Annex 2 – Performance – Council Plan Outcomes
1 This report concentrates on the indicators that make up the Council Plan performance framework and does not cover COVID-related activity.
2 It is likely that due to impacts of COVID, a number of the indicators will see a significant change both in terms of their numbers and their direction of travel in future reporting periods. The majority of the performance measures within the Council Plan have a lag between the data being available, and the current reporting period and therefore impacts will not be immediately seen, and may occur over several years as new data becomes available.
3 Within the updates on the Council Plan indicators, are a number of indicators which show the status of economic, community or corporate recovery since the start of the pandemic.
Well paid jobs and an inclusive economy
Business Rates
4 The year to date collection rate for Business Rates up to the end of December 2022 was 82.55% (1.95% below the target collection rate but 4.22% above the collection rate in 2021-22). The year to date collection rate for Council Tax up to the end of December 2022 was 81.61% (2.82% below the target collection rate but broadly the same as the collection rate in 2021-22).
Median earnings of residents – Gross weekly pay
5 In April 2022, the (provisional) median gross weekly earnings for full-time resident employees in York were £609.20, which is an increase of 4.4% from £597.90 in 2021. Over the coronavirus pandemic period, earnings estimates were affected by changes in composition of the workforce and the impact of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) making interpretation difficult; also data collection disruption and lower response rates mean that, for 2020 and 2021, data was subject to more uncertainty and should be treated with caution. Nationally in 2022, median weekly earnings for full-time employees saw strong growth across all major occupational groups, particularly for lower-paying occupations (with process, plant and machine operatives up 8.6% and elementary occupations up 6.9%); pay for professional occupations saw the smallest increase at 2.4%. Data for 2023-24 will be available in November 2023.
% of working age population qualified – to at least L2 and above
6 In 2021-22, 87.9% of the working age population in York were qualified to at least L2 and above (GCSE grades 9-4), which is higher than the national and regional figures (78.2% and 76.4% respectively). This result ranks the city of York first regionally. The 2021-22 figure has increased from 2020-21 (83.4%). Achieving level 2 is valuable in itself: full level 2 qualification on average results in a 9% increase in earnings. Data for 2022-23 will be available in June 2023.
% of working age population qualified – to at least L4 and above
7 In 2021-22, 59.3% of the working age population in York were qualified to at least L4 and above (certificate of higher education or equivalent), which is higher than the national and regional figures (43.5% and 38.0% respectively). This result ranks the city of York first regionally. The 2021-22 figure is a big increase from 2020-21 (46.4%). Data for 2022-23 will be available in June 2023.
% of vacant city centre shops compared to other cities
9 The York figure has not fluctuated a great deal in the past 10 years, with a high of 10.3% in 2017-18. The national benchmark figure has remained stable in the last ten years, between 9 and 12%, but the latest figure of 14.4% in 2021-22 is the highest seen. Properties in York are owned by different commercial parties and CYC commercial properties have very low levels of vacancies.
10 This measure will continue to be monitored alongside looking at vacancy rates within secondary shopping centres, which are areas that the organisation has a long-term commitment towards investing in, in order to broaden the economic picture of the city. At the end of Q3 2022-23, the vacancy rates within secondary shopping centres were relatively low (3% at Clifton Moor, 2% in Haxby Village and 5% in Acomb High Street). At Monks Cross, the vacancy rate has decreased from 23% at the start of 2022-23 to 12% at the end of Q3 showing a good direction of travel.
11 In the financial year up to the end of December 2022, there were 643 new business start-ups in the City of York Council area, which is higher than in the previous year (550 by December 2021). The latest figure is at only a slightly lower level to that seen before the pandemic.
GVA (Gross Value Added) per head (£)
12 In 2020-21 (the latest available data), the GVA per head in York was £28,967 which was the second highest figure regionally. The slight decrease on values from last year (£30,465 or 4.9%) was expected, mainly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (GVA per head for the UK fell by 3.8%), but, annually since 2009-10, the GVA per head has generally been increasing (from £25,976 per head). Data for 2021-22 will be available in April 2023.
