Agenda Item 8

Cabinet Member: Bridget Kendrick, Cabinet Member for Finance and Organisation

Keira Vyvyan-Robinson, Cabinet Member for Projects

Strategic Leadership Team Lead: Nick Gray, Director of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive Authors: Danae Fiedler, Financial Services Manager

Jane Nottage, Strategic Lead, Corporate Governance and Strategy

Telephone: Danae Fiedler: 01306 879149

Jane Nottage : 01306 879188

Email: danae.fiedler@molevalley.gov.uk jane.nottage@molevalley.gov.uk

Date: 16 September 2020

Ward(s) affected: The Business and Budget Report covers the whole District

Key Decision: No

SUBJECT: Business and Budget Monitoring as at end of July 2020

Recommendation(s):

That the Cabinet:-

• notes the Council’s performance and financial position; and,

• approves the change to the Housing Delivery Test performance indicator target

The Cabinet has the authority to determine the Recommendations

Executive Summary:

The purpose of the Business and Budget monitoring report in ‘normal times’ is to focus on progress to achieve the objectives set out in the Annual Plan, and progress to achieve the targets set for the suite of performance Indicators. However, the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant and fundamental impact on MVDC and its operations. Its priorities have

necessarily shifted to focus on supporting residents, businesses and the wider community during lockdown, and on continuing that support as lockdown begins to ease.

The report to Cabinet in July 2020 set out the impact, response and recovery work in which MVDC is engaged in response to the coronavirus pandemic. At that meeting, the objectives in the Annual Plan and the suite of Performance indicators were reviewed as a consequence of the reprioritisation of Council activities due to the pandemic.

A number of changes were made to the Annual Plan to reflect the changed environment, and the suite of Performance Indicators was expanded to include additional information on operational activities to provide a wider view of the impact of the pandemic.

As at the end of July, progress is being made against all the Annual Plan objectives, albeit with some progressing slower than originally planned. This is as expected and is a reflection of the impact on the work of officers across the Council in relation to the pandemic.

In relation to the suite of performance indicators, a conscious decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting in July not to change the targets that had previously been agreed. This was so that the impact of the pandemic could be charted, and to monitor the recovery of performance over the year. In spite of the pressures in relation to the pandemic, approximately half of the performance indicator targets have been met or exceeded. It was acknowledged that performance in some areas of the Council’s activities, certainly in the early part of 2020/21, would most likely not be achieved due to work in response to the pandemic and, indeed, in relation to some activities that have not been permitted during this time.

The report also includes the financial position on revenue and capital. There is a projected net overspend on revenue of £740,000 against a net budget of £10.3 million (7.2%), and a projected net underspend on capital of £90,000 against a budget of £12.9 million (0.7%). Explanations of significant variances are provided in Section 1.3. This report presents the position as at the end of July, and reflects the government guidance in relation to coronavirus in place at that time. The report is set out as below:

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Annual Plan objectives

1.2 Performance Indicators

1.3 Financial Monitoring

1.4 Strategic Risk

There are three appendices:

Appendix A - annual plan and performance indicators dashboards

Appendix B - summary financial position for revenue, by business area

Appendix C - summary financial position for capital, by scheme

Council Strategy Priority Outcomes:

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

1.0 INTRODUCTION This report provides information in relation to business and budget performance as at the end of July 2020. The first four months of 2020/21 have been significantly and fundamentally impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with MVDC prioritising work to support residents, business and the wider community, as well as its own activities being directly affected by the coronavirus restrictions. This report puts current performance into this context. As expected, performance levels have been impacted and this report provides details of this. This report presents the position as at the end of July 2020, and reflects the government guidance in relation to coronavirus in place at that time. Future business and budget monitoring reports throughout the remainder of 2020/21 will assist in charting the continued impact on, and recovery, of performance. Mole Valley’s Council Strategy 2019-24 is framed around three priority outcomes:

• Community Wellbeing – active communities and support for those who need it • Environment – a highly attractive area with housing that meets local need • Prosperity – a vibrant local economy with thriving towns and villages

This report reflects the decision made by Council in July 2020 to update the Council Strategy, and the decision made by Cabinet in July 2020 to update the 2020/21 Annual Plan objectives and the suite of Performance Indicators. A ‘dashboard’ summary is provided for each of the three priorities, highlighting progress on the current status of Annual Plan objectives and performance indicators relating to each priority theme (Appendix A). The report also includes the financial position on revenue and capital, with explanations provided for any significant variances in Section 1.3 of the report. The appendices include a summary of the revenue financial position (Appendix B), and a summary of the capital financial position (Appendix C).

1.1 ANNUAL PLAN OBJECTIVES Successful delivery of the Council’s Annual Plan objectives is fundamental to achieving the Council Strategy priority outcomes. The Performance dashboard (Appendix A) provides a snapshot of progress against the objectives in the Annual Plan. Commentary is provided where progress is below target. As a result of the current and potential future impact of the coronavirus pandemic, each objective within the Annual Plan was reviewed and a report was taken to Cabinet in July setting out a number of changes. Amendments were proposed to a few objectives and a number of objectives were deferred. These will be reconsidered as the true costs of coronavirus, and the options open to the Council, are understood. One additional objective was included to ‘Implement a series of actions that will support the

