Annual Report 2007-2008
Ashford Borough Council plays an instrumental role in
delivering local services and priorities within the borough of
Ashford; often working in partnership with a range of other
government, public, private and not for profit organisations.
As a council we have retained our plan-making and development
control powers so we can exercise genuine community leadership and
provide real democratic accountability for all the changes and
improvements that are taking place in the borough.
2007-2008 was another excellent year for the Council in relation
to the Best Value Performance Indicators and Local Performance
Indicators. For the Best Value Performance Indicators
approximately 85% were above, on or close to target whilst for our
Local Performance Indicators approximately 84% were above, on or
close to target.
The following tables provide the Council’s results for its Best
Value Performance Indicators and Local Performance Indicators
broken down by service area.
The table uses the standard traffic light system to indicate how
the result relates to its target. Green signifies on or above
target, yellow indicates near or close to target and red
indicates below target. Best Value Performance Indicators are
in bold and the performance indicator number starts with BV.
Corporate Core
|
Measure
|
Target
|
Result
|
|
BV 002a - The Level of the Equality Standard to which
the LA conforms (1-5, 5 being best)
|
2
|
 1
|
|
BV 002b - Duty to promote race equality -
checklist
|
74%
|
16%
|
|
BV 11a - Top 5% Earners that are women
|
30.00%
|
 25%
|
|
BV 011b - Top 5% of earners who are from a Black or
Ethnic Minority background
|
1.10%
|
0%
|
|
BV 011c - Top 5% Earners that class themselves as
disabled
|
4.83%
|
 7.14%
|
|
BV 012 - Working days lost due to sickness
(FTE)
|
8.34
|
7.88
|
|
BV 014 - Early retirement rate (excl ill
health)
|
0.17%
|
0.49%
|
|
BV 015 - Early retirement rate - ill health
|
0.10%
|
0%
|
|
BV16a - % Employees declaring Disability
|
3.89%
|
4.35%
|
|
BV16b % Economically active (age 18-64) disabled people
in borough
|
n/a
|
10.45%
|
|
BV17a % Employees from ethnic minority
|
1.10%
|
2%
|
|
BV17b % Economically active (age 18-64) ethnic minority
in borough
|
n/a
|
1.13%
|
|
BV 156 - Suitability of authorities buildings for the
disabled
|
70.58%
|
75.00%
|
|
BV 174 - Number of Racial Incidents (where the LA has
some direct involvement) per 100,000 population
|
n/a
|
8.91
|
|
BV 175 - Racial Incidents followed up
|
100%
|
100%
|
|
A1 - % of audit reports completed against plan
|
80.00%
|
85.29%
|
|
A2 - % of chargeable time achieved (time spent on audit
plan)
|
75.00%
|
78.85%
|
|
A4 - % satisfaction with internal audit
|
80.00%
|
87.18%
|
|
CH1a - Resignation rates of non-managerial posts
|
10.00%
|
13.88%
|
|
CH1b - Resignation rates of managerial posts
|
4.00%
|
6.11%
|
|
CP1 - % of staff who feel they are well informed about Council
activity
|
40.00%
|
23%
|
|
CP2 - % of staff who feel that Council communications are easy
to understand
|
55.00%
|
85%
|
|
CP4 - % of Communications and Marketing strategy action plan
completed
|
100.00%
|
78.57%
|
|
P&D3 - Overtime bill as percentage of total wage bill
|
1.00%
|
1.10%
|
|
PS 20 - % of commercial floor space let
|
90.00%
|
94%
|
|
PS 21 - Average number of void properties at Ellingham
|
≤5
|
3.6
|
|
PS22 – % of Annual Rent received commercial properties
|
95%
|
100%
|
Planning and Development
|
Measure
|
Target
|
Result
|
|
BV 106 - Number of new homes built on previously
developed land
|
94.00
|
40.70%
|
|
BV 109a - Major Planning Applications decided in 13
weeks
|
74.90%
|
74.39%
|
|
BV 109b - Minor Planning Applications determined in 8
weeks
|
81.07%
|