% of working age population in employment (16-64)
13 In Q1 2022-23, 81.6% of the working age population were in employment, which is higher than the national and regional figures (75.5% and 74.7% respectively) and the York performance gives the city a ranking of first regionally. The figure for Q1 2022-23 in York is higher than seen in previous years. Q2 data will be available in February 2023 and reported in the Q4 monitor
14 At the end of December 2022 there were 11,668 people, in York, on Universal Credit which is an increase of 82% compared with February 2020 (pre-pandemic figures). Following a high of 13,236 in February 2021, the figures dropped to a low of 11,054 in May 2022 but they have increased over the last seven months.
Getting around sustainably
P&R Passenger Journeys
15 Passenger journeys for park and ride customers totalled 0.95m (provisional) for Q3 2022-23. This is higher than the journeys made during Q3 2021-22 (0.83m) showing that the recovery post-covid is continuing. Pre-pandemic figures were around 1.1m in Q3 2019-20.
Local bus passenger journeys
17 In 2021-22, 22% of the road network was classed as in poor or very poor condition, which is the same as in 2020-21. In 2021-22, 4% of the pathway network was classed as in poor or very poor condition. This remains relatively low compared with previous years, with the highest being 6% in 2015-16. Data for 2022-23 will be available in Spring 2023.
Area Wide Traffic Levels (07:00 -19:00) (Excluding A64)
18 Between 2011-12 and 2016-17, the number of vehicles on the city’s roads increased year on year to a high of 2.2 million. Since then the numbers have decreased to a provisional figure of 1.34 million in 2020-21. This decrease in numbers is set against a backdrop of a city with an increasing population. However, the covid pandemic has brought with it numerous national lockdowns and local restrictions so the decrease in traffic levels is to be expected. Figures for 2021-22 will be available in Spring 2023 and are also expected to be lower than historic figures, due to further restrictions and working from home orders.
Index of cycling activity (12 hour)
19 The data suggests that cycling levels in the 2020s are lower than in the 2010s. There are a number of reasons for this; technical issues with the hardware and software counting system, the impact of the Tour de France and the major effect of the Pandemic on all types of behaviour, including the introduction of furlough and the establishment of working from home as the new normal.
20 Cycling counter data from across the city has been cleaned and anomalies removed, to cleanly calculate results for the last ten years. This recalculation leaves an initial level in 2021 of 101% of the 2009 baseline compared to 114% the previous year. The cleaned data supports the view that there is significantly less commuting, evidenced by AM/PM data having lower peaks at rush hour times. Google mobility statistics capture the increase in leisure-related cycle trips, however due to technical issues with the counters and the placement of these counters on commuter routes, this has not been reflected in CYC numbers.
21 Approximately 10% of the cycle counter network has technical issues. To resolve this the Council is in the process of procuring a robust maintenance process alongside re-engineering processes for the production, quality assurance, analysis and publication of cycling information. All raw data for the last ten years relating to cycle counters has been republished to the Council’s Open Data platform during November 2022 to reflect these issues and give a common platform to report on.
Index of pedestrians walking to and from the City Centre (12 hour in and out combined)
22 From a baseline in 2009-10 (37,278), there has been a 3% increase in the number of pedestrians walking to and from the city centre in 2021-22. This is the same as in 2020-21 but 8% lower than in 2019-20. Data is gathered on an annual basis over the course of one day; it is a count of pedestrians crossing an inner cordon set just beyond the inner ring road and includes off-road routes such as riverside paths. Data for 2022-23 will be available in March 2023.
% of customers arriving at York Station by sustainable modes of transport (cycling, walking, taxi or bus – excluding cars, lift, motorcycle or train)
23 In 2021, 79% of customers arrived at York station by sustainable modes of transport which is an increase from 72% in 2019 (Due to COVID restrictions on movement, the survey did not take place during 2020, therefore data is not available for this year). The data is gathered by an annual survey which takes place for a five-hour period in seven locations around the station. Members of the public are asked how they arrive at the station and the results are flow weighted to take into account the split of people arriving at each entrance. Data for 2022 will be available in March 2023.