Mole Valley community, residents and businesses as they move through the recovery phase following the coronavirus pandemic.’ A section relating to the recovery work is now included at the beginning of the dashboard at Appendix A. This explains in more detail the activities that MVDC has been prioritising in recent months. As this element of the dashboard provides a factual update on actions taken in response to the changing situation, a ‘progress status’ is not included. It has been a priority for MVDC to direct resources towards recovery work that supports residents and businesses in Mole Valley during this time. This has had a knock-on impact in relation to a number of objectives, as staff have be reassigned to recovery work. In some cases this is a contributing factor to those objectives showing as slightly behind or delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. In spite of the challenges MVDC has faced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, all Annual Plan objectives are either making progress towards achieving their target (green) or very slightly off target (amber). Areas not directly disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic have continued to perform on track. For example, in relation to the Homelessness Strategy, the review work has been completed and the Strategy is being written and is on track to be brought to Cabinet for approval later in the year. Additionally, the waste and street cleaning contractors, Amey, have continued to deliver a high standard of service throughout lockdown and have adapted to work with the challenges faced during this time. This has been acknowledged by the community by way of postcards and thank you notes left out for the crew. In line with government guidance and to ensure the safety of our community, a number of activities have been put on hold, including falls prevention classes, the ‘Men in Sheds’ project, and youth holiday activities. There are plans to re-establish these services as soon as it is safe to do so and therefore these objectives are being reported as slightly off target (amber). The widespread uptake of furlough, an uncertain economic outlook and disruptive effect of the pandemic has also led to the timescales for project delivery having to be replanned. Further detail on progress made against all 2020/21 Annual Plan objectives can be found at Appendix A. 1.2 PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Cabinet in July approved an amended suite of Performance Indicators (PIs) for 2020/21 following a review to ensure they remain relevant to the changing situation in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. In order to chart progress during the recovery phase, a number of PIs that are managed internally have now been included. Examples include housing benefit claims, the timely payment of invoices, Environmental Health inspections and numbers of households in emergency accommodation. Their addition will enable Cabinet to focus on both strategic and operational issues throughout the year. Targets have deliberately not been changed in order that we can chart the impact of the pandemic on performance and on MVDC’s support to residents, businesses and the wider community. Additional information has been provided in a detailed performance indicator report. This is published on the MVDC website. The additional information and data provided by this report complements the performance dashboard in charting progress during the recovery phase.

The Council’s priority during the first four months of the year has necessarily been in response to the pandemic. In spite of this, all statutory services have continued to be delivered, and performance has remained on target for over half of the PIs. They include in areas such as telecare, planning and the response by the Joint Enforcement Team to reports of anti-social behavior such as flytipping and abandoned vehicles. As expected, the pandemic has impacted on performance in other areas. At a general level, calls to the customer service team have increased significantly in both volume and complexity. Whilst calls are not being answered as quickly as usual, the team are currently maintaining the level of performance in terms of being able to respond effectively to the customer. There has clearly been increased demand in some areas, such as in the numbers of households supported in Bed and Breakfast and emergency accommodation as work was undertaken to ensure rough sleepers were provided with a safe place to live. In other areas, such as in the collection of council tax and business rates, whilst current collection rates are below target, officers are working to provide support and guidance to residents and businesses who are finding themselves in financial difficulty. Some elements of the Council’s activities have not been permitted in line with government guidance. This has affected performance in areas such as holiday activities for children and young people (not permitted due to social distancing) and increasing the number of water refill stations (many business have been closed and, for some businesses, their covid-secure risk assessments have not permitted them to refill. This reflects concerns around hygiene standards in relation to potential virus transmission when refilling a water bottle for a member of the public. In summary, there are 33 performance indicators (PIs) for which a target has been set and 4 PIs that are ‘context indicators’. The carbon reduction PI target will be agreed as part of the Climate Change Strategy. At the end of July 2020, of the 29 performance indicators for which we have information, performance is assessed as follows:

o PIs on or above target (green): 17 (58.6%) o PIs slightly off target (amber): 1 (3.4%) o PIs off target (red): 11 (37.9%)

Commentary is included in the appendices where progress is below target. With regards to the remaining four PIs the data will be provided later in the year. MVDC’s Housing Delivery Test result for 2020 will be available early 2021, the Mole Valley youth council have not yet met in 2020/21 due to the coronavirus, and the annual surveys of Dorking town centre and the Transform Leatherhead project will take place in the new year. Whilst many of the PIs are new for 2020/21, there is comparative information available for 17 PIs. Comparing this year’s performance with the same period last year for these PIs, nearly two-thirds have either performed better or stayed at similar levels. Progress for each PI is included in the relevant themed dashboard (Appendix A), with further information and data provided in the detailed performance indicator report on the MVDC

website. The opportunity is being taken as part of this report to amend the target for the Housing Delivery Test PI. To maintain the supply of housing, the Government requires local planning authorities to monitor progress in building out sites that have permission. Where the Housing Delivery Test indicates that delivery has fallen below 95% of the local planning authority’s housing requirement over the previous three years, the authority should prepare an action plan in line with national planning guidance, to assess the causes of under delivery and identify actions to increase delivery in future years. A target of 96% is therefore recommended so the authority can monitor how well it is doing in relation to government expectation. Further detail on progress made against the 2020/21 Performance Indicators can be found at Appendix A. 1.3 FINANCIAL MONITORING Revenue The Council’s net revenue budget is £10.3 million and the current outturn projection is a £740,000 net overspend (7.2%). The projected outturn includes £445,000 of deferred annual plan expenditure that was agreed by Cabinet Members, in response to the additional resourcing and financial pressures of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020/21. In addition to this, Cabinet Members also agreed to defer planned use of the Regeneration Reserve of £125,000, so the total annual plan expenditure that has been deferred for 2020/21 is £570,000. The significant variances on revenue budgets are as follows:

£000 Reasons for the variance

(3,577) Projected net additional income on Corporate Costs, reflecting the support to local authorities that has been announced by the government, so far.

1,441 Projected under-recovery of income on Parking due to having suspended charges for these services until early July due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ongoing working from home arrangements and government guidance to use alternatives to public transport wherever possible has reduced commuter car parking as well. This loss of income has been forecast within the overall picture of coronavirus costs which has been reported to the government. The changing income will be monitored closely and any adjustments to the profile will be reflected in future monitoring and reported accordingly.

