16 Dec Finances and performance remain strong as Harlow council delivers for residents
Harlow Council is continuing its trend of maintaining a strong financial position and continued service improvement according to the latest performance, finance and risk report.
The report, which highlights financial and performance data for September and October, has once again revealed healthy budget surpluses in both the main services budget (General Fund) and the housing budget (Housing Revenue Account), thanks to sound financial management against the continuing backdrop of severe pressure on councils up and down the country.
The projected surpluses have been achieved with a Council Tax freeze and millions being invested into improving council services and delivering the council’s missions for the town which are to: transform Harlow’s housing, renew our neighbourhoods, rebuild our town, secure investment for Harlow’s future, protect our communities and deliver high-performing council services.
In addition to strong financial performance, the report also highlights the council is achieving its mission to deliver high-performing council services, with all bar one of its performance targets being hit or exceeded up to the end of October. Performance has continued to improve on key factors such as:
Bin collections continuing at a 99.9% on time collection rate
Turnaround time on empty homes – which are well within target
Call wait times for residents – which are well below target
Tens of millions of pounds of investment into upgrading council houses and flat blocks – with nearly all projects on track
Tens of millions of pounds of investment into upgrading community facilities such as the Playhouse, Harlow Museum, Latton Bush Centre and playgrounds – with nearly all projects on track
Performance targets are set annually and progress on these is reported to the council monthly, highlighting areas where services are performing well as well as those where we can improve. These indicators are used to drive more effective performance across the council and to ensure residents are receiving the high-quality service that they expect.
Commenting on financial performance, Councillor James Leppard, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Finance, said:
“Councils across the country are facing extraordinary financial pressures and Harlow is not immune from those pressures, however, thanks to our sound financial management I am pleased to report that we continue to project a healthy budget surplus for this financial year – just as we did last year.
“This is a testament to the council’s effective use of its financial resources which enables us to continue to invest in our six missions whilst freezing Council Tax.
“Our financial position remains strong, we continue to act prudently by mitigating risks and most importantly, we can continue to invest tens of millions to deliver on your priorities.”
On the council’s continued service improvement, Councillor Hannah Ellis, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Transformation, said:
“We are here for one purpose and that is to serve the people of Harlow as best we possibly can. To that end, we have been working hard to continue to make improvements on the services we provide for residents.
“Our latest performance data shows improvements across the board. Call centre waiting times have fallen, missed bin collections have fallen, invoices are being paid quicker and the number of empty council homes are down.
“This is testament to the hard work of officers and councillors, but we leave no room for complacency. We will keep working hard to provide the best possible services for residents and build a better future for our town.”
