The Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Southend-on-Sea Council Corporate Performance Report for Quarter 1, the Air Quality Action Plan for Air Quality Management Area 1, and a new bulky waste service model, as well as future arrangements for parking enforcement. The committee also discussed housing targets and the local plan, civic pride delivery, the economic growth strategy delivery plan, and the committee's work programme.

Air Quality Action Plan

The committee reviewed the Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) for Air Quality Management Area 1 (AQMA1), which was declared on 7 November 2016 due to high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The plan outlines actions to improve air quality in Southend-on-Sea between 2025 and 2030. The report noted that while recent data shows the Air Quality Strategy annual mean objective for NO2 is not exceeded within AQMA No.1 (The Bell Junction)¹, there are still NO2 concentrations above the 10% confidence threshold.

The plan focuses on:

• Raising public awareness of air pollution and its health impacts.
• Promoting sustainable travel options.
• Facilitating the use of low-emission vehicles.

Key actions include traffic management improvements, the introduction of green zones outside schools, and the promotion of sustainable travel. The committee was informed that a consultation on the plan took place between 18 December 2024 and 12 February 2025.

Corporate Performance Report Quarter 1

The committee reviewed the Corporate Performance Report for Quarter 1 of 2025/26. The report covers key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned to the council's corporate priorities, which are:

• A city that is proud and prosperous
• A city that is safe, clean and green
• A city that is caring with a good quality of life for all
• A city that is led by a transformative, responsive council

Of the 31 KPIs, 19 are on target, 5 are progressing, 5 are failing to meet the target, and 2 are annual and therefore without a RAG rating². The report highlighted several areas of interest:

• Businesses Supported: 538 businesses were engaged with through the Economic Inclusion Service.
• Essential Living Fund: Processing times for Essential Living Fund applications were above target due to a high volume of claims.
• Local Spending: 8.04% of the council's spend was with local businesses.
• Cultural Footfall: Total footfall for council-run cultural assets was 398,644.
• Anti-Social Behaviour: 168 anti-social behaviour incidents were reported to the Community Safety Unit.
• Pothole Repairs: 100% of carriageway pothole repairs were completed within 28 days.
• Waste Collections: 99.91% of waste collections were carried out on schedule.
• Waste Recycling: The percentage of waste recycled was 34.40%, below the target of >50.00%.
• Tree Planting: Tree net gain in the city was reported.
• NHS Health Checks: Take-up of NHS Health Checks was below target.
• MMR Immunisation: MMR immunisation rates were 94.0%, just below the target of >95.0%.
• Older People at Home: 78.4% of older people were still at home 91 days after discharge from hospital, below the target of >82.0%.
• Adults with Learning Disabilities in Employment: 9.9% of adults with a learning disability were in paid employment, exceeding the target of >9.5%.
• Safeguarding Enquiries: 95.0% of concluded section 42 enquiries had a risk identified and a result of either Risk Reduced or Risk Removed, exceeding the target of >90%.
• Children in Care: The rate of children in care was 82.6 per 10,000 population, above the target of <76.
• Repeat Referrals: 18.0% of children's services referrals were repeat referrals within 12 months, below the target of <22%.
• Care Leavers in Education, Employment, or Training (EET): 70.5% of care leavers aged 17-21 were in EET, exceeding the target of >65%.
• Council Homes Meeting Decent Home Standards: 98.1% of council homes met the Decent Home Standards.
• Households in Temporary Accommodation: There were 381 households in temporary accommodation, above the target of <375.
• Families in B&B: There were zero families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks, meeting the target of <0.
• Temporary Accommodation Rate: The rate of temporary accommodation was 4.82 per 1,000 households.
• Capital Budget Delivery: 9.08% of the approved capital budget for 2024/25 had been delivered, below the target of >10.0%.
• Council Tax Collection: 27.00% of Council Tax had been collected, slightly below the target of >27.10%.
• Business Rates Collection: 29.70% of Business Rates had been collected, exceeding the target of >29.10%.
• Complaints Response: 82.63% of complaints were responded to in time, below the target of >85.00%.
• Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests: 96.67% of FOI requests were responded to in time, exceeding the target of >90.00%.
• MySouthend Cases: 96.8% of MySouthend cases were progressed in the prescribed timescale, exceeding the target of >90.0%.
• Transformation Programme Initiatives: 75.00% of Transformation Programme initiatives were successfully delivered, meeting the target of >75%.
• Councillor Training: 12% of councillors had attended/completed training, below the target of >70%.

New Bulky Waste Service Model

The committee discussed the proposed change to the city's bulky waste collection service. The new contract with SUEZ UK, which began in April 2025, includes a transition to a new waste collection methodology from October 2025. As part of this transition, the bulky waste collection process will change from a paid-for service to including one free collection of up to five items per household per financial year. The aim is to encourage improved recycling and reduce fly-tipping. Additional collections will be charged as per the current paid-for service.

Future Arrangements for Parking Enforcement, Car Park Management and School Crossing Patrol Officers

The committee were scheduled to discuss future arrangements for parking enforcement, car park management and school crossing patrol officers, but the report was not available.

Housing Targets and the Local Plan

The committee were scheduled to discuss housing targets and the local plan.

Civic Pride Delivery Update

The committee were scheduled to discuss a Civic Pride Delivery Update.

Economic Growth Strategy Delivery Plan

The committee were scheduled to discuss the Economic Growth Strategy Delivery Plan.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for 2025/26 and discussed potential items for future meetings, including housing targets and the local plan, alternatives to the use of herbicides, enhancing the Southend Pass offer, museums services and galleries, grass cutting and collections, the Community Safety Partnership, and a review of the waste contract transition.