1,227 Projected net overspend on Community Safety and Wellbeing. There is a projected under-recovery of income of £861,000 from management fees from both the Dorking and Leatherhead leisure centres plus £200,000 of associated recovery costs related to enabling the reopening of the centres following the coronavirus. Detailed negotiations with the centre operators succeeded in reducing the initial cost projections to the Council and it is anticipated that the operating costs to the centres will become cost neutral by the end of the financial year, the future position of a management fee however is still uncertain. This position has been factored into the overall costs of coronavirus which have been reported to the government. The performance of

£000 Reasons for the variance the centres will continue to be monitored monthly and adjustments to the forecasts made as appropriate. There is also a projected overspend on community grants of £135,000. The response from the communities in Mole Valley in supporting vulnerable residents through the coronavirus has been overwhelming. A decision was made to provide a temporary Emergency Response grant scheme available to those organisations who were setting up or extending their community response. This overspend relates to the funds being made available for payment of these emergency grants. Over 40 grants have been paid out for amounts up to £5,000. The scheme came to an end at the end of July in line with the government's shielding programme pausing.

800 Projected net under-recovery of income on Dorking Halls. Dorking Halls was required to close until 4th July, and this resulted in a total loss of income for the first quarter of the year. As at the end of July, there remains: (a) considerable uncertainty as to the duration and extent of the required social distancing requirements (b) when/whether the 'blockbuster' films will be released (c) when /whether live shows, including panto, will be able to take place.

The forecast fall in net income of £800,000 this financial year, is on the basis of: (a) social distancing is no longer required by Christmas which means that live shows can resume in January 2021 although with 50% reduced attendances (b) the cafe reopens fully and as normal by Christmas (c) to reflect the ongoing delay to the 'blockbuster' release schedule (d) Dorking Halls is not required to close again in response to any local or national lockdown measures.

416 Projected net overspend on Housing due to the additional bed and breakfast and private rented sector housing expenditure during the coronavirus pandemic.

409 Projected net under-recovery of rental income on Property and Regeneration of £460,000 due to the coronavirus pandemic, partially mitigated by not backfilling a vacant post.

(183) Projected net underspend due to turnover of staff and unfilled vacancies in the Strategic Leadership Team and in Customer Services.

(157) Projected net underspend on ICT, mainly due to the deferral of the digital strategy element of the annual plan of £190,000.

146 Projected net under-recovery of income on Environmental Health and Licensing mainly due to an estimated 25% reduction for licence fee income due to the coronavirus pandemic.

113 Projected net overspend on Building Control, due to a reduced level of income, arising from a combination of the recent effect of coronavirus, and the ongoing impact of private sector competition.

A summary of the revenue financial position by business area is included in Appendix B.

Capital The Council has a capital programme of £12.9 million and the current outturn projection is a £90,000 net underspend (0.7%). The significant variances on revenue budgets are as follows:

£000 Reasons for the variance

(90) Projected net underspend on capitalised salaries due to some delays in spend due to the additional resourcing pressures of coronavirus and therefore less input needed from officers.

A summary of the capital financial position by scheme is included in Appendix C. 1.4 STRATEGIC RISK There are ten strategic risks that are being closely and actively managed by the Strategic Leadership team. The matrix below summarises these risks, and shows the risk rating for each after mitigation. Further information on the Strategic Risk Register, and actions being taken to mitigate each risk, is available on the MVDC website.

PRO

BABI

LITY

Highly probable

5

C9

Probable 4

C1d, C4d, C7

Likely 3

C8 C3 C1

Possible 2

C4b, C4c C5

Remote 1

Insignificant

1 Minor

2 Moderate

3 Major

4 Catastrophic

5

IMPACT

Since the Register was presented to Cabinet on 16 July 2020, the financial sustainability risk has been reviewed following the announcement of, (up to), a further £3m of one-off Government funding in July 2020. This reduces the immediate risk to reserves, and pushes possible crystallisation of the risk further into the future. However, the residual risk remains as identified, in the absence of ongoing Government support in future years. Audit Committee considered a report on strategic risk at their meeting on 30 July 2020. There were no matters that the Committee wished to draw to the attention of the Chief Executive or Cabinet.

C1 Financial Sustainability C1d Loss of rental income from key properties C3 Health and Safety C4b IT – hacking C4c IT – resilience C4d Document Management System C5 Data Protection/Information Governance C7 Organisational capacity to deliver C8 Safeguarding C9 Climate Change

Financial implications The Council’s net revenue budget is £10.3 million and the current outturn projection is a £740,000 net overspend (7.2%). The projected overspend is within the range estimated in the report that was presented to Cabinet in July 2020 and actions continue to be taken to minimise the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, whilst maintaining service levels. Any actual overspend on revenue at outturn would need to be financed from reserves. Outturn overspends are usually financed from General Fund balances. The projected position on General Fund balances are currently £2 million. The S151 Officer has determined that General Fund balances should be maintained at a minimum level of £2 million. The projected overspend of £740,000 can therefore not be accommodated within General Fund balances without them falling below the minimum level, so would need to be financed from releasing some earmarked reserves back to General Fund balances. The Council currently has earmarked reserves of £7.7 million, which is more than sufficient to cover the projected outturn overspend for 2020/21. The Council has a capital programme of £12.9 million and the current outturn projection is a £90,000 net underspend (0.7%). Any actual underspend on capital at outturn would result in a lower financing requirement, so less use of capital reserves would be needed. Any actual overspend on capital at outturn would result in an additional use of reserves. Legal implications

There are no direct legal implications regarding the request to note this report. Legal advice will be provided on the projects referred to as appropriate. Risk Implications This report provides an update on progress made to date in relation to achieving the Annual Plan objectives and Performance Indicators for 2020/21. It also provides an update on any variances in the budget. It provides information on where performance is below target and where there are projected variances in the budget. The report provides the opportunity for discussion of the reasons given and the mitigation in place. OPTIONS The Cabinet has 2 options for consideration. • Option 1: note the Council’s performance and projected financial position (subject to any

comments made) and approve the change to the Housing Delivery Test performance indicator target or:

• Option 2: note the Council’s performance and projected financial position (subject to any

comments made) and recommended change to the Housing Delivery Test performance indicator target and requests further work by officers on the performance indicator target.

