The Overview and Scrutiny Performance Panel met to review the council's performance in the first quarter of 2025-26. The panel reviewed the Chorley Quarter One Performance Monitoring Report 2025-26 and the Business Plan Project Update Quarter One 2025/26.

Chorley Quarter One Performance Monitoring Report 2025-26

The Overview and Scrutiny Performance Panel reviewed and commented on the Chorley Quarter One Performance Monitoring Report 2025-26, which provides a position statement for the Corporate Strategy for quarter one (April-June) 2025/26.

The report highlighted project delivery between 1 April and 30 June 2025 and performance progress at the end of quarter one 2025/26. Of the 21 projects in the strategy, 17 (82%) were rated on track (green), two (9%) were rated complete (blue), and two (9%) forecast delays or concerns (amber). Of the indicators that could be reported at quarter one, 11 (79%) of corporate strategy measures and six (100%) of key organisational measures are performing on or above target (green) or within the 5% threshold (amber).

Projects Completed

The two corporate strategy projects that are complete are:

• Progress the delivery of the Central Lancashire Local Plan.
• Continue to deliver improvements to Chorley's Bus Shelter Network.

Projects with Forecast Delays or Concerns

The two corporate strategy projects off track (amber) are:

• Improve the effectiveness of social housing operations Progress has been made on all the project milestones over the quarter; however, the project has been rated amber to highlight the ongoing issues with the external supplier of the Select Move software. Select Move went live in January 2025 with the updated Allocations Policy, and the supplier was required to update the database, however there were inaccuracies in reporting impacting shortlisting, advertisements and local connection criteria. Preston Council are the lead authority and the action that is being taken to address the issue includes:

  • A monthly Steering Group, with discussions between partners and the three councils' (Chorley, South Ribble and Preston) ongoing to try to resolve issues with Civica.
  • A new project manager has been allocated by the supplier to help resolve the issues.
  • Testing is taking place on a test site with partners to resolve the issue, and each round of testing resolves more of the issues, however, there still remain some outstanding which the supplier needs to fix, and no firm date or timeline has been provided on when the fix will be implemented on the live site.
  • In the interim the work around with partners is to manually access each individual record, impacting on the larger providers the most.
  • Legal advice is being taken on the way forward to protect the Council's interest, this needs to be reviewed by Preston, and it is expected to be progressed in quarter two.

• Carry out renovations to the West Wing of Astley Hall This project has been rated as amber to highlight delays impacting on the project's schedule. Delays in the appointment of the Conservation Surveyor, responsible for drafting the contractor tender specifications, has led to a knock-on effect across the pre construction phase. This includes delays to the commissioning of surveys, the tendering process, and the start of works to Astley Hall. The procurement phase and the appointment of the main contractor who will carry out the works is expected to commence in quarter two. Completion of the works to Astley Hall is forecast for April 2026. Despite the delays, Listed Building Consent has been successfully secured for the proposed works. A Conservation Consultant has been appointed to oversee the necessary surveys including bat and asbestos inspections scheduled for quarter two. An Executive Member Decision (EMD) has been approved, confirming the procurement strategy to appoint a specialist contractor via a comprehensive tender exercise. The tender is currently being prepared and will be advertised through The CHEST (Local Authority procurement portal) in August 2025. The scope of work to the Hall includes timber repairs to the West Wing. These will include replacing structural timber posts, studs, rails, and infill panels, alongside repairs to window frames and lead work, and installation of new external rainwater systems, including guttering, down pipes and hoppers. The roof structure will be extended forward above the external walls to improve weather protection, and modern internal finishes such as plaster board or fibre board, will be removed and replaced with materials more appropriate to the building's historic character. Renovation works are anticipated to commence at the start of quarter three and complete in April 2026.

Corporate Strategy Indicators Below Target

The Corporate Strategy indicators below target by 5% or more (red) are:

