13/14), bridging in to Q3, is directly related to a temporary reduction in resources available caused by a vacancy which has now been filled. The wide variance in the nature and complexity of the service requests received make small variances inevitable.
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P:EH049_6b Percentage of requests for service to Trading Standards responded to within the PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake specific service level targets. This indicator shows the percentage of service requests attended to within the specific specified targets. Different response times exist depending upon the nature of the request. Most will be subject to a target of 2 working days, although requests regarding licensing matters will be 10 days or more, and freedom of information requests will be 20 working days. The timeframes are allocated to each type of service request on a computerised database which is used Description Traffic Light Icon to report performance against individual complaint type targets. Performance is influenced by the number of staff available to handle the number of service requests received linked to the timeliness of complaints being allocated to officers by support staff. Service request numbers are outwith the control of management therefore fluctuations within the indicator are to be expected. Linked PIs Current Value 98.1% Current Target 96% Notes on Latest 06-Jan-2014 429 service requests Data Entry received.
Trend Chart Commentary: Within the eight quarters shown levels have remained within acceptable tolerances of the particularly ambitious target of 96%. The slight dip in
2012 is attributed to a higher number of complaints being received than could be handled by staff available. The wide variance in the nature and complexity of the service requests received make small variances inevitable, for this reason the target for 2014/15 remains at 96%.
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P:EH050_6a Percentage of customers (public and business) responding to satisfaction surveys who PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zEH_PIAdmin; Andrew Blake rate the Environmental Health and Trading Standards service as either Good or Excellent. This performance indicator measures the percentage of Environmental Health & Trading Standards customers, both business and public, who rated the service received as Excellent or Good from a selection of five descriptors (Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor or Very Poor). The data was collected by asking customers who accessed the service within a three month period to complete and return a questionnaire. The results are analysed to identify Description Traffic Light Icon improvements in the way the service is delivered. Displayed data prior to the 2013/14 survey used the three rankings of Excellent,Very Good or Good - the new description now aligns with the corporate question set of two rankings (Excellent or Good). The 2012/13 data shown is therefore not an exact comparator but is displayed for general information purposes showing the dip resulting in changing from three to two descriptors. Linked PIs Current Value 82.8% Current Target 85% Notes on Latest 07-Feb-2014 Figures checked by ARB - Data Entry 120 out of 145 responded as good or excellent therefore results reduced to 82.8%
Trend Chart Commentary The 2013/14 entry is the first set of data using the corporate scoring system of two rankings, Excellent or Good, therefore no trends are available. The 2012/13 figure is provided only to show the dip resulting in changing the question set from the three rankings of Excellent, Very Good or
Good, to the two rankings shown Despite this narrowing of selection, the target for 2013/14 remained at 85% and it is intended that 2014/15 will also remain unchanged. During 2013/14, 120 out of 145 respondents rated the service as Excellent or Good - negative comments related to a reduction in the dog warden service at the time of survey due to a vacancy which has now been filled.
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PI Code & Short Name P:FTS001_9b.1c Percentage of Community Transport bus runs which are completed as scheduled. PI Owner zFTS_PIAdmin; Joe Drew This performance indicator measures the percentage of Community Transport runs which are completed on a daily basis as scheduled and agreed with clients and our customers from Social Policy. Description Traffic Light Icon
Due to the nature of this service we prioritise the delivery of this service over anything else and therefore we do everything within our power to ensure that we achieve 100% completion on a daily basis without fail. Linked PIs Current Value 100% Current Target 100% Notes on Latest 24-Jan-2014 All runs completed with no Data Entry cancellations. There are 26 separate runs each day, 5 days a week
Trend Chart Commentary: This is a service which has to be provided without fail, on time and on schedule, as clients have agreed pick up times and routes. In the last year we have completed each run, on time and on schedule 100% of the time. We work closely with our partners in Social Policy to ensure that the service is delivered and we are required to be flexible enough to change our service to meet the changing requirements of our clients needs.
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P:FTS037_6a.7 Percentage of Community Transport customers who rated the overall quality of the PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zFTS_PIAdmin; Joe Drew service as good or excellent. This performance indicator measures the percentage of customers who rate the overall service as good or excellent. The figure taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by the service to our main customers.
The survey is carried out on annual basis either at our annual Open Day as a paper based survey or directly to Description Traffic Light Icon customers in Social Policy using the Opinion Taker software where surveys are sent via e-mail or weblink to each customer. Questions and Customer List are reviewed annually.
The target is based on the average figure achieved. form the previous years. Linked PIs Current Value 81.8% Current Target 93% Notes on Latest 12-Mar-2014 The 2013/14 survey was Data Entry sent to customers within Social Policy in January 2014 with 11 responses being received. 9 out of 11 respondents rated this areas as good or excellent
Trend Chart Commentary: The satisfaction with the service has dropped following our most recent customer survey in January 2014. The drop was caused by 2 respondents rating the service as satisfactory rather than good or excellent. Performance rose to 100% in 2012/13, following a dip in 2011/12, after we reintroduced our Open Day for all Community Transport service users. The dip to 88.8 % in 2011/12 was as a result of 4 'satisfactory' responses to questions regarding staff attitude and the timescales taken within the service. In 2008/09 and 2009/10 the overall performance was also affected by a couple of 'satisfactory' response to 1 question relating to quality of service provided.
We work closely with our customers on a daily basis to ensure that any issues which arise are dealt with as soon as possible. The importance we place on the service can be seen by our performance indicator "Percentage of daily Community Transport bus runs completed as daily scheduled by social policy".
As part of our ongoing improvement programme the customer survey will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains relevant and meaningful to customers and the service.
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NLCS004_6b.2 Play Areas - Percentage of notifications of unsafe play equipment responded to PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zNET_PIAdmin; Gareth Barwell within 1 working day. We have an obligation to respond to reports of dangerous or unsafe play equipment within our Children's Play Areas Description within 8 hours (1 working day) of notification. We have specialist inspection team who are able to respond to each Traffic Light Icon
notification. Linked PIs Current Value 100% Current Target 100% Notes on Latest Data Entry
Trend Chart Commentary: Over the last year the service has continued to sustain 100% performance in responding to any notifications of unsafe or dangerous play equipment in any of our play areas within the target time of 8 hours (1 working day). We endeavour to keep our play areas as safe as possible for children and try to achieve this through regular inspections of play areas as well as having a specialist play team who are able to respond to and make safe any unsafe or dangerous equipment
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PI Code & Short Name NLCS005_6b.2 Play Areas - Percentage of routine Inspection of Sites Completed on Target. PI Owner zNET_PIAdmin; Gareth Barwell This performance indicator measures how many routine inspections of play areas are carried out as scheduled. It is our Description objective to conduct an inspection of all 300 childrens play area once per week. To ensure sites are safe, clean, Traffic Light Icon
attractive and fit for purpose. Linked PIs Current Value 100% Current Target 100% Notes on Latest 05-Mar-2014 1192 inspections Data Entry undertaken, out of a possible 1192 inspections available.
Trend Chart Commentary: Whilst the service aims to inspect each play area once a week the are times when we fall below are target such as in December 2012, when we were affected by periods of bad weather which made inspections more difficult to complete, and in March and April 2013 when public holidays meant we lost a couple of working days. In July and August 2013 the performance dipped again due to staff being absent on holiday meaning that all inspections could not be carried out as scheduled.
Where inspections are missed they are always caught up on the following week. The service continues to respond to any notification of unsafe of dangerous equipment in an y play area within 1 working day of receiving the notification.
Due to the number of play areas increasing across West Lothian we are currently review our inspection schedules and targets to ensure they remain reflective of the service and realistic.
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NLCS006_9b.1a Play Areas - Percentage of Sites Complying with Independent Annual Safety Audit PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zNET_PIAdmin; Gareth Barwell Standards. Number of faults identified at annual independent inspection that require immediate attention. Formula is [Number of Description Traffic Light Icon Faults] x 100% / [Number of Play Areas] Linked PIs Current Value 97.65% Current Target 98% Notes on Latest 02-Apr-2013 7 Faults were identified Data Entry during the inspection. Formula used is 7 [Faults] x 100% = 2.35 / 298 [Total number of Play Areas maintained by WLC]. 100 - 2.35 = 97.65%
Trend Chart Commentary: Performance in 2012/13 was just slightly below the target of 98% but still reflective of the work being carried out as part of our Play Area upgrading programme which allowed us to remove and replace more equipment at or near end of service in different play areas throughout the year. The dips in performance seen in 2009/10 and 2010/11 were as a result of some pieces of equipment falling below the required standard as the had reached the end of their service. These pieces have since been removed and replaced with new equipment.
This programme of upgrading play areas and replacing old equipment, along with our own programme of regular inspections is to ensure that the overall quality and safety of the play areas in West Lothian is of a high standard.
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PI Code & Short Name P:NLCS008_9b.2a Local Environment Management System (LEAMS) Index of Street Cleanliness. PI Owner zNET_PIAdmin; Gareth Barwell This indicator measures the cleanliness of West Lothian town centres, streets, footpaths and road verges. Seven assessments are carried out each year at different times of the year - 4 self assessments, 2 assessments by external Description Traffic Light Icon assessors from other local authorities and one validation assessment by Keep Scotland Beautiful. The average score of the seven assessments is used to provide the annual figure. Linked PIs Current Value 73 Current Target 73 Notes on Latest 17-Apr-2013 For 2011/12 breakdown of Data Entry results are as follows: Internal Inspection (April) 73; Internal Inspection (June) 72; External Inspection (August) 88; Internal Inspection (October) 69; Internal Inspection (December) 69; External Inspection (February) 74 and Keep Scotland Beautiful Validation Inspection 66.
Trend Chart Commentary: The breakdown of results for the year 2012/13 was:
Internal (4 per year): April 2012= 73; June 2012 = 72; October 2012= 69; December 2012 = 69 External (2 per year): August 2012= 88; February 2013 = 74 Validation (1 per year): Jan 2013 = 66
Performance has been maintained to a comparable level with 2011/12 with an overall score of 73. The temporary establishment of street cleansing staff were employed throughout the whole of 12/13. This additional resource being deployed throughout the year assisted the permanent establishment in maintaining a good cleanliness standard.
2013/14 will the see the introduction of the Litter Action Plan for West Lothian. This plan includes a number of actions that will help us improve the overall cleanliness index score
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PI Code & Short Name CP:NLCS015_6b.3 Percentage of Abandoned Vehicles Removed within 14 Days. PI Owner zNET_PIAdmin; Gareth Barwell This performance indicator measures the percentage of reported abandoned vehicles which have been issued with removal notices and are actually removed within the stated timescale (14 days). Each reported incident of an abandoned vehicle is checked, in partnership with the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Police, and Description where appropriate removal notices are issued. Traffic Light Icon
The target is based on our experience of this service both in terms of the numbers of vehicles and the difficulties which can be involved in removing them. Linked PIs Current Value 85.7% Current Target 90% Notes on Latest 19-Apr-2013 In 2012/13 the service Data Entry issued 7 removal notices against vehicles throughout West Lothian of which 6 were removed within the statutory notice period.
Trend Chart Commentary: In 2012/13 the service issued 7 notices of removal to abandoned vehicles throughout West Lothian. Of the 7 vehicles 6 were removed within the statutory notice period issued. In percentage terms this is an increase from the previous year. Performance dropped in 2011/12 when we removed 7 out 10 vehicles within the time period and in 2010/11 when we removed 9 out of 11 vehicles within the timescales. These dips were as a result of the number of different agencies involved with the removal of the vehicles which meant the process took longer than normal.