Good Health and Wellbeing
24 Demand for adult social care remains high, following the COVID-19 pandemic; CYC conducts around 6,000 assessments each year following a formal request for support. Monitoring initial contacts helps give ASC a view of possible future demand and our Customer Contact Workers (CCWs) record the number of contacts received to ASC, whether made by email, telephone or other methods. Complete information for December 2022 is not yet available, so the comparisons below relate to October-November 2021 and 2022.
· During October and November of 2022, the CCWs received 2,704 contacts, a 7% reduction from the number received during October-November 2021 (2,917).
· Around 14% of the contacts during October and November 2022 were resolved using Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG), which is a substantially lower percentage than were resolved using IAG during October-November 2021 (26%). This is likely to have been as a result of our CCWs dealing with increasingly complex issues from those with ASC-related queries.
25 The number of individuals in residential/nursing care placements fell sharply at the start of the 2020-21 financial year, mainly due to the Covid crisis, but has remained relatively stable since the summer of 2020. At the end of December 2022, this number was 561, compared to 572 at the end of December 2021.
26 During the third quarter of 2022-23, the number of new admissions of people to residential/nursing care was 29, a decrease of 44% compared with the same period in 2021-22 (52), which is due to the introduction of a “high cost” panel specifically to deal with potentially high-cost packages of care.
27 The number of people receiving home care services as their main provision has begun to rise again in recent months after a steady decline in the number during 2021-22. At the end of December 2022, there were 697 people who had, as their main provision, a home care service; this is slightly higher than the corresponding figure at the end of December 2021 (688). However, some of the recipients of home care services may otherwise have been placed in much more costly residential/nursing care, and the relatively small increase reflects on the good preventative work CYC has done.
28 In the third quarter of 2022-23, 153 clients were recorded as receiving a paid ASC service for the first time (“new starters”). This is a significant increase compared with the number in the corresponding quarter during 2021-22 (125). The number during the third quarter of 2022-23 (82) that have returned to ASC for a paid service is lower than reported during the third quarter of 2021-22 (93). This suggests that although we are still experiencing high demand for care, which prevents us keeping the number of first-time entrants lower than we would wish, we are doing well by ensuring that fewer people need to re-enter ASC for additional spells of care; it is an ongoing challenge to maintain this position.
Proportion of adults in contact with secondary mental health services living independently
29 The 2021-22 ASCOF results were released in October 2022 and showed that York is in the upper quartile for performance with 46% of adults in contact with secondary mental health services living independently, compared with the England average of 26% and 32% regionally. The definition used for this indicator has changed from prior years, and therefore the current figures cannot be compared with previous ones. The Care Programme Approach has been decommissioned and this indicator now includes all people in contact with secondary mental health services, rather than just those on the Care Programme Approach. Subsequent data shows that this figure for York has lowered to 37% at the end of the second quarter of 2022-23, but this is based on an incomplete sample of those in contact with secondary mental health services.
30 The 2021-22 ASCOF results showed that 17% of all those in contact with secondary mental health services in employment, compared with the England average of 6% and 8% regionally. York is the 6th best performing LA in the country on this indicator. As above, the definition used for this indicator has changed from prior years, due to the decommissioning of the Care Programme Approach, and therefore the current figures cannot be compared with previous ones. Subsequent data shows that this figure for York at the end of the second quarter of 2022-23 is 15%, but it is based on an incomplete sample of those in contact with secondary mental health services.
Overall satisfaction of people who use services with their care and support
31 Data at LA and national level for 2021-22 was published in October 2022, and the data shows that there has been a decrease in satisfaction levels experienced by York’s ASC users compared with 2020-21 (down from 72% to 65%). This has been mirrored at a national level (a decrease from 68% to 64%) as ASC users have found life increasingly difficult. We are about to conduct the 2022-23 Adult Social Care User Survey and expect to have provisional results for York in March/April.
