The Scrutiny Streets & Environment Sub-Committee reviewed the Period 7 Financial Performance Report, noting an improved forecast underspend of £600,000 for the Sustainable Communities, Regeneration & Economic Recovery (SCRER) directorate. The committee also discussed budget proposals for 2026/27, including increased parking income and digital transformation of planning services, and received an update on the draft Electric Vehicle Charging Point Strategy, which aims to expand the borough's charging network.

Period 7 Financial Performance Report

The Sub-Committee reviewed the Period 7 Financial Performance Report, which indicated a forecast underspend of £600,000 for the SCRER directorate. This improvement was attributed to additional income in community safety and a slight overspend in planning and regeneration due to facilities management costs. A significant portion of the underspend (£400,000) was due to overachievement in parking income as part of the council's stabilisation plan.

During the discussion on the report, concerns were raised about vacancies within the Planning department. Mark Baigent, Interim Director for Planning and Sustainable Regeneration, explained that five planner posts and two and a half technical support posts were being kept vacant as a cost-saving measure to prevent an overspend. He noted that this was a conscious decision due to a downturn in planning applications and reduced fee income. Similar vacancies were also reported in the Building Control team. Members were assured that despite these vacancies, the department was meeting its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for application processing times, although Planning Enforcement was identified as an area of pressure. The Sub-Committee commended the positive movement in the budget and the updated forecasted underspend.

Budget Scrutiny Challenge

The Sub-Committee examined two key budget proposals for 2026/27: increased parking income and the digital transformation of planning, building control, and regulatory services.

Increased Parking Income from IT System Improvements

Charles Baker, Head of Environment Services & Sustainable Neighbourhoods, presented proposals for increased parking income, including £1 million from an uplift in Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) fees and a £150,000 saving target from modernising outdated parking IT systems. A new, integrated PCN processing system is being procured to replace a legacy platform from 2010. This new system is expected to generate approximately £600,000 annually through improved efficiencies and recovery rates, despite annual running costs of £300,000 and initial implementation costs of £150,000. The Sub-Committee received assurances that the new system would integrate with existing council systems, including RingGo, and that residents would not experience significant changes to their interaction with parking services. Risks around integration, data migration, and cybersecurity were discussed, with officers outlining mitigations such as running systems in parallel and ensuring providers meet ISO/IEC 27001 standards. The Sub-Committee noted that the projected revenue increase was dependent on improving the PCN recovery rate from 54% to the London average of 70%.

Digital Transformation of Planning, Building Control, and Regulatory Services

This proposal focuses on upgrading the Uniform case management system to generate additional income through increased fee levels, higher service volumes, and stronger commercial engagement with developers. The approach has shifted from initial plans for administrative savings to income generation. The Council is exploring the use of AI tools for application validation and potentially for prioritising enforcement cases. The potential for locally set planning fees, dependent on government regulations, was also discussed. The Sub-Committee positively noted that savings targets for next year had not been included if they could not be evidenced, and that there was clarity on how additional Building Control fee income would be generated.

Electric Vehicle Charging Point (EVCP) Strategy

Fred Raphael, Head of Strategic Transport, presented the draft Electric Vehicle Charging Point (EVCP) Strategy. The strategy aims to deliver a borough-wide, accessible, and equitable EV charging network to support the transition to low-emission vehicles, aligning with the Mayor's Business Plan and the Council's climate commitments. The strategy outlines principles including appropriate coverage across all wards, solutions for residents without off-street parking, and partnership working.

Key discussions revolved around the practicalities of Cross Pavement Solutions (CPS), which allow residents without driveways to charge EVs using their home electricity. Concerns were raised about safety, maintenance, liability, and the impact on street scenes. The Council has secured £193,000 in grant funding for CPS and plans a pilot project of approximately 10 installations, initially focusing on disabled drivers. The Sub-Committee expressed concerns that this pilot might not be sufficient to assess the impact on the wider resident population. Officers committed to reviewing the pilot to ensure it generated adequate data.

The strategy proposes a blended model for chargepoint rollout, aiming for 4,200 EVCPs by 2035. The Council will work with Chargepoint Operators (CPOs) to deliver these, with a concession model where CPOs invest, install, maintain, and operate the chargepoints, while the Council receives a share of the revenue. Discussions also covered the importance of accessibility, with reference to PAS 1899:2022 standards, and the need for fair and equitable charging prices. The Sub-Committee made several recommendations, including reviewing the pilot for Cross Pavement Solutions, encouraging widespread consultation with expert groups, considering community charging hubs, and assessing the wider impact on kerbside usage.

Cabinet Response to Scrutiny Recommendations

The Sub-Committee noted the report detailing Cabinet's responses to previous recommendations. Councillor Patel raised a point regarding the lack of publicly available data on planning enforcement files, despite the Council having internal systems to monitor this.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2025-2026

The Sub-Committee noted the draft work programme for the upcoming municipal year.