Councillors consider 2023/24 Performance Plan

Examples of the Council’s drive for continuous improvement and excellent performance were highlighted to Members of The Highland Council today (19 September 2024) during a presentation on the Council’s Annual Corporate Performance Report for 2023/24.

The report presented to Councillors, provided information on the delivery of the Council's Performance Plan 2022-27 during the financial year 2023/24.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner said: “I am pleased to see progress being made in the Council’s Performance Plan which provides the framework for the delivery and monitoring of the Council’s Programme ‘Our Future Highland’ as well as the strategic, operational and improvement priorities of the Council including the Council’s budget strategy.”

Members were informed that the report demonstrates the Council’s commitment to continuous improvement, and excellent performance in several areas.

Regarding ‘Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction’ - processing times for these benefits have continued to improve year-on-year, positioning the Council among the top performers in both Scotland and the UK. This efficiency is crucial in providing timely financial assistance during the current cost of living crisis.

The number of newly enrolled and upskilled staff through modern apprenticeships has significantly exceeded targets in ‘Workforce Development’.

There has been a notable reduction in the number of children and young people placed outside of Highland from 20 in 2021/22, to 13 in 2023/24. This reduction which was below the target of 18 in 2023/24 and has led to both financial savings and better outcomes in ‘Child Welfare’.

In Gaelic Education, the number of Gaelic pupils has increased as follows:

• Nursery 9.25% in 2023/24 (from 8.59% in 2022/23)
• Primary 6.71% in 2023/24 (from 6.64% in 2022/23)
• Learner Secondary 15.18% in 2023/24 (from 14.6% in 2022/23) and
• Gaelic Secondary pupils 3.17% in 2023/24 (from 3.14% in 2022/23).

During 2023/24 the Council supported 28 Community Transport projects, surpassing the target of 26 and the 2022/23 figure.

The early adoption of 20mph Speed Limits has performed strongly, with actual implementation numbers (125) exceeding the target of (114).

The Council’s Street cleanliness score is 96.4%, showing a slight increase compared to 2022/23 and is above the target of 95.7%, reflecting improved environmental standards.

In Housing Development, the total number of council and affordable houses built or purchased reached 418, surpassing the target of 300 by 40%.

The processing times for all types of planning applications improved, with major planning applications significantly reduced from 75.2 days in 2022/23 to 38.6 days in 2023/24, exceeding the targets set.

The percentage of the Council’s procurement spend on local enterprises (49.1%) was higher than targeted (36.3%), resulting in increased local expenditure within the Highlands. The Council has consistently ranked in the top 2 for the last two years in Local Government Benchmarking Framework data.

To build further on these recent successes, the Council along with its public sector partners, has in recent months launched several major transformational initiatives. These include the revised Highland Outcome Improvement Plan for 2024-2027, the Highland Council Delivery Plan 2024-2027, and the £2.1 billion Highland Investment Plan. Performance against these plans will be regularly reported to the Council and its committees.