32 Outcomes from the 2021-22 Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) were published in June 2022, and although there was a decrease in the percentage saying that they were “extremely or very” satisfied with their care and support (40% compared with 43% in 2018-19, the last time the Survey was carried out), York remained in the upper quartile for performance on this indicator amongst the 149 LAs that carried it out; the average for England as a whole was 36%. The next SACE will be conducted during 2023-24.
% of reception year children recorded as being obese (single year)
33 The participation rates for the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) in York for 2021-22 were 97.5% for reception aged children and 94.9% for year 6 pupils.
· The 2021-22 NCMP found that 8.9% of reception aged children in York were obese, compared with 10.1% in England and 11% in the Yorkshire and Humber region. York has the second lowest obesity rate for reception aged children in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
· Of year 6 children in York, 18.9% were found to be obese in 2021-22 compared with 23.5% in England and 24.9% in the Yorkshire and Humber region. York has the lowest obesity rate for Year 6 children in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
Healthy Life expectancy at birth – Female/Male (slope index of inequality)
34 Average Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy for men in York (79.9 years and 65.3 years) is above the England average (79.4 years and 63.1 years). Average Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy for women in York (83.6 years and 64.6 years) is also above the England average (83.1 years and 63.9 years).
35 The slope index of inequality shows how much life expectancy at birth varies with deprivation. A higher figure shows a greater disparity between the more deprived and the less deprived areas. Alternative measures are the difference in life expectancy between the most and least deprived deciles in an area and the difference in life expectancy between the deprivation deciles with the highest and lowest values.
36 Deprivation deciles are drawn up using data from the 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). The Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in York are ranked from 1 to 120 on the overall IMD measure and then divided into local deprivation deciles with 12 LSOAs in each.
37 The slope index of inequality in life expectancy for women in York for 2018-20 is 5.7 years. The England average is 7.9 years with a range of 1.2 to 13.9 years. In York there is a 7 year difference in life expectancy between the most and least deprived deciles and a 7.9 year difference between the deprivation deciles with the highest and lowest life expectancy.
38 The slope index of inequality in life expectancy for men in York for 2018-20 is 8.4 years. The England average is 9.7 years with a range of 2.6 to 17.0 years. In York there is a 10.3 year difference in life expectancy between the most and least deprived deciles and a 10.3 year difference between the deprivation deciles with the highest and lowest life expectancy.
39 The slope index of inequality in life expectancy for women in York for 2018-20 (5.7 years) has fallen (improved) compared with the figure of 6.2 years in the previous period 2017-19 and is similar to the first published value of 5.8 years for 2008-10.
40 The slope index of inequality in life expectancy for men in York for 2018-20 (8.4 years) has been fairly stable in recent periods e.g. it was 8.4 years in 2016-18, however it has increased (worsened) compared with the first published value of 6.4 years for 2008-10.
% of adults (aged 16+) that are physically active (150+ moderate intensity equivalent minutes per week, excluding gardening)
· 67% of people in York did more than 150 minutes of physical activity per week compared with 61% nationally and 60% regionally. There has been no significant change in the York value from that 12 months earlier.
· 24% of people in York did fewer than 30 minutes per week compared with 27% nationally and 28% regionally. There has been no significant change in the York value from that 12 months earlier.
A Better Start for Children and Young People
42 The number of children in York’s care was 268 at the end of Q3 2022-23, consistent with the Q2 outturn. York’s rate per 10k remains above the comparator averages at 72.4, compared to the recently released statistical family (63.6) and national (70) averages.
43 The number of children who were the subject of a child protection plan has reduced to 130 at the end of December 2022, following a steady reduction. As previously reported, the number of children subject to a plan peaked in August 2022 at 193. At 35.1 plans per 10k population, performance at the end of December is now within York’s expected range and lower than comparator averages (Family 39.3 per 10k, National 42.1 per 10k).