We work closely with a number of partner agencies and colleagues with the council to ensure that abandoned vehicles, issued with a removal notice, are removed as quickly as possible. Whilst we endeavour to remove all vehicles within the 14 day limit on some occasion factors outwith our control, can cause a delay in the process.
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P:NLCS030_6a.7 Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of the Service provided by PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zNET_PIAdmin; Gareth Barwell Neighbourhood Environment Teams (NETs) & Land Services as good or excellent. This Performance Indicator measures the number of respondents rating the overall quality of service as good or excellent. The figures are taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by NETs and Land Services to the West Description Lothian Citizens Panel. Traffic Light Icon
The figure is based on respondents who rated the service as good or excellent. Linked PIs Current Value 60.49% Current Target 60% Notes on Latest 23-Aug-2012 The figures included those Data Entry who rated the service as being excellent or good. The figures is based on 685 responses received from the citizens panel.
Trend Chart Commentary:
The number of customers rating the overall quality of the service as either 'good' or 'excellent' has increased to over 60% following our most recent survey in 2012/2013. We have made a number of improvements to our services in the past year including street cleaning and our play area and open space investment which we are pleased our customers have recognised and appreciate.
The main areas customers highlighted in the survey as causing concern include Dog Fouling and fly-tipping.
We will continue to work hard to improve the service we provide to the people of West Lothian and engage and consult with them to make the service better. The 2012/13 Survey was distributed to 1600 members of the West Lothian Citizens Panel in June 2012 with 685 responses being received. Survey and distribution methods will continue to be reviewed year on year to ensure results remain representative.
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P:NLCS212_6a.7 Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of service provided by PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zCOS_PIAdmin; Gareth Barwell Countryside Services as good or excellent. This measure is based on annual surveys carried out with our customers in all service areas delivered by Countryside Section, who's response to the level of Customer Satisfaction was good or excellent. The service areas which are Description Traffic Light Icon surveyed are Beecraigs Fishery & Sawmill, Polkemmet Golf Course & Driving Range, the Ranger Service, General Parks, Xmas Tree Sales & Beecraigs Caravan & Camping Site. Linked PIs Current Value 93% Current Target 90% Notes on Latest 15-Nov-2013 In 2012/13 the total Data Entry number of returns for each survey was: Sawmill: 30 Christmas Tress: 63 Ranger Services: 125 Driving Range: 55 Golf Course: 41 Caravan & Camping: 95 Fishery: 33 Countryside Service: 105
Customer satisfaction with the service provided by the Countryside service in 2012/13 stayed at 93% (good or excellent ratings) for the second year in a row after rising from the figures achieved in 2009/10 and 2010/11. The increase seen in the last 2 years was primarily down to an increase in the overall satisfaction with all areas and activities the service offers and in particularly in 21012/13 with Polkemmet Golf Course and our Christmas Tree service.
In 2013/14 we will continue to try and improve our services for our customers, taking on board their suggestions as we have done in the past which has seen improvements and changes made to the Fishery and the Caravan and Camp site at Beecraigs.
In 2012/13 the total number of returns for each survey was:
Sawmill: 30 Christmas Tress: 63
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P:NLCS222_9a.1a Annual cost of providing Countryside Services per head of population to West PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zCOS_PIAdmin; Gareth Barwell Lothian. This performance indicator measures the cost of providing the Countryside Service to the people of West Lothian. The figure is based on the West Lothian population figure published by the General Register Office The cost figure is calculated by dividing the total amount spent, at the end of the financial year, of providing the service for the year by Description the head of population figure. The target is calculated using the budget at the start of the financial year divided by Traffic Light Icon
population figure. The population figures were 169,510 for 2008/09 and 2009/10. The updated figure of 172, 080 from the General Register Office was used from 2010/11 and 172, 990 for 2011/12 and 2012/13. Linked PIs Current Value £6.70 Current Target £6.65 Notes on Latest 12-Jul-2012 The increase in Countryside Data Entry Section's budget is due to the restructuring of the Council's budgets and the property rents received being transferred internally resulting in a net increase in the budget.
Trend Chart Commentary: This chart reflects the cost of providing a service from Countryside Section per head of the West Lothian population. Costs can vary due to the range and diversity of services provided within the Service as a whole. From the chart it can be seen that cost has been relatively consistent between 2008/09 and 2010/11. The drop in cost shown for 2011/12 is due to the latest population figures which have risen and also the decrease in Countryside Sections budget. Target has been adjusted for 2011/12 to reflect removal of Outdoor Pursuits budget. In 2012/13 the overall budget for Countryside Services was increased as the service previously received income from rented properties which has now been removed which resulted in a net increase in the budget.
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PI Code & Short Name RTS001_9b.1c Average time in hours to repair traffic lights. PI Owner zSLS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measures the average time in hours to repair traffic lights from the point the fault is logged. Description The target is based on a 48hr requirement set within our current Traffic Signal maintenance contract, carried out by an Traffic Light Icon
external contractor on our behalf. The target will be reviewed when the contract is due for renewal. Linked PIs Current Value 12.55 Current Target 48 Notes on Latest 20-Jan-2014 The total number of faults Data Entry attended to during 2012-13 was 371
Trend Chart Commentary: Performance has been under the 48hour target for the last 5 years and has been improving since 2009/10. The main reason for the improvement has been the performance of our contractor. On average we have around 400 faults per year. The 48 hour target is set within current contract conditions.
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PI Code & Short Name RTS002_6b.2 Percentage of Roads Emergency Call-Outs attended within 4 hours of notification PI Owner zRTS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measure the number of roads emergency call outs which the service responds to within 4 hours of notification. The 4 hour target is the recommendation contained within the Highway Maintenance code of Description Traffic Light Icon practice and is benchmarked against other local authorities. Emergency call outs include road traffic accidents, road flooding, fallen trees and severe weather. Linked PIs Current Value 100% Current Target 100% Notes on Latest 28-Feb-2014 In quarter 3 of 2013/14 we Data Entry received and responded to 226 emergency call outs.
Trend Chart Commentary: The service has attended to all emergency call outs within 4 hours over the last 2 years (Quarter 4 2011/12 to Quarter 3 2013/14). On average we receive 150 emergency call outs each quarter although this figure increases during periods of severe weather e.g. heavy snow or flooding.
We aim to attend to each emergency call out, including out of hours call outs, as quickly as possible and and to achieve this the service has a duty officer on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week to respond to any emergency call outs.
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PI Code & Short Name P:RTS003_6b.2 Percentage of traffic lights repaired within 48 hours. PI Owner zSLS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measures the percentage of repairs to traffic lights which are completed within 48 hours of Description notification of fault. Work is contracted out and the national target is set within the contract. When a new contract is Traffic Light Icon
being prepared this will be reviewed. Linked PIs Current Value 96.5% Current Target 85% Notes on Latest 23-Apr-2013 total faults attended during Data Entry 2012-13 was 371 of which 358 were completed within 48hrs
Trend Chart Commentary: Performance has been above target in each of the last five years but has risen in each of the last three years which is primarily down to the performance of our contractor. The performance experienced in 2010/11 was affected by periods of poor weather which made attending and repair faults more challenging. Performance will continue to be monitored to ensure the service is maintained at a high standard during future years.
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PI Code & Short Name CP:RTS004_6b.2 Percentage of Repairs to Street Lights Completed Within 7 Days. PI Owner zSLS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measures the number of repairs to Street Lights which are completed within the 7 day target from notification of a fault. All faults are logged in our electronic system (Confirm) which measures the time Description Traffic Light Icon taken for us to repair the fault. The figure is calculated by using the total number of faults reported and the number completed with the 7 day period. Linked PIs Current Value 86.4% Current Target 90% Notes on Latest 22-Apr-2013 A total of 6769 faults were Data Entry completed throughout 2012-13 of which 5849 were repaired within 7 days.
Trend Chart Commentary: Performance over the last 5 years has fluctuated with 2 out of the 5 years falling below our target. The main reason for these dips in performance in 2010/11 and 2012/13 were due to periods of bad weather including high winds and winter weather which increased the number of faults and also made it more challenging for staff to repair them. Over the last 5 years we have dealt with between 6,500 and 8,000 faults per year. We will review our processes with an aim to improve performance and achieve our target during 2013/14, so that the best possible service is provided.
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RTS006_6b.2 Percentage of occasions precautionary salting routes are completed before the PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zRTS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm formation of ice. As part of the Winter Maintenance Service, this performance indicator measures our performance in carrying out precautionary salting of primary routes following the receipt of the weather forecast and prior to the formations of ice on these routes. Weather forecasts are published to us throughout the day showing us the time when the temperature Description Traffic Light Icon will drop to a low enough level to form ice on carriageways. This indicator measure the services ability to grit these routes before the time given for ice to form. The service does not operate in quarters 1 & 2 of each year so there is no data for these periods. Linked PIs Current Value 100% Current Target 100% Notes on Latest Data Entry
Trend Chart Commentary: Over the last 2 years the service has continually carried out precautionary salting of priority routes before the formation of ice on the carriageways. The accuracy and frequency of weather forecasting, including temperature monitors within carriageways, means the data provided to us is as reliable as possible. This allows duty officers to make informed decisions on the time and treatment required on any given day to ensure salting is carried out before the formation of ice. During periods of particularly cold weather salting treatments will be carried out throughout the day to ensure ice is unable to form. The number of occasions precautionary salting is required varies each period depending on the weather.
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RTS007_6b.2 Percentage of urgent works to the road and footpath network which are commenced PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zRTS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm within 24 hours of notification. This performance indicator measures the number of urgent or emergency repair works, required to either the road or footpath network which are started within 24 hours of the defect or fault being reported. Urgent works are considered Description Traffic Light Icon any which may cause serious damage to vehicles, injury to motorists or pedestrians or are considered a danger to the public. Linked PIs Current Value 92% Current Target 90% Notes on Latest 29-Jan-2014 More staff available to be Data Entry on hand for the repairs and emergencies as this has been a mild winter so far.-
Trend Chart Commentary: Performance has been above target for 6 of the last 8 quarters, with over 90% of urgent works commencing within 24 hours of notification. Where performance dropped below target, as in quarters 2 and 3 of 2012/13, this was because operational staff were required for weather emergency duties - flooding in quarter 2 and flooding and snow in quarter 3. Severe weather often increases the number of urgent works required meaning the in these incidences the number of notifications increased and the response times decreased as staff were working elsewhere.
It is important to us that we respond to urgent works as quickly as possible to ensure the road and footpath network is as safe as possible for users.
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PI Code & Short Name RTS013_9b.1c Average Time (Days) taken to Repair Street Lights. PI Owner zSLS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm Performance Indicator measures the average time taken to repair Street Lights from the notification of a fault. All faults are logged in our electronic system (Confirm) which measures the time taken for us to repair the fault. The figure is Description Traffic Light Icon calculated averaging the time taken for faults completed during the period. The target is set at 7 days as this is a nationally agreed target and reflects our service standard. Linked PIs Current Value 4.7 Current Target 7 Notes on Latest 22-Apr-2013 A total of 6,769 faults were Data Entry completed throughout 2012-13
Trend Chart Commentary: Performance over the last 5 years has been consistently under the 7 day target. The drop in average time over the last 3 years is a result of a drop in the number of faults being dealt with as well as the nature of the faults. Over the last 5 years we have dealt with between 6,500 and 8,000 faults each year. Performance will continue to be monitored to ensure we meet our target during 2013/14.