There are no risks associated with option 1, and provides the opportunity to bring the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) in line with Government guidance. There are no additional risks associated with the HDT target change as the previous target of 100% and the new of 96% are still a ‘pass’.

Option 2 provides Cabinet Members with the opportunity to request further work in relation to the Housing Delivery Test target. This risks a delay in bringing MVDCs target in line with the Government guidance. CORPORATE IMPLICATIONS Monitoring Officer commentary The Monitoring Officer confirms all relevant legal implications have been taken into account.

S151 Officer commentary The report identifies that ‘the most likely’ outturn on the Council’s revenue budget in 2020/21, following the coronavirus lockdown, and its ongoing impact, is an overspending of £0.74m. This net position represents a gross overspending of around £4.5m, offset by anticipated Government support of around £3.75m. It is important to recognise that a number of the assumptions underpinning this forecast are still subject to a significant level of uncertainty. These include:

• The future evolution of the Coronavirus pandemic. The forecast currently assumes no ‘second spike’ or local Mole Valley lockdown, but also no vaccine rolled out in 2020/21.

• The future level of demand for homeless prevention services, particularly, perhaps, after the ending of the Government’s furlough scheme.

• The extent and rate of recovery of parking fees. • The extent and rate of return to ‘normal’ operation of Dorking Halls. • The extent and rate of return to ‘normal’ operation of Leatherhead Leisure Centre and

Dorking Sports Centre. • The possible loss of currently deferred rent from the Council’s property portfolio.

In addition to these very material assumptions, most Council fees and charges are, to a degree, affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Consequently, given these uncertainties, a more realistic statement of the Council’s likely revenue spending in 2020/21 is an overspending of between £0.5m and £1.5m. This can be accommodated within available unallocated reserves. These issues will continue to have to have an ongoing impact in 2021/22, along with current year shortfalls in Council Tax and Business Rates collection, which will not impact on Council resources until next year. These will be considered as part of developing a new Medium Term Financial Strategy, and consequent 2021/22 budget, over the coming autumn and winter.

Equalities Implications There are no equalities issues arising as a direct result of this report. Employment and resource implications There are no employment issues arising as a direct result of this report.

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

Consultation Not applicable

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

BACKGROUND PAPERS None

                                                                  

                                      

                  

 

                                           

                                                 

   

                                                   

                                                     

APPENDIX A Implement a series of actions that will support the Mole Valley community,residents and businesses as they move through the recovery phasefollowing the coronavirus pandemic

Recovery Area Progress Overview Community Wellbeing Recovery work has focused primarily on 4 areas, homelessness and support to rough sleepers, Mole Valley Life services recovery, Leisure Centres and

Dorking Halls plans for re-opening and support to the voluntary sector.33 rough sleepers were assisted into accommodation during the lockdown period, all of whom have been given the opportunity for permanent and supportedaccommodation into the future. Community Transport and the Fairfield Centre were considered to be an important aspect of social interaction for some of Mole Valley's most vulnerable andisolated individuals, however these services can only resume when safe to do so. All guidance is being considered and partners are being consulted inmaking plans. During lockdown, MV Life staff remained in contact with all members of the Fairfield Centre and the Community Transport service in order toensure they had access to essential provisions and to check on their welfare.All risk assessments were undertaken in order that Dorking Halls was able to reopen for cinema viewings from 4th July. Negotiations to enable the opening of both of the Council's leisure centres were successful and a staged reopening of both facilities began on 3rd August.Community and voluntary organisations across Mole Valley have provided immense support to local residents in respect of shopping, medicine collections andgeneral welfare. This network of local support has been invaluable to the community throughout this pandemic response. MVDC established a Covid Emergency Grant scheme to help support those organisations to either continue to operate or expand their offer during that time. Over 40 organisations were supported with around £140k to enable them to continue that support.

Environment The key focus has continued to be on the development of the Mole Valley District Council Climate Change Strategy. Discussions are ongoing amongstcouncillors and with community groups through the Mole Valley Environment Forum to inform the creation of a Strategy and Action Plan which will set thedirection and first steps towards Mole Valley District Council becoming Carbon Neutral by 2030. Our Refuse and Recycling Service has maintained a highlevel of service throughout the period since lockdown started, and the work of our refuse and recycling crews and street cleaning teams during this time hasbeen recognised by our community. The Environmental Health Service has continued to deal with the increase in nuisance bonfires caused by inappropriatedisposal of rubbish, as well as assisting businesses comply with the legislation for keeping safe We are experiencing a high level of demand for our parksand open spaces which means that bins are filling up quicker than normal. We are working to respond to this increased demand. Heritage open days havecontinued to be planned on a virtual basis allowing residents to continue to experience the historic environment.