• Number of projected jobs created through Chorley Council support or intervention The number of projected jobs created through Chorley Council support or intervention was lower than expected as a result of awaiting confirmation of UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) budgets, which took place at the end of quarter one. This was due to Government changes in the way the fund is allocated and the necessary legal agreements that needed to be in place, impacting on linked projects. The business grants programme has been reviewed utilising UKSPF funding and as some grants include a requirement for job creation within a 12-month period to secure funding, the delay has impacted the ability to record job creation linked to those interventions. Additionally, the contract with a key partner in business engagement and job creation support, ended in March 2025, resulting in no new data being collected through that channel during quarter one. The council was also unable to fund the apprenticeship grant and start-up programme via UKSPF in quarter one 2025/26, further contributing to the lower than expected job projections. Looking ahead, we expect the projected jobs figure to increase in quarter two. The new grant schemes are due to launch in quarter two as UKSPF funding has been approved, enabling the council to continue data collection related to job creation. The council is also in the final stages of agreeing a new contract with a new provider, which will reintroduce business support services, including the monitoring and reporting of potential job outcomes. Once these services are operational, the council anticipates improved visibility of job creation activity and a corresponding uplift in projected figures from quarter two onwards.
• The percentage of 16-17 year olds who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) There has also been a slight rise in 'Unavailable NEETs', those facing specific challenges such as health conditions or caring responsibilities preventing participation, while the number of 'Not Known' NEETs continues to decline. Lancashire County Council continues to engage NEET young people through the Youth Futures team, with a focus on reducing 'Not Known' cases and improving access to education, employment, and training through a coordinated partnership approach.
• The percentage of customers satisfied with the service they received from the Council The target for this indicator has been increased to 80% for 2025/2026 in line with the Customer Access Charter, it was originally set at 70% in 24/25. Overall satisfaction is measured through post-contact surveys offered to customers following telephone or online interactions with the council. As at the end of quarter one 2025/26, customer satisfaction is reported as 75.15%, which is 5.12% higher than the previous quarter (70.03%) and 5.95% higher for the same period last year (69.2%). Whilst performance is currently lower than target, the council is seeing increased levels of satisfaction, and the direction of travel is positive. In addition to the overall satisfaction question within the telephone survey, there is a question about the professionalism of the advisor, as this is an important part of the customer experience. Satisfaction levels can be impacted by how a customer reacts to the council's response to their query. Even if the response is the right response, it may result in dissatisfaction if callers to the contact centre expressed satisfaction with the advisor they spoke to which shows that customers are generally pleased with the service delivered by the council. The response rates to the post contact survey continue to be low (year to date at the end of June). Only 197 customers having completed the post telephone call survey, with 99 website users opting to complete the post online user survey. This is an extremely small representation of customers who engaged with the council during this period and should be considered when interpreting performance levels. To improve representativeness and the number of satisfaction survey participants, the council is looking at ways to encourage completion through the introduction of incentives such as a prize draw. Additionally, we are reviewing methods to simplify the feedback process, including one click text message responses and the use of emojis on the website to make engagement more accessible and appealing. These initiatives aim to make engagement more accessible and appealing, therefore increasing response rates and enabling a more accurate reflection of customer experience, as well as ongoing service improvement.

Business Plan Project Update Quarter One 2025/26

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel considered the Business Plan Project Update Quarter One 2025/26.

Each year the council undertakes a business planning process whereby directorates identify the activity that they will deliver to support achievement of the priorities set out in the Corporate Strategy. A review of the 15 service business plans produced last year has been completed. There is a total of 72 projects across all plans and of those:

• 58 are rated as Green (81%)
• 6 are considered Blue (8%)
• 3 are rated as Amber (4%)
• 0 is rated as Red (0%)
• 0 are On Hold (0%)
• 5 have Not Started (7%)

Projects Not Started

The following five Business Plan projects are marked as (Not Started), indicating that they have not yet reached their planned start date:

• Build a system to issue emergency alerts to employees (Using Notify)
• Consider best practice guidance in relation to the Risk Management Matrix and establish if it is a feasible approach to adopt
• Review of Taxi Licensing Policy
• Dangerous Buildings Policy to be adopted
• Implement a new process for tobacco and vape licensing.

Projects Completed

The six Business Plan projects that have been rated complete (Blue), meaning they have been completed with milestones and objectives met are:

• Delivery of Lancashire County Council elections
• Fit for the Future Review sustainability of community support
• Complete a review of the pre-application process and formalise the use of planning performance agreements.
• Bank reconciliation module implementation
• Implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards 16 (IFRS 16)
• Merchant Service Implementation (setting up systems that allow the Council to securely accept and process customer payments)

Projects with Forecast Delays or Concerns

The three business plan projects that are off track (amber), meaning there may be forecasted delays but it can be brought back on track, or resources issues that can be resolved by the project manager are:

• Review of Cemetery System (Customer Services) The external provider that was selected to support improvements to the cemetery system is currently experiencing resourcing challenges. As a result, they are unable to allocate the necessary personnel or capacity to move forward with the project as originally planned. This has led to a delay in progress, and alternative options or revised timelines may need to be considered. In order to ensure continued progress on the cemetery system improvement project, the Council has been actively exploring solutions while the appointed external provider faces resourcing issues. These challenges have limited their ability to deliver the required support within the expected timeline. As part of the Council's planning, one of the current options under consideration is the use of the JADU system. JADU is currently being evaluated for its suitability to meet the projects objectives.
• Verification key to ensuring that corporate risks are managed (Environmental Health) The project aims to verify ten cases per month using the Regulatory Information and Management System (RIAMS) libraries, ensuring that each case adheres to the correct procedures and regulatory standards. This process was initially launched successfully; however, progress stalled following the departure of the previous manager, which created a gap in capacity within the team. With the appointment of a new manager, the project will be back on track within quarter two, and efforts are being made to re-establish a consistent monthly verification routine to maintain compliance and improve service quality. Following the departure of the previous manager, a new appointment has been made, allowing the resumption of essential compliance checks. The team is now working to a clear target of completing ten checks per month, each aligned with the procedures outlined in the Regulatory Information and Management System (RIAMS). This structured approach ensures consistency, accountability, and adherence to best practice standards across the service area.
• Introduce job shadowing to increase experience around the team (Environmental Health) This project is designed to reduce the risk of a single point of failure within the Environmental Permitting team by introducing a structured job shadowing programme. The aim is to build resilience by increasing knowledge and experience across team members, ensuring that critical tasks can be covered in the absence of any individual. While the initiative began, progress was slowed due to staffing capacity issues following the departure of the team's manager. With a new manager now in place, the Environmental Permitting team is in a position to resume the job shadowing initiative. The next steps will involve re-establishing the schedule for shadowing sessions, identifying key roles and responsibilities to be shared, and ensuring that all team members have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. This will help build resilience within the team, reduce dependency on individual staff members, and ensure continuity of service.