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P:RTS018_9a.1c Average running cost (including electricity and maintenance) per lighting unit per PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zSLS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm year. This performance indicator measures the average costs to maintain each lighting section unit including electricity, inspections, testing, reactive maintenance and section and central overheads. Units include all lighting, signs and traffic Description Traffic Light Icon signals - all costs divided by all units. The target is set based on the budget made available at the start of each financial year. Linked PIs Current Value £46.45 Current Target £49.28 Notes on Latest 15-May-2013 Calculated on actual Data Entry revenue expenditure £3,243,120 divided by 69,816 units at 31st March 2013. Target was taken from 2011/12 average cost.
Trend Chart Commentary: The drop in average cost per unit in 2010/11was primarily down to a reduction in the cost of electricity. The cost of electricity dropped following the agreement of a national contract for electricity provision which meant electricity was being bought cheaper. The further, although smaller, reductions in cost in the proceeding 2 years, 2011/12 & 2012/13 have been achieved as a result in a reduction in maintenance costs as well as smaller electricity costs.
This indicator is strongly influenced by the cost of electricity, which is now procured through a national contract. Initial indications are that energy costs will remain similar for 2013/14.
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P:RTS025_9b.2a Percentage of the overall Road Network which should be considered for PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zRTS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm; maintenance treatment. In West Lothian Council we aim to keep our roads in as safe and servicable condition as possible and this performance indicator measures our success in achieving this. The whole of the network is checked through a national road condition machine based survey. The output from this survey indicates the percentage of the network which should be considered for detailed investigation and then future maintenance.
Description West Lothian Council currently maintains over 1000 km of Road Network: Traffic Light Icon
A Class: 152 km B Class: 118 km C Class: 116 km U Class: 92.5 km Urban (Housing Estates etc): 526 km Linked PIs Current Value 26.9% Current Target 30.5% Notes on Latest 07-Aug-2013 The condition of our Data Entry overall road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has improved from 30.5% to 26.9%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
Trend Chart Commentary: The condition of our overall road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has improved from 30.5% to 26.9%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 12/13 West Lothian was ranked 4th out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator. This equates to an overall improvement of 4 places and has seen us improve our road condition in all categories.
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P:RTS051_6a.7 Percentage of Customers who rated the overall quality of the Service provided by PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zRTS_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm Roads Services as good or excellent. This Performance Indicator measures the number of respondents rating the overall service as good or excellent. The figure taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by Roads Services to the West Lothian Citizens Panel. The Description Traffic Light Icon Citizens Panel is made up of residents of West Lothian who will have varying involvement and experience of the service. Linked PIs Current Value 46.35% Current Target 60% Notes on Latest 23-Aug-2012 This figure includes those Data Entry who rated the service as being excellent or good. The figure is based on 685 responses from the citizens panel.
Trend Chart Commentary: The number of customers rating the overall service as good or excellent has increased following our most recent survey in 2012/2013, although still remains below our target level and the result we have achieved in previous years. This increase was primarily down to an increase in the number of respondents who rated the Winter Maintenance service as good or excellent.
The result dropped in 2011/12 primarily because of a decrease in customers satisfaction with the Winter Maintenance Service (only 27.70% rated the service as good or excellent). This was a direct result of the severe winter weather, in particular prolonged periods of heavy snow, we experienced during November and December 2010. The number of customers rating this area of the service as good or excellent increased this year to 39.8% and we believe the improvements we have made to the service should see this result improve again next year.
Customers rated the main service areas for Roads (Good and Excellent) as follows: Street Lighting: 67.3 % (11//12 - 65.3%)
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We will continue to work hard to improve the service we provide to the people of West Lothian and engage and consult with them to make the service better.
The 2012/13 Survey was distributed to 1600 members of the West Lothian Citizens Panel in June 2012 with 685 responses being received.
The next survey will be issued in January 2014.
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PI Code & Short Name RTS207_6b.2 BRIDGES: Percentage of PRINCIPAL inspections carried out. PI Owner zTRA_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measures the percentage of Bridges which have a current and up to date Principal Inspection. The indicator identifies the bridges where the Principal Inspection is out of date (over 6 years old) or has not been carried out at all. Description Traffic Light Icon
A principal inspection includes checks for scour as in General Inspections and requires the detailed examination of all inspectable parts of the structure. Linked PIs Current Value 99.4% Current Target 100% Notes on Latest 06-Jan-2014 99.4% equates to 2 out of Data Entry 344 bridges with an out of date PI. These are Kinnenhill and Westcraigs Bridges which are due to have major refurbishment works carried out in the current financial year and will be inspected on completion of the works.
Trend Chart Commentary: As of quarter 3 2013/14 the number of bridges with a current and up to date principal inspection is nearly 100% with only 2 out of the 344 bridges in West Lothian with an out of date principal inspection. These are Kinnenhill and Westcraigs Bridges, both of which are due to have major refurbishment works carried out in the current financial year and will be inspected on completion of the works.
Performance can drop, as in quarter 2 2012/13, when resources are allocated to other work such as delivering the capital and revenue works programmes and this coincides with a number of inspections going out of date.
The programme of principal inspections will continue for all bridges and bridges with an out of date inspection will be caught up as part of this programme.
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PI Code & Short Name RTS208_6b.2 BRIDGES: Percentage of GENERAL Inspections carried out. PI Owner zTRA_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measures the percentage of Bridges which have a current and up to date General Inspection. The indicator identifies the bridges where the General Inspection is out of date (over 2 years old) or has not been carried out at all. Description Traffic Light Icon
A general inspection requires the examination of all parts of the structure that can be inspected without the use of special plant, scaffolds, etc. Linked PIs Current Value 99.78% Current Target 100% Notes on Latest 20-Jan-2014 An intensive programme of Data Entry General Inspections was carried out in November and December 2013 which saw the backlog caught up with. The figure of 99.78% equates to 1 out of 456 bridges having an out of date General Inspection. This bridge is Kinnenhill Bridge which is currently undergoing major maintenance and will be inspected on completion of the works.
Trend Chart Commentary: The current position, as of quarter 3 2013/2014 shows that 1 out of 456 bridges have an out of date General Inspection. Over the last two years the performance on General Inspections deteriorated as resources within the service were concentrated on delivering large capital projects such as Broxburn Flood Prevention Scheme and the preparation of contracts and site supervision in order to deliver this Capital and Revenue programmes.
An intensive programme of inspections was carried out in November and December 2013 which has seen the backlog wiped out with all inspections up to date. (Note that the one outstanding bridge is Westcraigs Bridge which is undergoing major refurbishment and will be inspected on completion of these works).
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PI Code & Short Name CP:RTS210_9b.1a Number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents. PI Owner zTRA_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measures the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents within West Lothian on an annual basis. This performance indicator combines the separate targets for reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured in line with the Scottish Governments Road Safety Framework. Casualty reduction Description Traffic Light Icon targets for West Lothian are set out in the Road Safety Plan 2012-2015, which has been agreed locally by Councillors. Data is collected by Police Service Scotland and published annually by the Scottish Government. Data is for Calendar year e.g. 2011/2012 contains data for 2011. Linked PIs Current Value 63 Current Target 73 Notes on Latest 25-Jun-2013 Provisional figure for 2012 Data Entry is 63. Data source is "Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2012", Scottish Government.
Trend Chart Commentary: This performance indicator shows the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents within West Lothian as published annually by the Scottish Government. This indicator a combination of the separate casualty reduction targets for the number of people killed and the number of people seriously injured in line with Scottish Government national casualty reduction targets. Note that figures are for calendar years ie. 2011/12 refers to the number of people killed or seriously injured between 1 January and 31 December 2011.
Road casualty numbers are subject to a degree of random year-to-year variation but the general trend within West Lothian is reducing. To try and reduce the number of road casualties and accidents the Council and its partners undertake a series of education, engineering and enforcement interventions which are set out in the Road Safety Plan for West Lothian 2012 – 2015. The plan is reviewed annually and reported through the council’s Environment Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel.
Finally, it should be noted that good performance is illustrated by the number of road accidents being below the target line.
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PI Code & Short Name CP:RTS211_9b.1a Number of children killed or seriously injured in road accidents. PI Owner zTRA_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measures the number of children killed or seriously injured in road accidents within West Lothian on an annual basis. This performance indicator combines the separate targets for reducing the number of children killed and seriously injured in line with the Scottish Governments Road Safety Framework. Casualty Description Traffic Light Icon reduction targets for West Lothian are set out in the Road Safety Plan 2012-2015, which has been agreed locally by Councillors. Data is collected by Police Service Scotland and published annually by the Scottish Government. Data is for Calendar year e.g. 2011/2012 contains data for 2011. Linked PIs Current Value 5 Current Target 8 Notes on Latest 31-Dec-2013 The figure for 2012/13 Data Entry relates to the time period 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2012. The Data Source is “Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2012, Scottish Government”
Trend Chart Commentary: This performance indicator shows the number of children killed or seriously injured in road accidents within West Lothian as published annually by the Scottish Government. This indicator a combination of the separate casualty reduction targets for the number of people killed and the number of people seriously injured in line with Scottish Government national casualty reduction targets. Note that figures are for calendar years ie. 2011/12 refers to the number of people killed or seriously injured between 1 January and 31 December 2011.
Road casualty numbers are subject to a degree of random year-to-year variation. To try and reduce the number of road casualties and accidents the Council and its partners undertake a series of education, engineering and enforcement interventions which are set out in the Road Safety Plan for West Lothian 2012 – 2015. The plan is reviewed annually and reported through the council’s Environment Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel.
Finally, it should be noted that good performance is illustrated by the number of road accidents being on the target line
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PI Code & Short Name RTS212_9b.1a SLIGHT casualty rates - People injured per 100 Million Vehicle Km. PI Owner zTRA_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measures the slight casualty rate in West Lothian. Slight road casualties refers to people injured and requiring some form of medical treatment but not considered serious or fatal.
Description Traffic Light Icon Casualty reduction targets for West Lothian are set out in the Road Safety Plan 2012-2015, which has been agreed locally by Councillors. Data is collected by Police Service Scotland and published annually by the Scottish Government. Data is for Calendar year e.g. 2011/2012 contains data for 2011. Linked PIs Current Value 27 Current Target 33 Notes on Latest 31-Dec-2013 The figure for 2012/13 Data Entry relates to the time period 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2012. The Data Source is “Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2012, Scottish Government”, Table 41.
Trend Chart Commentary: This performance indicator shows the number of slight accidents in West Lothian per 100million vehicle km travelled. The statistics are based on calendar years e.g. 2006/07 refers to Jan-Dec 2006. A slight accident is defined as an accident in which at least one person suffers "slight" injuries, but no-one is seriously injured, or fatally injured. Statistical variations in the number of people slightly injured per 100 million kilometres can fluctuate year on year however we have met our target for four years running. Accident statistics are published annually by the Scottish Government.
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PI Code & Short Name RTS213_6b.2 Percentage of Abnormal Loads Processed on Time (2 Days). PI Owner zTRA_PIAdmin; Graeme Malcolm This performance indicator measure the percentage of applications for an abnormal load to travel in West Lothian which are processed within 2 days of being received. An Abnormal Load is a load that cannot, without undue expense or risk of damage, be divided into two or more loads for the purpose of being carried on a road.