Prosperity The first phase of the discretionary grant fund has been completed with more than 70 businesses receiving funds totaling £681,000. This is in addition to the government's Small Business, and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants scheme, which saw over 1,400 grants awarded totalling more than £18 million. A second round of applications for the discretionary scheme has been invited - deadline being noon 28 August. As recommended by MHCLG guidance published on 13 May "Safer Public Places - Urban Centres and Green Spaces", MVDC has been working to ensure that businesses and public spaces in our town and village centres - Ashtead, Bookham, Dorking, Fetcham and Leatherhead have re-opened in a covid-secure manner and support social distancing.MVDC engaged with key stakeholders on behalf of residents and businesses to identify proposals which were compatible with the objectives of the Departmentof Transport 'Active Travel' initiative and anticipate that the first of the Active Travel schemes will be implemented in four of the five town and village centres

in August. With the support of the MHCLG 'Reopening High Streets Safely Fund' allocation of £77,000, a multi-channel communications campaign branded'Mole Valley Together' has been launched. It seeks to showcase the good practice covid-secure measures that have been implemented to reassure residentsthat their local High Street is ready to welcome them back and to remind them of the role they play, as well as to signpost businesses to business supportservices. A skills and job initiative with the Department of Work and Pensions and local employers is being evaluated with a view to launching this Autumn.

Council Services Most staff continue to work from home most of the time. However, staff do work from Park House, Pippbrook and the depot as required. While the Helpshopand reception at Pippbrook remain closed, appointments can be set up where this is the only effective way to assist a resident. Where necessary, districtbased patrols, visits and inspections have been re-introduced.

            

  

 

                               

                

                      

                        

                          

            

           

              

                       

              

                      

               

                            

            

 

                                            

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

Annual Plan 2020/21 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) Enhance work around falls prevention anddementia support for sufferers and theircarers, and develop activities that focus onreducing social isolation, and thedevelopment of a skill

During the coronavirus pandemic, services and projects have been scaled back,such as falls prevention classes. However, work has been ongoing with NHSand Surrey County Council around an approach to falls and frailty supportedMole Valley Life home technology service to maintain independence.

There are plans to re-establish those servicesthat have been affected by the coronavirus assoon as it is safe to do so

Continue to work with partners to develop amasterplan for a community hub in NorthLeatherhead

The Diocese invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) in relation to the NorthLeatherhead Trinity Centre. MVDC submitted an EOI, which has resulted inMVDC being invited to bid, together with other shortlisted parties. Bids are required by 25 September with exchange and completion no earlier than 15January 2021. The Diocese will be releasing a decision matrix no later than 31 July. MVDC is to undertake a further site visit the week commencing 27 July. If MVDC wishes to submit a bid, a report to September Cabinet (as landowner)

and to October Council (for capital funding) will be required.

Other parties have been shortlisted and invited tosubmit bids. Preparing a bid and running the

transaction will incur professional costs(estimated £15k). Further detailed work with various interested potential occupiers to establishthe uses and rental/hiring income potential is

required. Council capital funding approval maynot be obtained.

Publish and implement a new HomelessnessStrategy, setting out how the Council will helpthose threatened with or experiencing

homelessness in the District over the next 5 years

The review work has been completed and the Strategy is being written. Thiswork is on track and will be brought to the Cabinet for decision in the autumn.

Develop a plan for leisure and tourism acrossMVDC

The work on this plan was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Consideration of the plan will reflect the requirements of the recovery phasefrom the coronavirus pandemic and its practical implications for future delivery ofthe Council's aspirations in relation to leisure and tourism.

The timescale for the development of this planhas been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.However, work is underway and a report is due

to be brought to Cabinet later in the year.

Work with partners including the voluntarysector to enable the provision of holiday anddiversionary youth activities across MoleValley’s recreation grounds

All preparatory work was carried out and implementation was scheduled for theEaster Holidays. These activities were not able to go ahead due to thecoronavirus pandemic for Easter or the Summer holidays.Consideration forOctober half term will be considered in line with government covid-19 guidance.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, these activitiescould not go ahead as originally planned

              

                   

              

 

                                      

             

              

                  

            

                                      

 

                                                      

 

          

                   

                        

 

                       

 

 

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

Annual Plan 2020/21 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) Work with Surrey County Council to promotea campaign to discourage littering fromvehicles

Following the successful delivery of the campaign during February and March2020, it is intended that the scheme will be repeated later in 2020/21, althoughwith a different approach being taken to delivery. MVDC continues to work with the Surrey Environment Partnership to promote a broad range of anti-litteringcampaigns throughout the year. MVDC is also working with Surrey CountyCouncil to agree a location for roadside anti-littering signage.

Work was delayed due to the availability of the contractors undertaking this workduring the coronavirus lockdown. Since lockdown has eased, contractors have

put a programme in place to catch up on the work affected by the delay.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a delay inthis work progressing in the initial months of the year. Work is underway to recruit to a vacantpost to take this area of work forward in-house.

The Grounds Maintenance contract has performed well during the recent period,

Complete the assessment of high risk trees,and undertake the mapping and assessmentof medium risk trees on Mole Valley DistrictCouncil land Continue to deliver a high standard ofmaintenance of our open spaces, including areview of options for the delivery of the

grounds maintenance contract from January2022. This will be informed by feedback fromresidents and consider the possible inclusionof Surrey County Council highways verges

and has maintained service standards during the initial periods of thelockdown. The easing of lockdown has led to a significant increase in littering,and this appears to be a national issue. We have been working with ourcontractors (both in our parks and open spaces and on our streets) to respondto this demand, to provide increased litter picking and bin emptying resources. Work has commenced on an analysis of options for the future delivery of theGrounds Maintenance Contract when the current contract expires in December2021 and a report will be developed for consideration by Cabinet later in the autumn.

An Interim Local Development Scheme was adopted in July 2020. This includesContinue work to develop a proposedSubmission Draft Local Plan amendment of the plan period from 2018-2033 to 2020-2037 in response to

updated national planning policy. A full updated Local Development Scheme isdue to be considered by Cabinet in November 2020. This will confirm theprogramme for preparation of the Submission Draft Local Plan, allowing forupdating of the evidence base in response to matters raised through theFeb/March 2020 Regulation 18 consultation and for continued engagement withstakeholders on strategic matters under the Duty to Cooperate.