44 The number of referrals to children’s social care has been consistent with last year; At the end of Q3, around 1,200 referrals had been received. Re-referral performance (within 12 months of a previous referral) also remains stable and in line with benchmarks. Due to tight reporting timescales, it is likely that a small number of referrals will be missing from Q3, but not enough to noticeably impact on performance.
45 The number of contacts to Early Help in Q3 was 391, compared to over 600 in the previous three quarters. December appears to have had the greatest impact on performance, with only 62 contacts to Early Help, compared to a monthly average of ~200 contacts during the rest of 2022-23 to date.
Voice of the Child
46 Advocacy casework for children and young people who are in care or leaving care, going through the child protection process or wanting to make a complaint has continued to be provided throughout this period. Between October and December 2022, Speak Up received a total of 17 referrals for advocacy; these consisted of 4 referrals for children and young people in care, 1 referral for young parents aged 18 and under whose child is subject to a Child Protection Plan, 1 referral for a young person subject to a Child Protection Plan, 9 referrals for care leavers and 2 young people were referred who did not meet the scope of the advocacy service but they were provided with advocacy on an agreed exception basis.
Secondary school persistent absence rate
47 The Department for Education did not report persistent absence during COVID-19 due to school closures. 2020-21 national data has recently been released showing that 14.8% of secondary age pupils were persistently absent during the academic year, compared to 12.1% of York secondary pupils. 2021-22 academic year data for York pupils will be available next quarter.
% of children who have achieved a Good level of Development (GLD) at Foundation Stage
48 After two years of cancelled tests due to the pandemic, performance in this area deteriorated across England. In York, 70.9% of our 5-year-olds achieved a Good Level of Development compared to 65.2% Nationally, and 64.4% in Yorkshire and Humber. Performance in York, England and the Y&H Region all dropped by about 5% points on 2018-19.
49 Studies are emerging which are analysing the impact of the pandemic on Early Years Development. Broadly, the studies are suggesting that we could see similar performance for several cohorts whilst the children “catch up” on the past two years.
Education Progression (Average Progress 8 score from KS2 to KS4)and GCSE Results (% of pupils achieving 9-4 in English and Maths at KS4)
50 Progress 8 is a measure of the progress made by pupils between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4. A positive score represents progress above the average for all pupils and a negative score progress below the average for all pupils.
51 In 2020 and 2021, all GCSE, AS and A level exams were cancelled and replaced by a combination of teacher assessment, mock exam results, course work and a standardised calculation. Summer 2022 saw a return to the familiar testing methods.
52 Despite an incredibly turbulent two years, York’s Year 11s, and their teachers, went against National trend in 2022 by improving on 2018-19 performance. York’s Progress 8 score was 0.26, against a National average of -0.02.
53 75.3% of Key Stage 4 pupils achieved grades 9-4 in English and Maths (considered a standard pass), compared to 56.1% Nationally.
% point gap between disadvantaged pupils (eligible for FSM in the last 6 years, looked after and adopted from care) and their peers achieving 9-4 in English and Maths at KS4
54 In 2020 and 2021, all GCSE, AS and A Level exams were cancelled and replaced by a combination of teacher assessment, mock exam results, course work and a standardised calculation. Summer 2022 saw a return to the familiar testing methods.
55 As with National averages, York saw a slight widening of the gap at age 16. York’s gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in 2022 was 32% compared to 28.2% for English and Maths at grades 9-4.
56 Reducing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is a key priority in all phases of education across 0-19 years. Our long-term strategy re closing the gap is linked to the early identification of speech, language and communication needs in the early years through Early Talk For York (ETFY). Early communication and language development is particularly important in helping to tackle inequalities between disadvantaged children and their peers. Data shows that the ‘gap’ between non disadvantaged children nationally and disadvantaged children in the ETFY area reduced by 32%, from 34.5% (2018) to 2.5%, during the pilot. The scale up of the programme is designed to reduce the long-standing attainment gap and will focus on supporting the transition of children from the early years in to school.
% of 16-17 year olds who are NEET who do not have a L2 qualification
58 Historically, NEET trends follow the academic year, with increases over the summer months when a small number of 16 year olds finish school without a plan for September.