With reference to: THE MOTOR VEHICLES (AUTHORISATION OF SPECIAL TYPES) (GENERAL) ORDER 2003 Notice to Police and to Highway and Bridge Authorities Method: Road hauliers must work within the legislative Order noted above.Prior notification of abnormal load movement Description journeys must be submitted to local roads authorities at least 2 days (for most loads)before load movement journey Traffic Light Icon
begins and at least 5 days for larger loads that require a Special Order to permit movement journey. Notifications are sent directly to the Roads Co-ordinator in Roads department then forwarded to Structures for checking. Structures check the load movement is acceptable and send acceptance back to Roads. Target: The target will be the percentage rate at which we successfully process the abnormal load movement notifications within the notification time period. Initial success target set at 100% Recording: 1 Year = 1 April to 31 March : notifications summarised quarterly (every 3 calendar months) Linked PIs Current Value 96% Current Target 100%
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- 292 - Notes on Latest 15-Jan-2014 101 out of 105 notifications Data Entry processed on time. Trend Chart Commentary: We aim to process all applications within 2 working days of them being received however due to the volume of of applications and the nature of the application on occasions this can take more than 2 days. Where the performance is at 97 %, as in quarters 1 and 2 of 2013/14 and quarter 4 of
2012/13 this relates to 2 or 3 applications not being processed in 2 days. Where the dip in performance is bigger as in quarter 1 2012/13 this relates to 9 applications not being processed on time. The process for dealing with applications is in place and the service aims to achieve the 2 day target on as many occasions as possible. Customers are continually kept up to date with their application.
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PI Code & Short Name sspi22i Percentage of the A class roads which should be considered for maintenance treatment. PI Owner (R) SPI Admin - OpS; Graeme Malcolm This is background data for the main Specified Performance Indicator, used by all Scottish authorities. The target set is the previous year's performance and the aim is to undercut the target and minimise the percentage of the Road network which requires maintenance treatment. This information is updated in September each year with the previous year's performance figures.
Description Traffic Light Icon The whole of the A Class network is checked through a national road condition machine based survey. The output from this survey indicates the percentage of the network which should be considered for detailed investigation and then future maintenance.
West Lothian Council currently maintains 152 km of A Class Road Network (15% of the overall road network) Linked PIs Current Value 18.8% Current Target 21.3% Notes on Latest 07-Jun-2013 The condition of our A Data Entry class road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has improved from 21.3% to 18.8%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 12/13 West Lothian was ranked 4th out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
Trend Chart Commentary: The condition of our A class road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has improved from 21.3% to 18.8%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 2012/13 West Lothian was ranked 4th out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
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PI Code & Short Name sspi22ii Percentage of the B class roads which should be considered for maintenance treatment. PI Owner (R) SPI Admin - OpS; Graeme Malcolm This is background data for the main Specified Performance Indicator, used by all Scottish authorities. The target set is the previous year's performance and the aim is to undercut the target and minimise the percentage of the Road network which requires maintenance treatment. This information is updated in September each year with the previous year's performance figures.
Description Traffic Light Icon 50% of the B Class road network is checked through a national road condition machine based survey. The output from this survey indicates the percentage of the network which should be considered for detailed investigation and then future maintenance.
West Lothian Council currently maintains 118 km of B Class Road Network (12%% of the overall road network) Linked PIs Current Value 28.2% Current Target 29.3% Notes on Latest 07-Jun-2013 The condition of our B Data Entry class road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has improved from 29.3% to 28.2%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 12/13 West Lothian was ranked 12th out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
Trend Chart Commentary: The condition of our B class road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has improved from 29.3% to 28.2%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 2012/13 West Lothian was ranked 12th out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
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PI Code & Short Name sspi22iii Percentage of the C class roads which should be considered for maintenance treatment. PI Owner (R) SPI Admin - OpS; Graeme Malcolm This is background data for the main Specified Performance Indicator, used by all Scottish authorities. The target set is the previous year's performance and the aim is to undercut the target and minimise the percentage of the Road network which requires maintenance treatment. This information is updated in September each year with the previous year's performance figures.
Description Traffic Light Icon 25% of the C Class road network is checked through a national road condition machine based survey. The output from this survey indicates the percentage of the network which should be considered for detailed investigation and then future maintenance.
West Lothian Council currently maintains 116 km of C Class Road Network (11.5% of the overall road network) Linked PIs Current Value 39% Current Target 45.31% Notes on Latest 07-Jun-2013 The condition of our c class Data Entry road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has significantly improved from 45.3% to 39%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 12/13 West Lothian was ranked 22nd out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
Trend Chart Commentary: The condition of our C class road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has significantly improved from 45.3% to 39%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 12/13 West Lothian was ranked 22nd out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
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sspi22iv Percentage of the Unclassified roads which should be considered for maintenance PI Code & Short Name PI Owner (R) SPI Admin - OpS; Graeme Malcolm treatment. This is background data for the main Specified Performance Indicator, used by all Scottish authorities. The target set is the previous year's performance and the aim is to undercut the target and minimise the percentage of the Road network which requires maintenance treatment. This information is updated in September each year with the previous year's performance figures.
Description 25% of the U Class network is checked through a national road condition machine based survey. The output from this Traffic Light Icon
survey indicates the percentage of the network which should be considered for detailed investigation and then future maintenance.
West Lothian Council currently maintains 92.5 km of U Class Road Network (9% of the overall road network) Linked PIs Current Value 26.4% Current Target 30.2% Notes on Latest 07-Jun-2013 The condition of our U Data Entry class road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has significantly improved from 30.2% to 26.4%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 12/13 West Lothian was ranked 2nd out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
Trend Chart Commentary: The condition of our U class road network, which should be considered for maintenance treatment, has significantly improved from 30.2% to 26.4%. This improvement has come as a result of a targeted investment programme following the severe weather encountered during 2010/11.
In 2012/13 West Lothian was ranked 2nd out of 32 Scottish Local Authorities for this indicator.
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PI Code & Short Name WM001_9a.1a Cost of Refuse Collection Service per Household (per quarter). PI Owner zWM_PIAdmin; David Goodenough This Performance Indicator measures the total cost of refuse collection divided by the total number of households in Description West Lothian. Targets are reviewed in line with the Waste Services Annual Budget and the changing demographics Traffic Light Icon
and number of households in West Lothian. Linked PIs Current Value £56.27 Current Target £66.89 Notes on Latest 14-Feb-2014 The cost of refuse Data Entry collection has remained relatively static since the start of Q4 2011-2012. Improved deployment of seasonal staff and regular reviews of routing efficiency has enabled the service to control costs against rising costs of fuel costs, inflation on other materials, plant and equipment. Figure excludes financial accounting adjustments for pensions, insurance, depreciation, impairment and transfers to capital The target from 1st April 2013 has increased due to the introduction of weekly food waste collections to 18500 households.
Trend Chart Commentary: The cost of refuse collection has remained relatively static since the start of Q4 2011-2012. Improved deployment of seasonal staff and regular reviews of routing efficiency has enabled the service to control costs against rising costs of fuel costs, inflation on other materials, plant and equipment. Figure excludes financial accounting adjustments for pensions, insurance, depreciation, impairment and transfers to capital
The target from 1st April 2013 has increased due to the introduction of weekly food waste collections to 18500 households.
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P:WM014_9b.1a Average Percentage of Material Recycled at Community Recycling Centres (per PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zWM_PIAdmin; David Goodenough annum). This Performance Indicator measures the percentage of waste which is taken for recycling from all sites when divided Description Traffic Light Icon by the total amount of waste brought to all the Community Recycling Centres (CRC's). Linked PIs Current Value 47.8% Current Target 50% Notes on Latest 12-Mar-2014 There were decreases in Data Entry electrical items (950t), rubble (600t), wood (570t). There was also a decrease in tonnage collected of CRC green waste (700t), which was a result of the very wet summer in 2012 which limited the growing and gardening season.
Trend Chart Commentary The total amount of material which was taken from our CRC sites to be recycled dropped in 2012/13 from the previous three years. The main reasons for this decrease were decreases in a number of materials which are collected by and recycled ,during the year, through our CRC’s. There were decreases in electrical items (950t), rubble (600t), wood (570t). There was also a decrease in tonnage collected of CRC green waste (700t), which was a result of the very wet summer in 2012 which limited the growing and gardening season.
Our recycling centres will continue to offer a wide range of recycling opportunities for households in an effort to maximise the amount of material which is recycled on an annual basis.
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P:WM015_6b.2 Percentage of new/ replacement bins delivered within Service Standard period (5 PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zWM_PIAdmin; David Goodenough working days). This performance indicator measures the amount of new or replacement bins (grey, blue and brown) which are Description delivered to the customer within 5 working days of the request being received. We have a Bin Management Unit in Traffic Light Icon
place to manage the delivery of all new bins. Linked PIs Current Value 92.3% Current Target 80% Notes on Latest 29-Nov-2013 The percentage of bins Data Entry delivered within 5 working days is 92.3%. We have been able to ensure that 2 members of staff have been provided to bin delivery on a regular basis, therefore we have been able to meet our targets for bin deliveries within 5 working days No. of bins requested =2168, no. of bins delivered within 5 working days =2001
Trend Chart Commentary: The percentage of bins delivered within 5 working days is 92.3%. We have been able to ensure that 2 members of staff have been provided to bin delivery on a regular basis, therefore we have been able to meet our targets for bin deliveries within 5 working days No. of bins requested =2168, no. of bins delivered within 5 working days =2001
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P:WM030_6a.7 Percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of the service provided by PI Code & Short Name PI Owner zWM_PIAdmin; David Goodenough Waste Services as good or excellent. This Performance Indicator measures the number of respondents rating the overall service as good or excellent. The figure is taken from the Annual Customer Survey carried out by Waste Services to the West Lothian Citizens Panel. The Citizens Panel is made up of residents of West Lothian who will have varying involvement and experience of the Description Traffic Light Icon service.
The figure is based on respondents who rated the service as good or excellent. Linked PIs Current Value 83.34% Current Target 81% Notes on Latest 23-Aug-2012 The figure is based on a Data Entry response of 685 from the citizens panel
Trend Chart Commentary: The percentage of customers who rated the overall quality of our service as 'good' or 'excellent' increased again to over 83% following our most recent survey (2012/2013). This increase is primarily down to a further increase in the satisfaction with our Community Recycling Centres and our new Bin Management Unit for the delivery of new bins to households.
We are keen to maintain our customer satisfaction levels at a high level and feedback from our customers is used to try and improve our services as much as possible and we will continue to work hard to provide a good service to the Households of West Lothian.
The 2012/13 Survey was distributed to 1600 members of the West Lothian Citizens Panel in June 2012 with 685 responses being received.
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- 301 - The dip in satisfaction in 2010/11 was down to a number of customers being unhappy with the service provided during the periods of bad weather, which lead to service disruption. We have since implemented a number of measures to improve our service during periods of service disruption.