Mole Valley's Affordable Housing Strategy and action plan were adopted byCabinet on 16th June 2020. The Strategy also provides an important evidencebase for the under-preparation Future Mole Valley Local Plan in relation to theanalysis of housing need and past delivery of affordable homes in the District.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to an increase in the amount of waste

Implement the Affordable Housing Strategy,enabling the provision of affordable housingthat meets local need

Work with Surrey Environment Partnership topromote recycling and reuse of waste to

increase the percentage of waste that iscollected for recycling

generated from residents as a result of the lockdown and home workingarrangements across the Country. This has led to a change in the waste stream. There has been an increase in overall waste, both general waste andrecycling, with a significant increase in green waste which will contribute to anincrease in recycling. The collection of textiles and WEEE (electrical products)was temporarily halted which will have impacted negatively on the figures. Performance will need to be fully analysed to understand the impact oflockdown on the waste systems. The SEP continues to promote recycling and re-use.

               

 

                    

                  

                            

  

           

                       

Annual Plan 2020/21 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) Monitor delivery of the waste and streetcleaning contract and intervene whennecessary to ensure the services aredelivered efficiently and effectively withinbudget

Amey have performed well throughout the recent period. They maintained highstandards of service provision, and took early action to recruit additionaltemporary staff to ensure that as far as possible, services were not affected bythe coronavirus pandemic. New methods of working had to be developed tominimise the amount of close contact working between crews. They havemaintained high standards of service throughout the period, and the work that the crews undertake has been recognised by the community. The pictures,posters and thank you messages left out for the crews are now on the walls inthe Dorking Depot.We continue to work with Joint Waste Solutions to monitor the performance ofthe contract. In the first period of the year performance has remained strong,including through the implementation of round changes in the District during May

Work towards being carbon neutral by 2030by setting out the principles to be adopted.This will involve working in partnership withorganisations across Surrey and with otheragencies to identify external funding toachieve implementation of actions

Work is ongoing to develop a Climate Change Strategy. A draft strategy isbeing developed in consultation with the Environment Forum, consisting ofrepresentatives of various environmental groups in Mole Valley and Members. The strategic objectives for the Strategy were agreed by Cabinet in June.

                  

 

                     

 

                                  

                          

                                                  

                           

         

                                           

           

            

             

                       

   

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

Annual Plan 2020/21 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) Promote Mole Valley as a place to dobusiness, including delivery of a range ofbusiness events and support for businessesin Mole Valley

The pandemic has halted the planned monthly Network and Learn events in 2020/21 and the planned Business Hothouse programme of bootcamps andseminars is also on hold at present. However, in response to the Covid-19crisis, the Leatherhead & District Chamber of commerce announced on 26thMarch 2020 that, with the support of Mole Valley District Council, it wasexpanding to incorporate Mole Valley as a whole and rebranded as Mole ValleyChamber and has delivered a wide range of seminars on a weekly basis. The planned training by Clockwork City and The Retail Group was redesigned andrepurposed for virtual delivery and to better reflect the needs of the businesscommunity during and to recover from, the coronavirus pandemic. Regularengagement has been taking place with Coast to Capital LEP and Surrey CountyCouncil.

Achieve the 2020/21 milestones forTransform Leatherhead

A new partner for the redevelopment of Claire House and James House is required to deliver the consented scheme. The delivery strategy has beenreviewed by the agent and, based on current and forecast market conditions, itis anticipated that the scheme will not be be marketed until the Autumn, andpossibly not till Spring 2021. The internal layout of the ground floor commercialand community space is in the final design stage and detailed design of thetemporary car park has also been progressed in the interim. The companyappointed to advise on the procurement of a development partner for the Swan Centre and Bull Hill made the specialist team advising MVDC redundant as aresult of the pandemic. An alternative agent has now been appointed to continuethe project. This has added four months to the project timetable and, as a

result, it is anticipated that the scheme will not be taken to market until Spring2021. The Bull Hill scheme was included in the regulation 18 Local Planconsultation held in Feb-March 2020 and in the absence of a developmentpartner, further work may be required to promote the site for inclusion as astrategic housing site in the regulation 19 draft Local Plan. The procurement of the Riverside Park landscape architect and associated multi-disciplinary teamhas also been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic; it is anticipated that this willbe out for procurement in Autumn 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic and wider economicand property market impacts have had, andcontinue to have, a material impact on theoriginal delivery timetable for TransformLeatherhead.

Achieve the 2020/21 milestones forOpportunity Dorking

The disruptive effect of the coronavirus pandemic has meant that the majority ofthe planned evidence gathering and baseline work (occupier study, car parkutilisation and pedestrian comfort assessment) is no longer appropriate to becommissioned in 20/21. Stakeholder engagement will take place as planned. MVDC is working closely with Dorking Town Partnership as it moves into thesecond half of its 5 year term, and is undertaking the preparatory work tounderpin a landlord engagement programme to bring together pop-up or'meanwhile' uses of vacant units as a way of mitigating the impact of vacantunits on the vitality and vibrancy of the town centre. Two key developmentprojects, Pippbrook House and the Foundry are progressing, with reports toCabinet targeted for Autumn 2020. The digital skills training offer to Dorking businesses has completed.

The activities originally planned for OpportunityDorking are no longer appropriate.However workto support our town centres, including Dorking, isbeing delivered as part of the Prosperity

Recovery workstream funded through theReopening High Streets Safely Fund.

Continue to deliver the car parkrefurbishment programme, with completion ofworks to Ashtead Peace Memorial Car Park

Completion of works to Ashtead Peace Memorial car park with the installation ofElectric Vehicle charge points and free parking bays has been achieved. Consideration is being given to the ability to proceed with more of therefurbishment programme in light of the Council's financial pressures as a resultof the coronavirus pandemic.