83.07%
|
|
BV 109c - Other Planning Applications determined in 8
weeks
|
91.39%
|
90.16%
|
|
BV200a - Authority has a local plan
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
BV200b - Have we met the milestones in the
LP
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
BV 204 - Percentage of planning appeals allowed against
refusal
|
40.00%
|
23.7%
|
|
BV205 - Quality of Services Checklist
|
100.00%
|
100%
|
|
BV 219b - Preserving the special nature of conservation
areas: Character Appraisals
|
32.56%
|
0%
|
|
BC1 - Percentage of plans checked within 15 days
|
100%
|
95.04%
|
|
BC3a - Percentage of letters answered in 10 days
|
80%
|
75.69%
|
|
BC3b - Percentage of letters answered in 15 days
|
100%
|
89.62%
|
|
BC 4a - Full plans acknowledged in 3 working days
|
80.00%
|
95.20%
|
|
BC 4b - Full plans acknowledged in 5 working days
|
100%
|
96.64%
|
|
BC 5 - Building Notices acknowledged in 2 days
|
100%
|
89.16%
|
|
DCSS4 - % of pre-application requests answered within 15 working
days
|
100%
|
71.05%
|
|
DCSS7 - % of submitted applications assessed for validity within
3 working days
|
100%
|
64.87%
|
|
DCSS10 - % of Certificates of Lawfulness (proposed) issued
within 10 working days
|
75%
|
23.64%
|
|
DCSS12 - % of representations acknowledged within 3 working
days
|
100%
|
91.11%
|
|
DCSS13 - % of sites visited within 28 days of planning
application being submitted
|
90%
|
88.91%
|
|
DCSS16 - % of decision notices issued within two working days of
decision being taken
|
100%
|
95.71%
|
|
DCSS19 - % of complaints responded to within 15 working days
|
100%
|
89.89%
|
|
LC1a - % of full searches carried out in 5 days
|
90%
|
46.11%
|
|
LC1b - % of full searches carried out in 8 days
|
100%
|
99.58%
|
Finance
|
Measure
|
Target
|
Result
|
|
BV 008 - Invoices paid on time
|
96.71%
|
91.41%
|
|
BV 009 - Council Tax Collected
|
98.40%
|
98.43%
|
|
BV 010 - Non Domestic Rates Collected
|
99.20%
|
99.23%
|
|
BV 076b - Benefit Claim Investigators (per 1000
caseload)
|
0.40
|
0.40
|
|
BV 076c - Number of fraud investigations per 1000
caseload
|
27.00
|
34.60
|
|
BV 076d - Benefit Fraud Prosecutions (per 1000
caseload)
|
5.31
|
3.90
|
|
BV 078a - Speed of Processing new claims
|
26.40
|
25.01
|
|
BV 078b - Speed of processing change of
circumstances
|
9.10
|
5.45
|
|
BV 079a - Accuracy of Benefit Claims
|
99.00%
|
97.80%
|
|
BV 079bi - % Recoverable Overpayments
recovered
|
79.39%
|
79.55%
|
|
BV 079bii - % of Recoverable Overpayments
Recovered: %
|
39.69%
|
34.15%
|
|
BV 079biii - % of recoverable overpayments recovered:
Written off
|
5%
|
0.84%
|
|
BV 226c - Total amount spent on advice & guidance -
direct provision by ABC
|
£0
|
£0
|
|
RB3 - Percentage of Correspondence replied to in 15 working
days
|
92.00%
|
97.69%
|
|
EX1 - Sundry Debtor Income
|
94.00%
|
awaiting result
|
|
EX2 - Number of working days from end of month before bank
reconciliation is completed
|
15
|
23.1
|
|
AC1 - Interest earned on savings
|
£1,440,000
|
£1,565,420.44
|
Environmental Services
|
Measure
|
Target
|
Result
|
|
BV82ai -% Household waste recycling
|
17%
|
15.66%
|
|
BV82aii - Tonnage of Household waste
recycling
|
6,500
|
6688.54
|
|
BV82bi - % of waste composting
|
5.00%
|
6.02%
|
|
BV82bii - Tonnage of Waste Composting
|
2,000
|
2572.16
|
|
BV84a - Household waste collected per head -
kg
|
393.6kg
|
384.2kg
|
|
BV84b - Household waste collected per head - % change in
kg per head
|
-3.74%
|
-6.85%
|
|
BV86 - Cost of waste collected per house
|
£39.48
|
£44.53
|
|
BV 091a - kerbside collection of at least one
recyclable
|
58.00%
|
57.40%
|
|
BV 091b - kerbside collection of at least two
recyclables
|
58.00%
|
57.40%
|
|
BV 126 - Domestic burglaries per 1,000