Survey and distribution methods will continue to be reviewed year on year to ensure results remain representative
The next survey will be issued to the new Citizens Panel in January 2014
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PI Code & Short Name P:WM040_9b.1a Percentage of Household waste recycled or composted per annum PI Owner zWM_PIAdmin; David Goodenough This performance indicator measures the amount of household waste which is collected by Waste Services on an Description Traffic Light Icon annual basis and the percentage which is then recycled or composted by or on behalf of the council. Linked PIs Current Value 42.5% Current Target 50% Notes on Latest 11-Mar-2014 Main differences in Data Entry 2012/13 compared to 2011/ 2012: Decrease in the blue bin material recycled (1000t) Decrease in tonnage collected of Brown bin (1100t) and CRC green waste (400t), probably due to the poor summer. There were decreases materials recycled through our CRC’s, namely electrical items (950t), rubble (350t), wood (330t), which may be down to the economic downturn. There was 175t more waste recycled from the bulky waste collections. There are increases in recycling (950t) from the new material recycling facility at Avondale which removes further recyclates from the grey bin residual waste stream. As a consequence and also due to a drop in the tonnage collected there was less residual waste landfilled (2000t) The overall tonnage of Household waste collected decreased in 2012/ 13 compared to 2011/12 by approximately 4000t Trend Chart Commentary: The main differences in the recycling rate for 2012/13 compared to 2011/ 2012 are decreases in the blue bin material recycled, the tonnage of material collected via the brown bin and CRC green waste. There were also decreases in various materials recycled through our CRC’s, namely electrical items, rubble and wood which may be down to the economic downturn.
There were increases in recycling from the new material recycling facility at Avondale which was able to remove further recyclates from the grey bin residual waste stream. As a consequence and also due to a drop in the tonnage collected there was less residual waste landfilled. The overall tonnage of Household waste collected decreased in 2012/ 13 compared to 2011/12 by approximately 4000t
Although the above information is to be finalised, indications are the above has decreased the overall recycling rate from 43.3% in 2011/12 to 42.5% in 2012/13.
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- 303 - - 304 - Forth Estuary Transport Authority 10th May, 2013. Agenda Item No. 3 Forth Estuary Transport Authority
25th February, 2013
Present:
City of Edinburgh Council – Councillors Hinds, Paterson and Orr
Fife Council – Councillors Martin (Convener), Callaghan, Chisholm and Rumney
Perth and Kinross Council – Councillor Giacopazzi
West Lothian Council – Councillor Conn
Apologies:-
City of Edinburgh Council – Councillor Booth
1. Order of Business
The Convener confirmed that the Order of Business would be as per the agenda.
2. Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Minutes – The Forth Estuary Transport Authority of 17th December, 2012
Decision
The minutes were approved as a correct record of proceedings.
4. Bridge Operating Contract - Update
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on the Scottish Government's proposals to dissolve FETA and contract out the maintenance and operation of the Forth Road Bridge and the New Forth Crossing. The indicative programme of dates for implementation of the Bridge Operating Contract were given and it was noted that three distinct work streams required to be completed prior to the implementation date of June, 2015, namely:-
• The/
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• The Parliamentary Bill; • The Bridge Operating Contract; and • The Transfer of Staff.
Brief details were provided for each of the above points.
Decision
The Authority noted the report and approved:-
(i) the written submission by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee and Finance Committee regarding the Forth Road Bridge Bill dated 23rd January, 2013;
(ii) the proposal to modify the existing Board Room to construct a Control and Structural Health Monitoring Room for the Bridge Operating Contract as detailed; and
(iii) agreed that the Convener write on behalf of the Authority to Transport Scotland expressing concern at the limited proposals for use of the Contact Centre.
5. Events attended by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster in 2013
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster advised that the bi-annual New York City Bridges Conference was being held on 26th and 27th August, 2013 and sought approval from members for him to travel overseas to attend the NY Conference to present a paper and chair a technical session. Details of invitations to deliver the Coates Memorial Lecture at the University of Nottingham and to become a member of the JISDM 2013 Conference UK Organising Committee were also noted.
Decision
The Authority:-
(i) approved the travel overseas to allow the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster to chair a session and present a paper at the bi-annual New York City Bridges Conference being held in August, 2013;
(ii)/
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(ii) noted that the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster had been invited to deliver the Coates Memorial Lecture at the University of Nottingham in February, 2013; and
(iii) noted that the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster had been invited to be a member of the JISDM 2013 Conference UK Organising Committee.
6. Third Main Cable Inspection Report
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster provided members with the results of the third main cable inspection. The results appeared to indicate that the rate of deterioration of cable strength had been reduced and the factor of safety against failure of the cables had not materially diminished.
Decision
The Authority noted the report.
7. Traffic Figures 2012
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on traffic figures for the Forth Road Bridge during 2012.
Decision
The Authority noted the report.
8. Annual Treasury Strategy 2013/14
The Treasurer introduced this report which proposed details of the Investment Strategy for 2013/14.
Decision
The Authority approved the Annual Investment Strategy for 2013/14.
9. Annual Audit Plan 2012/13
The External Auditor introduced the Annual Audit Plan for 2012/13.
Allister Perston answered questions from members on the contents of the report.
Decision/
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Decision
The Authority noted the contents of the Annual Audit Plan 2012/13 and noted that changes would be made to the text to reflect that (a) the reference to compensation of claims related to the M9 Spur and not the approach roads to the new Forth Crossing; and (b) the reference to risks arising from the reduction in the Capital Programme related to desirable, rather than essential, uncommitted schemes.
10. Budget Monitoring 2012/13 – Quarter 3 to 31st December, 2012
The Treasurer reported on the forecasts for revenue and capital expenditure to 31st March, 2013. Based on forecasts as at 31st December, 2012, a drawdown against the reserve of £5.354m would be required in 2012/13.
Decision
The Authority noted the report.
11. Revenue and Capital Budgets 2013-2015
The Treasurer reported on the proposed revenue and capital budget for 2013/14 together with the indicative budget for 2014/15.
Decision
The Authority agreed to:-
(1) approve the 2013/14 revenue budget, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report;
(2) approve the capital budget for 2013/14, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report;
(3) note the indicative revenue and capital budgets for 2014/15, as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2;
(4) note that a report, appending revenue and capital grant letters 2013/14, would be presented to the meeting of the Authority in April 2013;
(5) approve the arrangements for reserves as set out in section 6 of the report;
(6)/
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(6) note that prior to the award of any further capital contracts, the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster would update the Board on the risks associated with committed capital schemes to ensure that they were minimised. A review of the revenue and capital expenditure position and reserves would also be undertaken at this point; and
(6) note the current risks identified in paragraph 7.
12. Date of Next Meeting
Decision
The Authority noted the next meeting date of Monday, 22nd April, 2013 at 10.00 a.m.
13. Pay Modernisation and Harmonisation of Conditions of Service
The following report was heard in private in terms of paragraph 11 of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.
(Councillor Giacopazzi left the meeting during consideration of this item.)
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster introduced the report. He and other officers, as well as advisers from the City of Edinburgh Council's Human Resources Department, answered questions from members.
Decision
The Authority agreed:-
(i) the responses to the union proposals as set out in the report;
(ii) that the new pay and grading structure and the response to the union proposals set out in the report be the basis for a Framework Agreement for Pay Modernisation to be forwarded to the unions and staff for consultation and agreement; and
(iii) that if it is not possible to gain acceptance by the unions and staff to implementation agreement, then the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster report back to the Authority as soon as possible.
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Forth Estuary Transport Authority
10th May, 2013
Present:
City of Edinburgh Council – Councillors Booth and Orr
Fife Council – Councillors Martin (Convener) and Rumney
Perth and Kinross Council – Councillor Giacopazzi
West Lothian Council – Councillor Conn
Apologies:-
City of Edinburgh Council – Councillor Hinds and Paterson
1. Order of Business
The Convener confirmed that the Order of Business would be as per the agenda.
2. Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Minutes – The Forth Estuary Transport Authority of 25th Feburary, 2013
Decision
The minutes were approved as a correct record of proceedings.
4. Anchorage Investigation Update
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on the work to investigate the condition of the main cable anchorages.
Decision
The Authority noted the report.
5./
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5. ICSBOC 2013 Update
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on preparations for the 2013 International Cable Supported Bridge Operators' Conference (ICSBOC) being held in Edinburgh between 3rd and 5th June. It was noted that delegate bookings were going well and final numbers were expected to reach between 170 and 200. The final cost of hosting the ICSBOC 2013 depended on the number of delegates who attended and a full report would be submitted to the next Board meeting once the conference had concluded.
Decision
The Authority noted the report.
6. Forth Bridges Festival 2014
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on plans to celebrate the Forth Road Bridge's 50th anniversary in 2014. It was noted that a ten-day Forth Bridges Festival had been approved to take place in September, 2014 and would feature several large scale events on and around the bridge itself, complemented by a varied programme of cultural and business events in local communities north and south of the Forth. The report detailed various events and fundraising initiatives that had been proposed and it was noted that the full programme for the Forth Bridges Festival would be launched at an event on 12th June, 2013.
The best option for provision of a parade across the bridge would be the full closure of the bridge on Sunday morning. If practical issues emerge in the course of detailed planning which meant that the parade could not be delivered as proposed, alternative proposals would be brought to the Board for approval.
It was noted that FETA had budgeted for a contribution of £30,000 towards the cost of the Forth Bridges Festival and all costs over and above this amount would be met from other sources.
Decision
Members agreed to:-
(i) authorise the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster to undertake a further feasibility assessment of the proposed programme set out in the report and, subject to the outcome of that assessment, to proceed with implementation, in consultation with the Convener and Vice-Convener, and to report back to the FETA Board as appropriate; and
(ii)/
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(ii) subject to the above, agree, in principle, to close the bridge to traffic for a parade on the morning of Sunday, 7th September, 2014 on the understanding that the bridge would re-open to traffic in both directions by 1400 at the latest.
7. Corporate Risk Management
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on progress in developing the Authority's corporate risk management arrangements as required by the FRB Risk Management Policy Statement.
It was noted that the Authority's risk management policy statement had been reviewed and re-issued last year and that five identified significant risks remained throughout the year, namely, funding shortfall; loss of management information; civil legal actions against FETA; failure of incident management systems; and industrial action by staff.
Decision
Members noted the ongoing work being undertaken to manage the Authority's risk management systems.
8. FRB Business Improvement Project – Progress Report
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on the Business Improvement Project (BIP). The report provided a progress review of the main workstreams of the project to date and a proposal for the continued extension of the project up to and post transfer of the Authority to the new Operating Company on or around June, 2015.
Decision
The Authority agreed to:-
(i) continue the development of a QMS and to carry out workstreams to allow the new Bridge Operating Company to implement ISO9001:2008; and
(ii) prepare, but not formally apply for, ISO9001:2008 certification prior to transfer in 2015.
9. Grant Funding 2013/14
The Treasurer introduced the report which was implementing an undertaking given at the February meeting to present a further report to the Authority confirming Scottish Government funding arrangements for 2013/14 on receipt of/
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of the grant letter. Members noted that the letter had now been received and that the total grant received for 2013/14 was £10.700m, consisting of a revenue grant of £5.100m and a capital grant of £5.600m.
Decision
The Authority noted the contents of the report.
10. Date of Next Meeting
Decision
It was noted that a meeting of the Board would be held on 25th June, 2013 to present the unaudited accounts.
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Forth Estuary Transport Authority
25th June, 2013
Present:
City of Edinburgh Council – Councillors Hinds, Orr and Paterson
Fife Council – Councillors Martin (Convener), Callaghan, Chisholm and Rumney
Perth and Kinross Council – Councillor Giacopazzi
Apologies:-
City of Edinburgh Council – Councillor Booth
West Lothian Council – Councillor Conn
1. Order of Business
The Convener confirmed that the Order of Business would be as per the agenda.
2. Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Minutes – The Forth Estuary Transport Authority of 10th May, 2013
Decision
The minutes were approved as a correct record of proceedings.
4. Bridge Operating Contract - Update
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on the Scottish Government's proposal to dissolve FETA and contract out the maintenance and operation of the Forth Road Bridge and the New Forth Crossing.
In discussion, it was noted that the City of Edinburgh Council had presented evidence to the Parliamentary Committee considering the Bill.
Decision/
- 315 - - 2 - Forth Estuary Transport Authority 25th June, 2013
Decision
The Authority noted the report and expressed a desire that the contract include provision for local employment to ensure, as far as possible, community benefit arising from the contract award.
5. Capital Plan and Reserves Update
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster updated members on the funding of the Authority's Capital Programme of Works until 2015. It was noted that the reserve balance at the end of financial year 2014/15, assuming revenue spend was as predicted in the report, was expected to be £0.538 million.
Decision
The Authority noted the report.
6. Forth Bridges Festival 2014
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster introduced the report, the purpose of which was to provide members with updated options for the parade planned as part of the Forth Bridges Festival 2014.
Decision
The Authority agreed, in principle, that either option was acceptable and that a Working Group be set up of two members each from Fife and City of Edinburgh Councils to decide on the exact detail of the option to be pursued, delegating powers to the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster as required in consultation with the Working Group.
7. Budget Monitoring 2012/13 – Year end to 31st March, 2013
The Treasurer introduced the report which had been prepared in consultation with the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster and advised the Authority of final expenditure against grant position at 31st March, 2013. It was noted that total expenditure of £15.734m for 2012/13 was £0.997m less than the £16.734m forecast reported to the Authority at its meeting in February, 2013 and anticipated that the majority of this spend would be deferred to 2013/14. The report also advised that the reserve balance at 31st March, 2013 was £2.652m and the Authority would therefore request written confirmation that unspent revenue grant 2012/13 be carried forward in line with the terms and conditions of grant.
Decision
The Authority noted the report. 8./
- 316 - - 3 - Forth Estuary Transport Authority 25th June, 2013
8. Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st March 2013
The Treasurer introduced this report, the purpose of which was to present members with the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31st March, 2013. It was noted that the General Fund balance at the beginning of the year amounted to £7.009m. The planned drawdown against the reserve for 2012/13 was £2.248m which, when combined with budget overspend incurred during the year of £2.109m, resulted in a General Fund balance carried forward totalling £2.652m.
Decision
The Authority:-
(i) noted the unaudited accounts for 2012/13; and
(ii) noted that the accounts would be re-presented to the Authority on completion of the external audit.
9. Internal Audit – Annual Report
The Head of Internal Audit introduced this report which highlighted the work carried out by internal audit for the financial year 2012/13. The report advised that overall reasonable assurance could be placed upon the internal controls in place within the Authority and enclosed the Statement of Assurance.
Decision
The Authority noted the report as well as the draft Annual Corporate Governance Statement contained in Appendix 2 to the report.
10. Review of the Adequacy of the Internal Audit Service 2012/13
A letter dated 26th April, 2013 from Audit Scotland had been circulated with the papers advising of their assessment of the Authority's internal audit function which was provided by the City of Edinburgh's Internal Audit Section. The assessment included a review of the range and quality of work carried out by Internal Audit.
Decision
The Authority noted the terms of the letter from Audit Scotland on the Review of the Adequacy of the Internal Audit Service 2012/13.
11./
- 317 - - 4 - Forth Estuary Transport Authority 25th June, 2013
11. Appointment of Convener and Office Bearers
Members considered a report by the Clerk which outlined the need to appoint a Convener and Vice-Convener and office bearers of the Authority with effect from 1st July, 2013.
Decision
The Authority agreed to:-
(i) appoint Councillor Hinds (City of Edinburgh Council) as Convener and Councillor Martin (Fife Council) as Vice-Convener of FETA and also as Convener and Vice-Convener respectively of the Appointments and Appeals Committee;
(ii) to appoint Sue Bruce (Chief Executive, City of Edinburgh Council) as Chief Executive; Carol Campbell (Head of Legal Risk and Compliance, City of Edinburgh Council) as Clerk; and Hugh Dunn (Head of Finance, City of Edinburgh Council) as Treasurer with other officer support function arrangements to continue under existing arrangements with the member authorities or as might otherwise be requested by the Chief Executive of the Authority; and
(iii) noted that the remaining members of the Appointment and Appeals Committee would comprise one more member each from City of Edinburgh and Fife Councils, as well as Councillors Conn and Giacopazzi.
12. Schedule of Meetings to June 2014
The Clerk introduced the report which submitted, for approval, a schedule of dates for meetings of the Authority for the period to the end of June, 2014.
Decision
The Authority approved the schedule of meetings for the period to 30th June, 2014 as follows:-
Friday, 30th August, 2013 – 10.00 a.m. Friday, 25th October, 2013 – 10.00 a.m. Friday, 13th December, 2013 – 10.00 a.m. Friday, 21st February, 2014 – 10.00 a.m. Friday, 11th April, 2014 – 10.00 a.m. Friday, 20th June, 2014 – 10.00 a.m.
13./
- 318 - - 5 - Forth Estuary Transport Authority 25th June, 2013
13. Valedictory
The Convener, in thanking the retiring officers for their service, noted that Ronnie Hinds, as well as being the Authority's outgoing Chief Executive, was retiring from the same position at Fife Council as at 30th June. The Board thanked Mr. Hinds for all his assistance over the last two years and wished him all the best for the future.
- 319 - - 320 - Forth Estuary Transport Authority
23 August, 2013
Present:
City of Edinburgh Council – Councillors Hinds (Convener).
Fife Council – Councillors Chisholm and Martin.
Perth and Kinross Council – Councillor Giacopazzi.
West Lothian Council – Councillor Conn.
1. Councillor Mike Rumney
The Convener referred to Councillor Mike Rumney who had died earlier this month. He had been a very well respected councillor and member of the Board of FETA. Condolences had been sent on behalf of the authority.
2. Order of Business
The Convener confirmed that the Order of Business would be as per the agenda.
3. Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
4. Minutes – The Forth Estuary Transport Authority of 25 June 2013
Decision
The minutes were approved as a correct record of proceedings.
5. Budget Monitoring 2013-14
The Treasurer presented a budget monitoring report for the first quarter of the 2013-14 financial year. In summary, forecast expenditure was estimated to be £12.602m as against approved budget of £11.752m, resulting in an over- spend of £0.850m. There was also an obligation to draw down reserves of £1.052m, from the earlier approval of capital expenditure totalling £6.652m as against grant receivable of £5.600m. The drawdown was also planned to align itself with the need to reduce reserves prior to the dissolution of the Authority in 2015. Details of the overspend areas and risk areas were given in the report.
In terms of reserves, as at 31 March 2013, these had totalled £2.652m. Based on forecasts, a total drawdown of £1.902m would be required, leaving
- 321 - projected reserves at 31 March 2014 of £0.750m. As the current timeline for the dissolution of the Authority was June 2015, this would mean that the Authority would continue to operate for three months of financial year 2015/16 and Transport Scotland would therefore need to confirm funding for that period. Whilst reserves were being held in order to mitigate against risks associated with the capital plan they were not sufficient for the operational running of the authority.
Decision
(1) To note the budget monitoring report.
(2) That the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster request confirmation from Transport Scotland on funding for the authority for financial year 2015/16.
(Reference – report by Treasurer, 23 August 2013, submitted)
6. Treasury Management – Annual Report 2012-13
The Treasurer submitted a report on the treasury management activity undertaken by Feta and the performance in investment of the authority’s surplus funds during 2012-13.
Decision
The Authority noted the report.
(Reference – report by the Treasurer, 23 August 2013, submitted
7. Dissolution of Authority – Update and Transitional Arrangements
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster gave an update on the Scottish Government’s intention to dissolve FETA and to contract out the maintenance and operation of the Forth Road Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing. Transport Scotland had determined that the contract to maintain and operate both bridges would be awarded, following a tendering exercise, to the Bridge Operating Company. The contract would include the approaches on both sides of the Forth from Junction 1A on the M9 at Kirkliston to Junction 3 on the M90 at Halbeath; it included the M9 JN1A (Kirkliston) to M90 JN3 (Halbeath), parts of the A90, and the A823(M). The indicative programme for the Bridge Operating Contract remained as follows:-
• Issue Tenders: November 2013 • Tender Return: August 2014 • Award Contract: December 2014 • Commence Contract: June 2015
Transport Scotland had stated in the supplier’s information brochure that the projected annual turnover was £7.9 - £12m. The total quantity or scope of the contract shown on the OJEU Notice was £79 - £120m.
- 322 - There were three distinct work streams that required to be completed prior to the proposed implementation date of 1 June 2015 i.e. the Parliamentary Bill; the Bridge operating contract, and the transfer of staff. An update in relation to these three areas was given in the report.
With regard to the transfer of staff, the Act would transfer FETA employees directly into the employment of the Bridge Operating Company and ensure that TUPE regulations would apply. Transport Scotland had given confirmation to the Convener of their intention to include admission to the Lothian Pension Fund as a contractual obligation on the new Bridge Operating Company.
Decision
To note the position on the transitional matters and dissolution of FETA.
(Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
8. Forth Bridges Festival 2014
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster gave an update on arrangements being made for the planned Forth Bridges Festival in September 2014. It was proposed to launch the programme on 4 September 2013.
Discussions had been held with potential sponsors and advertising agencies to gauge interest and calculate the potential revenue that could be generated. With regard to the proposed fireworks display, feasibility studies were to determine the best means of displaying advertising at the tower top. This aspect had presented a technical challenge and the need to carry out the installation without risk or significant disruption to traffic.
The scope of the planned launch of the Festival programme on 4 September 2013 was dependent on events having sufficient funding in place and the practicalities surrounding the large scale events having been addressed. If funding and sponsorship did not meet expectations, or there were insurmountable practical issues, then the festival programme would require to be adjusted and alternative proposals brought before the Board.
Decision
To delegate authority to the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, in consultation with the Convener and Vice-Convener, to proceed with procurement as necessary
(Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
9. Equality Act 2010 – Specific Duties
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster gave an update on the Authority’s position regarding compliance with The Equality Act 2010, and the associated Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 which had come into force on 5 April 2011. A number of specific actions fell to be implemented to demonstrate the authority’s compliance with the regulations.
- 323 -
Decision
To note the actions to be taken in compliance with the regulations.
(Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
10. ICSBOC 2013 – Conference Report
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster gave a report on the 8th International Cable Supported Bridge Operators’ Conference (ICSBOC), which had been hosted by FETA in Edinburgh in June 2013. The feedback had been very good and, on the basis of the survey of delegates, the conference could be regarded as a major success in terms of achieving the goals of the ICSBOC organisation and enhancing the reputation of FETA and Scotland.
Councillor Martin added his congratulations to the staff of FETA for the event.
The overall cost to the Authority of staging the conference was expected to be more than initially estimated, however this could be contained within FETA’s existing budget.
Decision
(1) To note the report of the ICSBOC conference.
(2) To congratulate the staff on the organisation of the conference and as had reflected very well on FETA.
(Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
- 324 - Forth Estuary Transport Authority
25 October, 2013
Present:
City of Edinburgh Council – Councillors Hinds (Convener), Orr and Paterson.
Fife Council – Councillors Adams (substituting for Councillor Callaghan), Chisholm, Martin and Young.
Perth and Kinross Council – Councillor Giacopazzi.
West Lothian Council – Councillor Conn.
1. Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
2. Minutes – The Forth Estuary Transport Authority of 23 August 2013
Decision
The minutes were approved as a correct record of proceedings.
3. Audit Scotland - Annual Report on the 2012-13 Audit
Audit Scotland presented their Annual Report on the 2012/13 Audit, and including aspects of performance management and governance, including key risks faced by the authority.
They reported that the financial position of FETA appeared stable on the basis of its current financial reporting and budget projections. However the financial position going forward was likely to become more challenging and expenditure during the year would require to be closely monitored to identify and address any emerging budget pressures or projected overspends at an early stage.
A number of key issues with planned management action were outlined in an action plan as contained in an appendix to the report.
Decision
To note the report.
(Reference – report by Audit Scotland, submitted)
- 325 - 4. Audit Scotland - Report to those Charged with Governance on the 2012/13 Audit
Audit Scotland presented their Report to those Charged with Governance on the 2012/13 Audit. In carrying out the Audit, they considered that there was one issue that required to be brought to the Board’s attention, as follows – Operating Lease Disclosure - A potential operating lease had not been disclosed in the financial statements on the basis of a confidentiality agreement with the lessee. The omission was not considered material.
Decision
To note the report by Audit Scotland.
(Reference – report by Audit Scotland, submitted)
5. Budget Monitoring 2013/14
The Treasurer submitted a budget monitoring report for the second quarter of the 2013-14 financial year. In total, forecast expenditure had reduced by £1.513m. The reasons for the movement were (a) a reduction in revenue expenditure of £0.020m (following general revisions), and (b) a reduction in capital spending of £1.493m (with expenditure of £1.676m to be moved to 2014/15). The estimated cost of capital projects included in the current plan over the next two years had also increased by £0.183m. Details of the reasons for variations were given in the report.
In summary, for the year end, it was forecast that a drawdown against the Reserve of £1.389m would be required for 2013/14, due to: under spend against approved budget of £0.663m; an obligation to drawdown Reserves totalling £1.052m, arising from capital expenditure for 2013/14 totalling £6.652m, against capital grant approved by Transport Scotland of £5.600m; and a proposal from Transport Scotland to re-phase receipt of £1m of capital grant from 2013/14 to 2014/15, given changes in the profile of expenditure on the main cable acoustic monitoring project.
The reserve balance at 31st March 2013 was £2.652m. The anticipated budget under spend, re-profiling of capital grant payment and reserves drawdown 2013/14 of £1.389m, would reduce the reserve to £1.263m at 31 March 2014. The financial position would continue to be monitored closely for the remainder of the financial year.
Decision
To note the budget monitoring report.
(Reference – report by Treasurer, submitted)
6. Capital Plan and Reserves Update
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster gave an update on the capital programme. The estimated spend on committed capital schemes in 2013/14 was £4.425 million and in 2014/15 was £0.189 million. The proposed spend
- 326 - on non-committed schemes for 2013/14 was £1.367 million and in 2014/15 was £2.330 million.
There were a number of committed capital projects currently being carried out and, in addition, the authority was liable for the legacy costs of the M9 Spur extension/A8000 upgrading scheme. The Scottish Government’s spending review had resulted in a reduction in the authority’s capital funding and, as a result, a number of capital projects were to be deferred to beyond 2015.
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster reported on the main items proposed to be carried out and a number of deferred projects. As reported previously, the key structural risks were the condition of the anchorages and the main cables. However, the latest inspection of the main cables had produced results that further reduced the risk of future replacement of the cables being necessary or traffic restrictions on the bridge having to be enforced
The significant non-committed capital projects that had been put forward to be carried out prior to abolition of FETA were: main cable acoustic monitoring upgrade; suspended span gantry improvements; truss end linkages; suspended span under-deck access (immediate improvements), and pier defences painting. In addition, a number of schemes were to be brought to tender readiness to allow them to be carried out post abolition of FETA: expansion joint replacement; viaduct painting, and suspended spans under- deck access improvements (main works).
Decision
To note the monitoring report on the funding of the capital programme to 2015.
(Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
7. M9 Spur Extension/A90 Upgrading (A8000 Upgrading) - Progress
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster gave an update on the Authority’s funding liability on the M9 Spur Extension/A90 Upgrading (A8000 Upgrading) scheme. He reported on compensation claims settled and also on an outstanding issue related to compliance testing on the road pavement to verify that the carriageway pavement met the required design standard. The Director of Services for Communities (City of Edinburgh Council), as the agent appointed for delivery of the contract for FETA submitted a progress report on the matter.
In total, the forecast cost of residual matters from 1 April 2013 to final completion was estimated at £478,000 in 2013/14 and £54,000 in 2014/15, giving a total of £532,000. The estimated total cost for the road scheme was £41,014,000 (based on a compliant pavement).
Decision
To note the report.
- 327 - (Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
8. Dissolution of FETA – Update and Transitional Arrangements
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster gave an update on the Scottish Government’s intention to dissolve FETA and to contract out the maintenance and operation of the Forth Road Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing. Transport Scotland had determined that the contract to maintain and operate both bridges would be awarded, following a tendering exercise, to the Bridge Operating Company. It was expected that the award of the contract would be announced in December 2014 with commencement on 1 June 2015.
On arrangements for the transfer of staff from FETA, Transport Scotland had been helpful in dealing with specific staff matters and further meetings were planned once the tendering firms for the Bridge Operating Contract were known. On financial arrangements, Transport Scotland had confirmed that budget arrangements had been made for the funding of the Authority from March 2015 until dissolution on 1 June 2015. Discussions were continuing and would be reported to a future meeting.
On accommodation, the existing FETA boardroom was to be converted into a Bridge Control and Structural Health Monitoring Room, to be commenced early in 2014 – from that time, meetings of FETA would require to be held elsewhere.
Decision
1. To note the position on the transitional matters and dissolution of FETA.
2. To ask the Convener to write to Transport Scotland for information in regard to future plans for provision of an education/visitors facility at the Bridge.
(Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
9. Employee Travelling Overseas on Business
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster had been invited to participate in an informal consultancy team, led by Nottingham University and in collaboration with the China Railway Bridge Company, to discuss bridge monitoring in China. There were benefits for the authority in regard to development of methods of existing and potential future bridge inspection, monitoring and maintenance.
In view of the timescales, the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Convener, had authorised the attendance of the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster on the visit. The cost of the visit involved travel only and was estimated at £1800 and which could be contained within the authority’s budget.
- 328 -
Decision
To note the decision, as authorised by the Chief Executive under Standing Order 45 and in consultation with the Convener, to approve the visit of the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster to mainland China and Hong Kong, as described in the report.
(Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
10. Forth Bridges Festival 2014
The Convener ruled that the following item, notice of which had not been given in the agenda for the meeting, be considered as a matter of urgency. The matter had arisen as a result of considerations by the Board’s Working Group on the 2014 Anniversary Celebrations, as held earlier this day.
The Working Group had agreed to a number of local events for the celebrations as were planned to be held from 4 to 13 September 2013. Amongst the events, the Working Party had agreed to an ‘Artist in Residency’ proposal and which would require that the Board underwrite certain costs.
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster reported on the estimated costs of the under-writing. He intended to report to the next meeting of the Board on 13 December 2013 on local events agreed to date and on the overall matter of the funding of the various events in the programme and any potential risks or financial liability to the authority.
Decision
To note the Working Group’s consideration and the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster’s intention to report to the next meeting on a risk register and any potential liability for the Board relative to the local events in the 2014 anniversary celebrations.
11. Cable Band Bolt Replacement – Legal Update
Resolution to Consider in Private The Board agreed that the public be excluded from consideration of this item of business on grounds that it involved the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 12 of Schedule 1A of the Access to Information Act 1985.
The Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster gave an update on the Authority’s position regarding court proceedings relative to failures of the nuts forming part of the cable band bolt assemblies.
Decision
To approve the recommendations by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster in pursuance of the case by Feta.
(Reference – report by the Chief Engineer and Bridgemaster, submitted)
- 329 - - 330 - DATA LABEL: Public Environment Policy, Development and Scrutiny Panel
Workplan 2013 / 2014
Referral to Issue Purpose Lead Officer Date Council Executive 1. Allotments Consultation To inform the panel of the Scottish Government Colin Bell 16th May No consultation on The Legislative Framework 2013 Governing Allotments and seek their approval for submission of the attached response.
Report submitted to the PDSP in May 2013
2. Response to consultation by the To agree the Council’s response to the Scottish Audrey Watson 16th May Yes Scottish Government on Metal Dealer Government consultation on Metal Dealer Licensing 2013 Licensing 25th June 2013 Report submitted to the PDSP in May 2013
3. Food Service Plan To make the panel aware of the proposed Food Craig Smith 16th May Yes Service Plan 2013 / 2014 and request that is sent to 2013 the Council Executive for approval. This is a 4th June 2013 requirement of the framework agreement on local authority food law enforcement
Report submitted to the PDSP in May 2013
4. Response to the Food Standards The purpose of the report is to advise the panel of the Craig Smith 16th May No Agency Consultation on new consultation issued by the Food Standards Agency 2013 proposed enabling primary food and Scotland and to consider the proposed response to feed legislation the consultation.
Report submitted to the PDSP in May 2013
Page 1 of 10
- 331 - 5. Environmental Health’s Contribution The purpose of the report is to advise panel members Craig Smith 16th May No to the UK Investigation in to Meat of the role played by environmental health officers in 2013 Species Substitution the recent investigation in to widespread meat substitution by horse, and other meat species, in the UK food supply chain.
Report submitted to the PDSP in May 2013
6. A Healthier Scotland - Consultation The purpose of the report is to advise the panel of the Craig Smith 16th May No on Creating a new Food Body consultation issued by the Scottish Government and 2013 to consider the proposed response to the consultation
Report submitted to the PDSP in May 2013
7. Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets The purpose of this report is to update the panel on Ronnie Fisher 16th May Yes Grant 2012/13 – 2014/15 – Update the progress of the 2012/13 programme for Cycling 2013 Report Walking and Safer Streets (CWSS) and report on the 4th June 2013 re-phasing of the programme approved at the Council Executive on 3 April 2012.
Report submitted to the PDSP in May 2013
8. Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets On 3 April 2012, the Council Executive approved the Ronnie Fisher 16th May Yes Grant 2012/13 – 2014/15 - Proposed Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets programme 2013 Pedestrian Crossing Programme, 2012/13 – 2014/15. As part of the report it was 4th June 2013 Various Location, West Lothian agreed to undertake an assessment of twelve pedestrian crossing sites.
Report submitted to the PDSP in May 2013
9. Road Safety Plan 2011-2015 Update to update members on the Road Safety Plan for West Kevin Hamilton 20th June Yes Lothian 2012 - 2015 including casualty reduction 2013 targets and proposed action to meet these targets.