            

 

                                                

   

 

Annual Plan 2020/21 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) Work with Surrey County Council, serviceproviders, residents and businesses toimprove digital connectivity in poorly servedrural areas of Mole Valley

This project was scheduled to have been launched in 2020/21 through apresentation at Denbies by the Superfast broadband team and a speaker fromCGI's 5G team at a Mole Valley Chamber event. The event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and no further work has been undertaken as aresult of resources being diverted elsewhere. This work needs to be replanned for delivery later in 2020/2021.

We are exploring virtual delivery of this event andplanning a targeted campaign to highlight the

availability of government schemes forbusinesses and residents in rural areas. This is also a priority area for the government, with anew task force being announced by thedepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,which will support delivery of this objective.

                      

 

                                    

                         

           

COUNCIL ARRANGEMENTS: Contributing to the delivery of all Councilpriorities

Annual Plan 2020/21 Objective Progress Overview Status Commentary (when amber or red) Develop and invest in digital transformation toachieve better customer service, increase

efficiency and reduce costs where there is aclear business case

The migration to the Firmstep Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) systemis due to be completed by October, which will enable improved services to bedelivered by our customer services team, and teams across the authority.

Importantly, it will allow a greater number of transactions to be undertakenonline, providing residents with the opportunity to access more services 24/7. Work to develop the increased range of forms will continue into the future. Options for the replacement of the Document Management System in Planninghave been agreed, and a plan for the replacement of the DMS in Benefits

and Revenues is being considered.

Both of these teams are experiencing asignificant workload as a consequence of thecoronavirus pandemic and this is forecast tocontinue through the autumn and into the winterwhich is causing a capacity issue for procuring anew solution.

              

             

             

                   

                  

                

     

               

                 

  

 

COMMUNITY WELLBEING PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance Indicator Status Commentary Time taken to assess new Housing Benefit Green claims Time taken to assess Housing Benefit Green change of circumstances Telecare Service – customer satisfaction Green score following use of alarm service Percentage of Telecare calls answeredwithin 60 seconds

Green

Number of households in Bed & Breakfast accommodation Number of households in emergencyaccommodation Number of homelessness preventions andrelief Youth Voice: number of schools/organisations represented on theMole Valley youth council Number of young people taking part inholiday activities programme

Data Only

Data Only

Data Only

Unknown

Red

Please see the Performance Indicators Report on thePerformance page for further information on this PI.

Please see the Performance Indicators Report on thePerformance page for further information on this PI. Please see the Performance Indicators Report on thePerformance page for further information on this PI. The Mole Valley youth council have not yet met in2020/21 due to the coronavirus.

It is unclear as to whether the holiday activitiesprogramme will be permitted given governmentguidance around social distancing. If it can go ahead,MVDC would work with partners to establish

activities in the October holiday period as this couldsupport the community in recovering from the impactsof the pandemic.

Percentage of eligible cases responded to in Green 2 working days by the Joint EnforcementTeam Percentage of unrated food premises Performance as at Q4 2019/20 (the latest availableinspected including registered premises not data).yet trading Percentage of category A and B (food Red Performance as at Q4 2019/20 (the latest availablehygiene) risk premises inspected within 28 data). 29 of 34 premises have been inspected. 5days (of the inspection becoming due) inspections not completed due to business having

coronavirus policies in place and not allowingvisitors/agencies on site. These businesses havebeen contacted and advised as per Food StandardsAgency guidance.

Green

                   

                   

                    

              

    

              

               

                  

    

                  

    

                

ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance Indicator Status Commentary Percentage of identified high risk trees Red A contractor has been engaged to bring the work oninspected within designated timeframes high risk trees up to target. Percentage of remedial work completed on Red A contractor has been engaged to bring the work onidentified high risk trees high risk trees up to target. Percentage of planning enforcement Green investigations commenced within timeframe Speed of determining applications for major Green development Speed of determining applications for minor Green development Speed of determining applications for other Green development Housing Delivery Test Unknown MVDC’s 2020 Housing Delivery Test (HDT) result will

be available early 2021.

Number of affordable homes completed Red 13 affordable homes were completed during Q12020/21. The annual target is 50 based on theadopted Core Strategy policy CS4. The newlyadopted Affordable Housing Strategy should have apositive impact on Affordable Housing going forward.

Number of missed bins per 100,000 Green Performance as at February 2020 (the latest availablecollections data). Percentage of waste sent for recycling, reuse Green Performance as at Q3 2019/20 (the latest availableand composting data).

The coronavirus pandemic has led to an increase inthe amount of waste generated from residents as aresult of the lockdown and home workingarrangements across the country; this will bereflected in future reports.

Residual waste per household Green Performance as at Q3 2019/20 (the latest availabledata). MVDC is aware that more recently there hasbeen an increase in the amount of waste generatedfrom residents as a result of the lockdown and home working arrangements across the Country.Performance will need to be fully analysed tounderstand the impact of lockdown on the waste systems.

Percentage of environmental permitting Performance as at Q4 2019/20 (the latest availableregulation inspections undertaken data). 21 of 27 premises inspected. 6 inspections

unable to be carried out due to the coronavirus.

Red

                   

   

                        

Performance Indicator Status Commentary Number of additional businesses signed up Red Engagement with retailers to set up new water refillto the water Refill scheme points was suspended during the lockdown period

and has currently not resumed. Whilst retailers arenow opening, it is likely there will be hygieneconcerns in handling and filling used water bottlesdue to the ongoing pandemic. The position will bereviewed in the Autumn.

Reduction in the Council’s Carbon Footprint Unknown The carbon reduction targets will be agreed as part ofthe Climate Change Strategy.