59 At the end of December 2022, all of the young people who were NEET did not have a Level 2 qualification. The number of young people who are NEET is very low in York, so high levels are not unexpected. Performance is largely in line with historical performance.
A Greener and Cleaner City
Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting
60 The latest provisional data for the amount of household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting was 43.3% within Q2 2022-23 which is a decrease from 47.4% during Q2 2021-22. Whilst there has been a big reduction of 2,500 tonnes of overall household waste to 21,000 tonnes (23,500 in 2021-22), there has also been a decrease of 2,100 tonnes in household waste being sent for reuse, recycling or composting, where we have expected a reduction of 1,400 tonnes.
Residual household waste per household (kg/household)
61 The latest provisional residual waste (i.e. non-recyclable) per household data shows that figures have decreased during Q2 2022-23 to 127.9kg (from 135.0kg in Q2 2021-22). This decrease is due to the reduction in overall household waste and specifically the decrease of 700 tonnes of household waste not sent for reuse, recycling or composting (11,700 in 2022-23 from 12,400 in 2021-22).
Incidents - Fly tipping / Rubbish / Cleansing (includes dog fouling, litter and all other cleansing cases) / Graffiti – On Public/Private Land
62 The number of service calls received during 2021-22 due to fly-tipping (2,069) had reduced from the 2,277 received during 2020-21. There have been 1,745 calls received during the first three quarters of 2022-23 (up to the end of December) suggesting that the figures for 2022-23 may rise above those seen in previous years.
63 The number of service calls received during 2021-22 due to street cleansing (including dog fouling and litter) (2,150) had increased slightly from 1,990 in 2020-21. There have been 1,536 calls received during the first three quarters of 2022-23 (up to the end of December) suggesting that the figures are remaining stable.
64 The number of service calls received due to graffiti decreased from 479 in 2020-21 to 452 in 2021-22. However, due to increased CYC pro-activeness, the figures during the second half of 2021-22 were steadily increasing and figures of 660 for the first three quarters of 2022-23 (up to the end of December) show that overall figures for 2022-23 will be much higher than seen in previous years.
Air Quality
65 Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, has released his annual health report and has focussed on the many risks to health from air pollution. The report lays out the scale of the challenge of reducing air pollution nationally, the substantial progress that has been made and highlights achievable solutions. Copies of the report and an Executive Summary can be downloaded here: Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2022: Air Pollution.
66 Following approval of CYC’s 2022 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR), Public Protection have commenced work on the next report, due with DEFRA by the end of June 2023. The next ASR report will summarise the latest air quality monitoring results for York (2022) and ongoing progress on delivering measures in York’s current Air Quality Action Plan to deliver further improvements in air quality.
67 Public Protection continue the rollout of the DEFRA funded Low Emission Taxi Grant scheme. Approximately 33% of York taxis are now electric or petrol hybrid vehicles. Further promotion of the scheme was undertaken via CYC’s social media channels and correspondence with taxi associations. In October 2022, Licensing and Regulatory Committee approved the issuing of ten new hackney carriage vehicle licences. Licences will be only be issued to wheelchair accessible vehicles, which are also fully electric or plug in electric hybrid. Interested potential future hackney carriage proprietors have been made aware of the local grant funding available.
68 Further CYC social media promotion around the use of appropriate fuels and maintenance of appliances in line with the Government’s national Burn Better campaign was undertaken in October 2022. Public Protection continue to check that solid fuels being sold in York are certified as ‘Ready to Burn’ in line with the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020.
69 CYC has previously obtained DEFRA AQ Grant funding to carry out a feasibility study and subsequent pilot scheme to reduce emissions relating to freight deliveries travelling in to and out of York. As part of this work, CYC has previously engaged with businesses, including delivery companies, on the initial feasibility work and options for a pilot scheme. The pilot scheme concept was developed further throughout 2022 with one of CYC’s own buildings, 107-109 Walmgate, identified as a base for the 9-month hub pilot, which is expected to run until mid-2023, with evaluation and pilot review expected by December 2023.
