Agenda item

Q3 and Q4 of 2019/20 Performance Update Report

To consider the report.

Minutes:

The Panel received a verbal update on the Q3 and Q4 Performance Update Report by Russell O’Keefe, Executive Director.

 

The report set out the key performance measures relevant to the Panel’s remit up until the end of the financial year, with eight performance measures, five of which met or exceeded targets.

 

Cllr Baldwin queried how many expected affordable houses were to be completed in the previous financial year, how many were completed, and when the uncompleted houses would be completed in this financial year. The Panel were informed there were no affordable houses due to be completed on the regeneration site during this period and York Road was not due to completed in the financial year.

 

Cllr Davey asked if new indices were used considering the change in economic environment caused by Covid-19. Chris Joyce, Head of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Economic Growth, informed the Panel that a new economic development strategy as part of the economic recovery strategy was to be implemented.

 

Cllr Sharpe queried the outcome of the overall report and the performance indicated for the Council. The Panel were informed that the services overall were working well. The planning performance was at the top quartile performance, in comparison to four years ago, where the Council was at bottom quartile performance. Housing services had improved over the last few years and the Council had secured good schemes within regeneration and development. Whilst Covid-19 had an impact on-site, nothing could be done about this, however developments on York Road had restarted with social distance measures in place.

 

The Panel were advised that more work was needed to be done in town centres to reimagine how the economy needed to prosper in the new environment. The strategy to reopen the town centre was working well, with shoppers queuing early to visit stores whilst adhering to social distancing rules. A place recovery plan would be required to revive town centres as social arenas with activities and events rather than just shops, by working with business communities and partners.

 

Cllr Rayner - Deputy Leader of the Council, Resident and Leisure Services, HR, IT, Legal, Performance Management and Windsor; Armed Forces Champion, informed the Panel that the Council had and should continue to work closely with partners and local shops to ensure they survive. Highstreets were changing and Covid-19 had exacerbated this change.

 

Cllr Bateson asked where vehicles from the station forecourt would go and the Panel were informed, they were due to be relocated to Stafferton Way.

 

Cllr Brar asked if there were any other sites where there would be affordable housing, apart from York Road. The Panel were informed that all the regeneration sites were based on planning policy compliance and thus would have affordable housing were applicable. The next regeneration site that was due to come forward in the Autumn was St Claire’s Way. Some small sites were 100% affordable housing, which were being reappraised to assess their viability due to the impact of Covid-19.

 

Cllr Baldwin asked to what extent developers would be able to avoid affordable housing development by using valuations, the benefit of paragraph 57 of the MPPF on applications, and when the revised version would be in effect.

 

The Panel were informed that the policies were the most up-to-date national policies and MPPF as part of the development plan, alongside the adopted local plan and neighbourhood plans. The Council’s land value was high, but there were examples of developers who applied different approaches to how appraisals and viability were calculated. Therefore, the changes would help in that regard.

 

Cllr Bowden reminded the Panel that Windsor town centre’s shopping area was divided into three areas; Windsor Royal Station, King Edward court/Windsor yard and Peascod Street. The former two areas were private thoroughfares and the Council could not dictate the ownership as it was let by asset managers. Prior to Covid-19, shops such as Lakeland closed due to an increase in online shopping and there was limited ability in what could be done.

 

Cllr Bowden said Peascod Street was a pedestrian-only zone with no cyclists allowed either way and therefore could not be made two-way as part of the recovery plan. Windsor was reliant on tourists, which would be nil until Windsor castle reopened, and there was a lack of space for traffic in Eton town high street due to gasworks resuming since Covid-19.

 

Cllr Sharpe agreed with Cllr Bowden and said his visit to Peascod Street highlighted the difficulty to sustain a two-metre social distance due to the layout of the town.

 

Cllr Bowden said outside spaces that were licensed to have chairs and tables would have reduced capacity until the Covid-19 restrictions subsided. This would affect the café culture and three public houses that had outside spaces available on the pavement that would need to be reduced.

 

Cllr Knowles agreed with Cllr Sharpe and Bowden and addressed a suggestion made online about temporary restrictions of traffic in the central town to maintain social distancing near the river.

 

The Chairman asked what was done with money received in Windsor, any further details on the activation fund and if there was any relaxation on outdoor licensing. The Panel were informed that a range of measures were in place for the reopening of town centres as safely as possible, funded by the government’s high street fund. Positive feedback was received from the police and staff, with people correctly socially distancing.

 

The Panel were informed that the first phase of reopening non-essential retail stores in town centres was to promote the local area for local people, which was expected to have a small increase in footfall. The second phase of recovery plans would need further development as part of the lockdown restrictions being lifted, which would promote destination visitors and open the domestic tourism market.

 

Cllr Sharpe said the lack of tourists because with Royal Ascot taking place behind closed does had a detrimental impact on the local economy. He wanted to ensure Royal Ascot could take place as usual next year and wanted to keep people fit and healthy in the next twelve months.

 

Action points:

-          Clerk to add the Place Recovery Strategy and a report on all the affordable housing in the Borough in the Work Programme

-          Chris Joyce to send Panel Members the economic development and recovery strategy.

-          Russell O’Keefe to inform the Panel of the number of affordable houses within the Borough.

 

The Panel noted the item.

 

Supporting documents: