The Performance Monitoring Panel of South Holland Council met on Tuesday 26 May 2026. The meeting's agenda included an update on the Castle Sports Swimming Pool pump, a review of the Q4 performance report for 2025-26, and a discussion on the Housing Annual Complaints and Service Improvement Report. The Panel also considered its work programme for the upcoming year.

Castle Sports Swimming Pool Pump Update

The Panel was scheduled to receive an update on the Castle Sports Swimming Pool pump. The report detailed that the diving pool pump, replaced in July 2025, had failed in February 2026. The timeline outlined the involvement of South Holland District Council (SHDC), Parkwood (the leisure operator), Xylem Water Solutions (the pump manufacturer), and Glen Farrow (the council's pool plant contractor). The report indicated that the pump's failure was diagnosed as cavitation, although Parkwood's specialist contractor, Sterling Hydrotech, had disclaimed this as a cause. As of 22 May 2026, the replacement pump was still in manufacture in Italy, with lead times significantly longer than initially advised. The report noted potential reputational risk to the council due to public perception of the ongoing issue. The Panel was recommended to note the issue and make any appropriate recommendations.

Q4 Performance Report 25-26

The Panel was scheduled to review the Q4 Performance Report for 2025-26, covering the period from 1 January to 31 March 2026. The report indicated that 87% of the council's performance metrics were positive against targets, with 8% slightly below target and 5% significantly under target. Key areas of under-performance highlighted were the percentage of corporate complaints responded to within corporately set timescales, which dropped to 76.92% against a target of 95%, and the percentage of homelessness cases prevented from resulting in homelessness, which fell to 46.67% against a target of 50%. The report also detailed performance across various indicators including growth and prosperity, safe and resilient communities, environment, efficiencies and efficacies, and local-only indicators.

Housing Annual Complaints and Service Improvement Report and Self-Assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Code

The Panel was scheduled to scrutinise the Housing Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report for 2025/26 and the accompanying Annual Housing Ombudsman Self-Assessment form. The report detailed that 189 Stage 1 complaints were received, with a 97.88% response rate within target, representing a decrease of 24 complaints compared to the previous year. Twelve Stage 2 complaints were received, a decrease of 16 from the previous year, with a 100% response rate within target. Of the Stage 1 complaints, 66% were upheld, and 50% of Stage 2 complaints were upheld. The report highlighted that contractor performance and communication remained common drivers of upheld complaints, and that waiting times and managing expectations were also significant factors. The self-assessment identified seven areas for improvement, including enhancing complaint workshops for staff and contractors, improving the clarity of the complaints process, and developing a compensation policy.

Performance Monitoring Panel Work Programme

The Panel was scheduled to review its Work Programme for 2026/2027. Appendix 1 of the report outlined future meeting dates and proposed agenda items, which included performance reports, updates on specific services, and budget scrutiny. Appendix 2 detailed ongoing task groups, including the Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre Contract Task Group and the Effectiveness of CCTV Task Group. The Panel was invited to consider the report and identify any issues for discussion to ensure the Work Programme remained relevant and up-to-date.

Garden Waste Collection Rounds

An update was scheduled regarding the garden waste collection service, including the introduction of new collection rounds across the district. The report noted that 12,199 residents subscribed to the service, and historically, rounds were based on defined geographical areas. The redesign aimed for maximum efficiency, enabling the service to cover the whole district within existing resources. While the service was generally well-received, an issue was identified with the software used to manage the rounds, which led to incorrect collection information being displayed on the council's website for approximately 2,500 affected subscribers. This issue has since been resolved. A review has been commissioned to understand the cause of the software problem and identify lessons learned, with findings to be reported to the Panel at a future meeting.