Report submitted to the PDSP in June 2013
Page 2 of 10
- 332 - 10. Parking Issues at Dawson Avenue, At its meeting on 15 January 2013, the Council Kevin Hamilton 20th June Yes Howden Executive considered a a petition from residents of 2013 Dawson Avenue, Howden requesting that additional 6th August car parking is provided through the conversion of 2013 grassed areas in the street.
Report submitted to the PDSP in June 2013
11. Road Asset Management and To update the panel on the new policy and the latest Graeme Malcolm 20th June Yes Performance Update 2013 performance against the objectives of the policy 2013 25th June 2013 Report submitted to the PDSP in June 2013
12. U Class Roads Upgrade Programme To seek approval for the U Class roads programme Graeme Malcolm 20th June Yes 2013-14 – 2014-15 for the 2013/14 and 2014/15. 2013 25th June 2013 Report submitted to the PDSP in June 2013
13. School Playground Upgrade To seek approval for the list of proposed prioritised Graeme Malcolm 20th June Yes Programme 2013-14 – 2014-15 School Playground Upgrade Schemes for 2013 to 2013 2015. 25th June 2013
Report submitted to the PDSP in June 2013
14. Open Space Asset Management Plan To invite the panel to scrutinise the proposed Open Gareth Barwell 20th June Yes Space Asset Management Plan. 2013 25th June 2013 Report submitted to the PDSP in June 2013
15. Waste Services Citizens Lead To report to the Panel on the findings, outcomes and David 20th June No Inspection action plan from the Citizens Lead Inspection of Goodenough 2013 Waste Services.
Report submitted to the PDSP in June 2013
Page 3 of 10
- 333 - 16. Animal Health Service Plan To make the panel aware of the Animal Health Ed Machin 20th June No Service Plan 2013/2014 produced in conjunction with 2013 the Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA)
Report submitted to the PDSP in June 2013
17. Scottish Government Consultation – To agree with the panel West Lothian Council’s Gareth Barwell N/A Yes Towards a Litter Free Scotland\ response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation – Towards a Litter Free Scotland 17th September 2013
18. Environment PDSP Performance To update the PDSP on the quarterly performance of Jim Jack 19th No Report activities directly related to the Environment PDSP September 2013 Report submitted to the PDSP in September 2013
19. Active & Sustainable Travel The purpose of this report is to seek approval for the Ronnie Fisher 19th Yes Infrastructure – Proposed Programme proposed programme of schemes to be funded from September 2013/14 – 2014/15 the Council’s budget for Active & Sustainable Travel 2013 1st October Infrastructure Improvements. 2013
Report submitted to the PDSP in September 2013
20. Pedestrian Guardrail Removal on The purpose of this report is to update the Panel on Kevin Hamilton 19th No Houston Road, Livingston – the proposal to remove 414 metres of pedestrian September Consultation Results guardrail on Houstoun Road from its junction with 2013 Buchanan Crescent to Eliburn North Roundabout, Livingston.
Report submitted to the PDSP in September 2013
21. Experimental Waiting Restrictions To provide an update on the Clarendon parking Kevin Hamilton 19th Yes (With Residents Parking Scheme) on scheme as agreed by Council Executive in August September Clarendon Road and Clarendon 2012. 2013 1st October Crescent (PTO-12-04), Linlithgow 2013 Report submitted to the PDSP in September 2013
Page 4 of 10
- 334 - 22. Winter Service Policy The purpose of this report is to inform the panel of Andy Johnston 19th Yes Roads and Transportations, proposed Winter Service September Policy for 2013/2014 and to seek approval that its 2013 1st October recommendations are forwarded to Council Executive 2013 for approval
Report submitted to the PDSP in September 2013
23. Grow Wild The purpose of this report is to advise the Panel of Gareth Barwell 19th Yes the requirement for a Deed of Dedication as a September condition of a funding bid that is being submitted to 2013 31st October the Big Lottery / Kew Gardens for Dedridge Quarry 2013 Park (known locally as ‘The Froggy’), Livingston.
Report submitted to the PDSP in September 2013
24. Launch of the food hygiene The purpose of the report is to advise the panel of the Craig Smith 19th No information scheme launch of the food hygiene information scheme in September West Lothian. The report is an update for the panel 2013 following the initial report on 22 March 2012
Report submitted to the PDSP in September 2013
25. Biodiversity in parks, cemeteries, To advise the Panel of the importance, benefits and Colin Bell 21st No roadside verges and open spaces challenges of a bio diverse landscape. To discuss November ways in which parks, cemeteries, roadsides and open 2013 spaces in West Lothian can be further enhanced and enriched for the mutual benefit of people and wildlife.
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
26. Clean Up Scotland Campaign To inform the panel of the newly created ‘Clean Up Gareth Barwell 21st Yes Scotland’ campaign that is being coordinated by November Keep Scotland Beautiful and to seek support for the 2013 17th December council to sign up to the campaign, along with a 2013 donation of £3000 to Keep Scotland Beautiful to help fund the campaign
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
Page 5 of 10
- 335 - 27. Commercial Recycling Collection To advise the panel of the requirements of the Waste David 21st Yes Service (Scotland) Regulations 2012 for all producers of Goodenough November controlled waste other than householders i.e. 2013 17th December commercial operations such as businesses 3rd sector 2013 organisations and other council service areas including schools to present recyclable materials for collection. To provide detail on the proposed charges for commercial collections and the level of service to be offered.
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
28. Food Waste Collection Service To advise the panel of the requirements of the Waste David 21st Yes (Scotland) Regulations 2012 for all producers of Goodenough November controlled waste other than householders i.e. 2013 commercial operations such as businesses 3rd sector organisations and other council service areas including schools to present recyclable materials for collection. To provide detail on the proposed charges for commercial collections and the level of service to be offered.
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
29. Colour Segregated Glass Collection To advise the panel of the activities undertaken and David 21st No Service progress made in the preparation for the roll out of Goodenough November the Enhanced Colour Segregated Glass Collection 2013 Service which will see the number of locations for recycling colour segregated glass increase to 200 at full roll out.
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
30. Pentland Hills Regional Park Annual To inform the Panel of Pentlands Hills Regional Park Chris Alcorn 21st No Report 2012/13 and possible (PHRP) Annual Report 2012/13, and to outline a November extension to the Regional Park suggestion that the regional park boundary should be 2013 boundary; extended.
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
Page 6 of 10
- 336 - 31. West Lothian Core Path Plan – To inform the panel of the Scottish Ministers direction Chris Alcorn 21st Yes Reporter’s recommendation to to adopt the West Lothian Core Path Plan. The November objections direction to adopt follows the Ministers' consideration 2013 17th December of the Directorate of Planning & Environmental 2013 Appeals (DPEA) Reporter’s recommendations on objections to the plan, including the council's proposed response to these objections.
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
32. Biomass Heating Installations To purpose of this report is to provide members with Peter Rogers 21st Yes details of a proposal to achieve energy cost savings, November and reduce carbon emissions, through the installation 2013 17th December of biomass boilers at a number of council owned 2013 properties. Installation of biomass boilers is an element of the reducing energy use workstream, which is a component of the council's approved budget strategy.
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
33. Reducing energy use workstream – To provide the panel with an overview of potential Douglas Evans 21st Yes Street Lighting Efficiency Sub-project options for delivering financial and energy savings in November the street lighting network and to seek approval for a 2013 17th December LED replacement project. 2013
Report submitted to the PDSP in November 2013
34. Passive Safety and Vehicle Restraint To agree a passive safety and vehicle restraint Andy McMahon 16th January Yes Systems Assessment Procedure systems assessment procedure for West Lothian in 2014 line with best practice. 4th March 2014
Report submitted to the PDSP in January 2014
35. West Lothian Recycling – Annual To update members on the business and activities of Graeme Struthers 16th January No Report and Financial Statements for West Lothian Recycling for the year ending 31 2014 the year ending 31 December 2012 December 2012.
Report submitted to the PDSP in January 2014
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- 337 - 36. Underage Sales Update To update the panel on the enforcement activities Ed Machin 16th January No undertaken by Trading Standards on age-restricted 2014 products during the past year
Report submitted to the PDSP in January 2014
37. Protecting Consumers – Audit To provide an update on progress since the previous Andrew Blake 27th March No Scotland Report report to the Environment PDSP in March 2013 2014
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
38. Authorisation of Enforcement Staff - The purpose of the report is to advise the panel of the Andrew Blake 27th March No Environmental Health and Trading need to amend the authority of the Head of Planning 2014 Standards and Economic Development within the Scheme of Delegation to Officers to ensure that both council staff, and in certain limited circumstances non-council employees, are appropriately authorised under relevant legislation to protect West Lothian residents and businesses.
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
39. Proposed Consultation Response on To advise the panel of a proposed response to a Andrew Blake 27th March No the Scottish Government Consultation consultation document on the Scottish Regulator 2014 on the Scottish Regulator Strategic Strategic Code of Practice Code of Practice Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
40. Expansion of Pest Control Services To make the panel aware of a desire to widen the Andrew Blake 27th March No range of treatments offered by pest control in order to 2014 provide a more comprehensive service as requested by our customers, and also to off-set any potential reduction in demand brought about by the introduction of charging in April 2014.
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
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- 338 - 41. Pentland Hills Regional Park - A To inform the Panel of the recent proposal by an Chris Alcorn 27th March Yes Proposal to Extend the Regional Park MSP for a Bill to extend the existing Pentland Hills 2014 Boundary Regional Park (PHRP) boundary. April 2014
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
42. Operational Services Management To present to the Panel the Operational Services Jim Jack 27th March No Plan 2014/15 Management Plan for the financial year 2014/15 2014
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
43. Planning & Economic Development To present to the Panel the Planning & Economic Craig McCorriston 27th March No Management Plan 2014/15 Development Management Plan for the financial 2014 year 2014/15
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
44. Environment PDSP Performance To update the PDSP on the quarterly performance of Jim Jack 27th March No Report activities directly related to the Environment PDSP 2014
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
45. Scottish Safety Camera Programme To obtain approval to a consultation on the proposal, Kevin Hamilton 27th March Yes structure and governance of the Scottish Safety 2014 Camera Partnership. 15th April 2014
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
46. Review of Traffic Warden Provision To inform the panel of the Police Scotland review of Kevin Hamilton 27th March No and Potential for Decriminalised traffic wardens and discuss options for managing on 2014 Parking Enforcement street parking in West Lothian.
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
47. Accident Investigation and Prevention To seek approval for the list of proposed prioritised Kevin Hamilton 27th March No (AIP) - Casualty Reduction casualty reduction schemes for the 2014/15 2014 Programme 2014/15 programme.
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in March 2014
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- 339 - 48. Cemetery Management Rules Provide members of the panel with the opportunity to Gareth Barwell 15th May Yes comment on the draft Cemetery Management Rules 2014 for West Lothian Council’s cemeteries and seek their approval to further consult key stakeholders.
49. Textile Recycling Banks To provide the PDSP with options for textile recycling David 28th August Goodenough 2014 Report to be submitted to the PDSP in August 2014
50. Service Standards Review To review the existing service standards in David 28th August consultation with customers, partners and employees Goodenough 2014 to ensure on-going relevance. A significant review of historic standards is necessary to ensure that the service aligns with wider Waste Strategy and customer care issues.
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in August 2014
51. Resource & Recycling Strategy To seek approval from the panel for the new David 28th August Resources and Recycling Strategy. Goodenough 2014
Report to be submitted to the PDSP in August 2014
Jim Jack Head of Operational Services
27th March 2014
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