households
|
6.4
|
6.0
|
|
BV 127a - Violent Crime per 1000 population
|
12.4
|
14.4
|
|
BV 127b - Robberies per 1000 population
|
0.3
|
0.5
|
|
BV 128 - Vehicle Crime per 1,000 population
|
7.3
|
7.0
|
|
BV 166 - Environmental Health checklist
|
100.00%
|
94.2%
|
|
BV199a - Local Street & Environmental cleanliness -
Litter and Detritus
|
8.80%
|
8.0%
|
|
BV199b - Local Street & Environmental cleanliness -
Graffiti
|
1%
|
4.0%
|
|
BV199c - Local Street & Environmental cleanliness -
Fly posting
|
0%
|
0%
|
|
BV199d - Local Street & Environmental cleanliness -
Fly tipping (grade 1-4, 1 being best)
|
3
|
awaiting result
|
|
BV 216a - Identifying contaminated Land: Number of sites
of potential concern
|
1073.00
|
1070.00
|
|
BV216b - Identifying contaminated Land: No of
sites where sufficiently detailed information is available to
decide whether remediation of land is necessary
|
8.00%
|
4%
|
|
BV 217 - Pollution Control Improvement - % of pollution
control improvements to existing installations completed on
time
|
100.00%
|
100%
|
|
BV 218a - % of abandoned vehicle reports investigated
within 24 hours of notification
|
85.00%
|
95.29%
|
|
BV 218b - % of abandoned vehicle removed within 24 hours
from the point at which removal may occur
|
94.00%
|
97.44%
|
| BV 225 - Actions against domestic
violence |
45.5% |
63.6% |
|
E1a - Response to Life Safety Alarms in 30 seconds
|
85.00%
|
97.80%
|
|
E1b - Response to Life Safety Alarms in 60 seconds
|
99.00%
|
99.30%
|
|
E1c - Response to other Safety Alarms in 90 seconds
|
85.00%
|
99.77%
|
|
E1d - Response to other Safety Alarms in 180 seconds
|
99.00%
|
99.89%
|
|
E3 -Number of dog fouling complaints
|
27.00
|
59
|
|
E4 - Complaints about Environmental Pollution responded to in 3
days
|
100%
|
97.13%
|
|
HT3b - % PCN's appealed to NPAS
|
1.00%
|
0.16%
|
|
HT3c - %PCN successfully appealed to NPAS
|
33.00%
|
27.27%
|
Housing
|
Measure |
Target
|
Result
|
|
BV 063 - Average Standard Assessment procedure rating of
housing stock
|
68
|
71
|
|
BV 64 - Private sector dwellings returned to occupation
or demolished
|
10
|
65
|
|
BV 066a - Percentage of Housing rent
collected
|
99.25%
|
99.11%
|
|
BV 066b - % of housing tenants with > 7 weeks rent
arrears
|
14.50%
|
10.08%
|
|
BV 066c - % of notices served on tenants in
arrears
|
52.00%
|
33.08%
|
|
BV 066d - % tenants evicted as a result of rent
arrears
|
0.30%
|
0.41%
|
|
BV 183b - Homeless stay in hostel
accommodation
|
0 weeks
|
0 weeks
|
|
BV 184a - Local Authority Houses that were non
decent
|
0.00%
|
0%
|
|
BV 184b - % Change in non decent homes in the
year
|
0.00%
|
0%
|
|
BV 202 - Number of people sleeping rough
|
2
|
2
|
|
BV 212 - Average time to re-let Authority
housing
|
24
|
26
|
|
BV 213 - Preventing Homelessness - Amount of households
where homelessness was resolved, per 1,000 households
|
12
|
14
|
|
H1 - Council properties with a current gas certificate
|
100%
|
98.96%
|
|
H2 - Total Responsive Repairs by contractor against target
|
£1m
|
£1.217m
|
|
H6 - Bed and Breakfast costs: How much is recouped on
expenditure
|
85.00%
|
85.76%
|
|
H8 - Percentage of calls answered on time (within 2 minutes)
|
97.00%
|
96.38%
|
|
H9 - Average Call answer time (seconds)
|
20
|
17.25
|
|
H11 - Calls abandoned
|
6.00%
|
7.01%
|
|
H13 - Number of Racial Incidents reported (high is good)
|
12
|
9
|
|
H14 - Reduction in CO2 emissions from council properties
|
250 tonnes
|
668.56 tonnes
|
|
H15 - Number of planned estate inspections carried out
|
28
|
50
|
|
H16 - % of antisocial behaviour reports dealt with within 3
days
|
100.00%
|
100%
|
|
H17 - % of complaints acknowledged in 2 working days and
responded to in 10 working days.
