South Lanarkshire Council is exceeding in achieving targets in a number of areas, despite COVID's impact.
The Council Plan Connect (CPC) progress report was presented at the performance and review scrutiny forum this week where it was announced the local authority is "progressing well" and "reaching national targets".
According to the report, which covers progress from April 2021 to September 2021, 75 per cent of council projects have met the time scale or target as per expectations, and a further four per cent of projects are complete.
The CPC covers a range of areas including: ensure communities are safe, strong and sustainable; promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth and tackling disadvantage; and set it right for young people’ and ‘Improve health, care and wellbeing.
In each category, a range of successes have been achieved, and in the ‘Ensure communities are safe, strong and sustainable’ area, there are three notable achievements.
Firstly, the Larkhall Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan which was approved in 2015, is a five-year strategy aimed at developing the town centre.
The action plan is aimed at developing public, private and community-led work in the town centre to ensure it stays lively and community-focused.
Councillor Peter Craig for Larkhall questioned whether the success for Larkhall will be transferred to other towns in the area.
He said: “What are you looking to do with the other town centres, what can you learn from this that you can implement in other town centres across south Lanarkshire?”
It was revealed that the model used for Larkhall town centre will be transferred to other town centres in South Lanarkshire.
In fact around nine consultations and interventions have been launched, including the Blantyre town centre strategy plan with the aim to replicate work in Larkhall and maintain the town centre there.
Other achievements within this category include the progress with social work resources.
Social work resources provided access to support interventions with 100 per cent of clients being seen within two days of their drug testing and treatment orders commencing, which exceeded the 95 per cent target.
And 98.9 percent of response repairs on council homes were completed on time.
In the ‘Promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth and tackle disadvantage’ category of the plan, there were a range of successes.
Firstly, the new park and ride facility in Cambuslang was outlined. This offered 256 parking spaces and electric chargers for cars, making it easier for residents to switch from car to train and to help make electric cars an attractive option for road users.
In promoting economic growth, 1316 businesses have been supported by the council’s economic development through grants, loans or advice.
In the ‘Get it right for young people’ section, progress was made with regards to the Children’s Reporter as 89 per cent of all reports submitted to the Reporter were sent within an agreed 20-day timescale, which exceeds the 75 per cent target.
Finally, in the ‘Improve health, care and wellbeing’ category of the plan, progress has been made with regards to council home alterations with 366 adaptations completed in council houses to aid tenants with mobility difficulties.
Blantyre councillor Maureen Chalmers questioned whether the council should raise targets due to the amount of projects exceeding the set targets.
She said: “Are we being challenging enough to ourselves, is this something we can increase the target on?”
It was stated at the meeting that the targets set are national statutory targets put in place to allow comparison to other local authorities.
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