               

               

               

              

                 

    

  

    

   

       

    

               

                      

 

                                

                     

                                

                     

PROSPERITY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance Indicator Status Commentary Percentage of council tax collected Red The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has had a

significant impact on the collection of Council Tax. Percentage of business rates collected Red The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has had a

significant impact on the collection of Business Rates. Percentage of licence applications issued Green Performance as at Q4 2019/20 (the latest availablewithin two weeks of being determined data). Number of business support events Green A series of monthly Business Networking Lunchdelivered events at Dorking Halls had been planned for the

year (two were held in February and March and wereattended by 60+ businesses each) but these have

been on hold since the start of lockdown. The Economic Development team is activelyparticipating in a series of recovery webinars hostedby the Mole Valley Chamber of Commerce includinga business advice panel on 20 May, a riskassessment for working safely during coronavirus on27 May and a presentation on responding to nationalcommercial trends, challenges and opportunities on17 June. The team also ran pop-in advice stalls inDorking and Leatherhead in the run up to 15 Junereopening day for retail businesses.A programme of digital skills training delivered by athird party provider was repurposed post-lockdownwhich resulted in 26 businesses receiving one to onesupport via phone and video conferencing platforms. Similarly, retails skills training has been delivered viawebinars and one to ones, reaching 20+ businesses.

Number of businesses participating in Green business support events Number of digital connectivity events Red No digital connectivity events have been delivered sodelivered far due to coronavirus. These public meetings will be

held later in the year if possible but alternative waysmay need to be found in order to involve residents,local community groups and telecoms providers indiscussions about the rollout of digital infrastructure.

The extent to which Dorking town centre is Unknown The Annual Survey would normally take place as partconsidered to meet the needs of residents, of planned public event or consultation rather thanworkers and visitors (1 being not at all and 5 rely on virtual engagement alone. It is not consideredvery well) likely that any such engagement will be able to take

place until Q4 20/21. The extent to which Transform Leatherhead Unknown The Annual Survey would normally take place as partis considered to be making progress towards of planned public event or consultation rather thanthe Masterplan vision (1 being not at all and rely on virtual engagement alone. It is not considered5 very well) likely that any such engagement will be able to take

place until Q4 20/21.

               

                  

                

  

  

 

             

GUIDING PRINCIPLES PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance Indicator Status Commentary Percentage of Environmental Health & Amber Performance as at Q4 2019/20 (the latest availableLicensing service requests actioned within 5 data).working days

We have identified the reasons for not achieving thetarget and performance is moving in the rightdirection.

Percentage of calls answered within 60 Red CSU has experienced an increase in call durationseconds by the Customer Services Unit which has almost doubled compared to last year.

Whilst this has affected the ability to meet the target,these calls have been understandably more complexthan usual as CSU spend more time helping andadvising customers. CSU has been continuing tomeet targets for resolving calls at first point of contact.

Percentage of enquiries resolved at first point Green of contact by the Customer Services Unit Percentage of invoices for commercial goodsand services that were paid by the council

Data Only Please see the Performance Indicators Report on thePerformance page for further information on this PI.

within 30 days of such invoice being receivedby the council

REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING 2020/21 APPENDIX B

As at end of July 2020

BudgetProjected

outturnVariance

from budget£000 £000 £000

Communications 312 298 (14)Councillor Watson Customer Services 512 419 (93)

Mole Valley Life 240 283 431,064 1,000 (64)

Climate Change & Environment 2,780 2,794 14Councillor Malcomson

Benefits 431 463 32Councillor Kendrick Corporate Costs 1,358 (2,219) (3,577)

Democratic Services 1,110 1,064 (46)Financial Services 426 416 (10)HR & Organisational Development 379 380 1ICT 1,432 1,275 (157)Legal Services 382 380 (2)Revenues & Exchequer 466 505 39Corp.Governance & Strategy 298 281 (17)Strategic Leadership Team 923 833 (90)

7,205 3,378 (3,827)

Community Safety & Wellbeing (115) 1,112 1,227Councillor Draper Dorking Halls 194 994 800

Parks & Landscapes 591 593 2670 2,699 2,029

Planning Building Control (79) 35 114Councillor M Cooksey Development Management 392 384 (8)

Planning Policy 606 638 32Planning Support 290 328 38

1,209 1,385 176

Property and Regeneration (2,150) (1,741) 409Councillor Vyvyan-Robinson

Economic Development 170 170 (0)Councillor Wellman Parking (1,840) (399) 1,441

(1,670) (229) 1,441

Environmental Health & Licensing 517 663 146Councillor Daly Housing 662 1,078 416

1,179 1,740 561

Total net services revenue 10,287 11,027 740

Wellbeing

Finance & Organisation

Environment

Community

Leisure

Projects

Sustainable Economy

CAPITAL PROGRAMME APPENDIX C

As at end of July 2020 Approved

budget Projected

spend

Variance from

budget

£000 £000 £000Major Projects (Multi-year)Asset Acquisition 1,875 1,875 - Car Park Enhancement (5 year project) 1,000 1,000 - Emergency Accomodation 1,100 1,100 - Joint Waste Solutions Vehicles 4,000 4,000 - Leatherhead Bypass Contingency - - - Meadowbank Soundbarrier (New) 190 190 - Swan Centre Development & Car Park 1,215 1,215 -

* Major projects completed this year - - -

Annual capital expenditure 2020/21Affordable Housing 1,400 1,400 - Capitalised Salaries 175 85 (90) Community Grants 124 124 - Developers Contribution 250 250 - Dial-a-Ride Vehicle Replacement 160 160 - Disability Adaptations 781 781 -

Playground Refurbishment 120 120 - Telecare Equipment 60 60 -

Total Major Projects 12,450 12,360 (90)

Minor ProjectsTotal Minor projects 492 492 - Minor projects completed this year - - -

Total Minor Projects 492 492 -

Total Capital Programme 12,942 12,852 (90)