|
100.00%
|
92.23%
|
Legal and Democratic Services
|
Measure
|
Target
|
Result
|
|
LDS3a - % of executive minutes published in 3 working days
|
100%
|
100%
|
|
LDS3b - % of non executive minutes published in 5 working
days
|
95.00%
|
97.72%
|
|
LDS5 - Income for legal services
|
£103,840
|
£216,303
|
|
LDS6a - % of planning enforcement notices served within 3
working days for category 1 cases
|
100.00%
|
100%
|
|
LDS6b - % of planning enforcement notices served within 3 weeks
for category 2 cases
|
80.00%
|
89%
|
|
LDS6c - % of planning enforcement notices served within 5 weeks
for category 3 cases
|
40.00%
|
79%
|
ICT and Customer Services
|
Measure
|
Target
|
Result
|
|
ICT 1 - Helpdesk calls dealt with in 2 days
|
82.00%
|
70.92%
|
|
ICT 2 - Customers seen in under 15 minutes
|
95.00%
|
95.09%
|
|
ICT 3a - % of time Email system available
|
99.95%
|
99.77%
|
|
ICT 3b - % of time Revenues & Benefits system available
|
99.95%
|
99.92%
|
|
ICT 3c - % of time E Financials system available
|
99.95%
|
99.64%
|
|
ICT 3d - % of time Car Parking system available
|
99.95%
|
100.00%
|
|
ICT 3e - % of time Website available
|
99.95%
|
99.84%
|
|
ICT 3f - % of time CRM system available
|
99.95%
|
100.00%
|
|
ICT 4a - % of calls answered in 120 seconds
|
82.00%
|
72.16%
|
|
ICT 4b - Average call answer time in seconds
|
90 seconds
|
66.25 seconds
|
|
ICT 4c - % calls answered by a CSA within 10 minutes
|
99.00%
|
99.99%
|
|
ICT 4d - % callers satisfied by CSA without referral
|
85.00%
|
94.15%
|
|
ICT 6 - % visits dealt with at first point of contact
|
97.00%
|
98.55%
|
|
ICT 7 - % of calls dealt with by automated systems
|
40.00%
|
34.66%
|
Cultural and Project Services
|
Measure
|
Target
|
Result
|
|
BVPI 170a - Number of visits to galleries and museums
per 1000 population
|
54.00
|
56
|
|
BVPI 170b - Number of visits to galleries & museums
that were in person per 1000 population
|
54.00
|
56
|
|
BVPI 170c - Number of pupils visiting museums &
galleries in organised school groups
|
550.00
|
75
|
|
BVPI 226a - Total amount spent on advice and guidance
services provided by external services
|
£128k
|
£256,830
|
|
BVPI 226b - % of monies spent on organisations holding
the CLS Quality Mark at general level & above
|
98.40%
|
45.86%
|
|
CS3 - External funding levered into community projects by
Community Grants Fund at application for grant.
|
9:1
|
4.77:1
|
|
CS3a - External funding levered into Cultural Services
projects
|
0.5:1
|
0.5:1
|
|
CS21 - % satisfaction of customers directly accessing the
tourism service through the Tourism Information Centres.
|
100.00%
|
100%
|
|
CS22 - % increase of profit on income generated by the Tourist
Information Centres
|
5.00%
|
-0.80%
|
|
CS23 - Number of forums where young people are involved in
planning provision
|
8.00
|
9
|
|
CS30 - % of agencies partnering cultural services in project
delivery who are from the voluntary and community sector.
|
45.00%
|
47%
|
|
CS34 - % of Cultural Services improvement action plan
implemented
|
33.00%
|
53.00%
|
Code of Practice on Workforce Matters in Local Authority
Service
During 2007-2008 the Council followed and implemented the
principles of the Code of Practice on Workforce Matters in all
workforce matters and contracting.
View Previous Annual Reports
This webpage was updated on 9/16/2008