Carbon Emissions
70 Recent figures of 912 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2019, compared to 936 tonnes in 2018 should be seen in context of the overall direction of travel as reported within the Climate Change Strategy, in that since 2005 city-wide emissions have fallen by 39% due to a combination of increasingly decarbonised electricity supply, structural change in the economy, and the gradual adoption of more efficient buildings, vehicles and businesses.
Net Zero Carbon Pathway for York from Climate Change Strategy
Trees Planted
71 During 2021-22, there were 73 trees planted, compared to 271 in 2020-21. The trees planted were of the larger variety and included a mix of 20 Limes and Maples along Monks Cross Link Road.
72 During 2022-23, there have been 55,020 trees planted so far in the York Community Woodland, with further trees expected to be planted before the end of the financial year. This delivers, ahead of target, the Council Plan 2019-23 commitment to plant a minimum of 50k trees by 31 March 2023. This was achieved through the council’s partnership with Forestry England, who will nurture the new trees through to successful establishment and lead the woodlands long-term management for the next 120 years. Tree planting will continue over subsequent tree planting seasons to reach a total of 210,000 trees, one for each resident of York.
73 Due to the seasonal nature of tree planting, full data for 2022-23 across the whole city will be available in April 2023.
% of Talkabout panel who think that the council and partners are doing well at improving green spaces
74 The second resident satisfaction survey taken bianually by the Takabout panel tool place during Q3 2022-23. There are approximately 1000 members of the Talkabout panel, but the response rate was only 404, a significant decrease from 550 in Q1 2022-23, and work is planned to be undertaken in the Spring to increse the panel membership.
75 The results for Q3 2022-23 showed that 38% of respondents agreed the Council and its partners are doing well at improving green spaces, down from 42% in Q1 2022-23.
76 When asked about improving the quality of streets/public spaces, 32% of survey respondents thought that the Council and its partners were doing well. The current results have returned to similar levels seen in the year before the pandemic of around 33-35%. During 2020-21, the percentage of respondents who felt the Council were doing well in this area peaked with 48% agreeing throughout the year. 70% agreed they were doing well at conserving York’s heritage. Although this has decreased from 76% in Q1 2021-22, it remains the top answer choice for this question with a consistently high percentage agreeing.
Creating Homes and World-class infrastructure
New Additional Homes Provided
77 Between 1st April 2022 and 30th September 2022 there were a total of 337 net housing completions. This represents a near return to pre-pandemic levels of housing completions and the figures are similar to those achieved in both 2018 and 2019 for the same 6-month monitoring period. However, this year’s figures are heavily influenced by the completion of 232 student flats at Frederick House, and with labour and materials shortages still being experienced by housebuilders, these factors continue to affect housing delivery rates throughout the authority area. Data for the full 2022-23 reporting year will be available in July 2023
78 Some of the main features of the housing completions have been;
· 232 student cluster flats were completed at Frederick House in time for the new academic year;
· 107 homes were competed on housing sites;
· A total of 319 new build homes were completed whilst 3 homes were demolished;
· Individual sites that saw the construction of five or less dwellings contributed an additional 42 homes, and
· Development sites at the Germany Beck site in Fulford (40) and the Former Lowfield School site (16) were the most significant individual sites that provided housing completions, whilst the first completions at the Former Civil Service Club, Boroughbridge Road (4) also took place.
Net Housing Consents
79 Planning applications determined between 1st April 2022 and 30th September 2022 resulted in the approval of 467 net additional homes. Compared to last year’s update covering the same equivalent monitoring period this represents a return to a level of consents needed to meet our housing requirement. Data for the full 2022-23 reporting year will be available in July 2023.
80 The main features of the consents approved were;
· 261 of all net homes consented (55.9%) were granted on traditional (Use Class C3) housing sites;
· Sites granted approval for traditional (Use Class C3) housing included Development Site Hospital Fields Road and Ordnance Lane (85), Os Field 2800 Eastfield Lane Dunnington (83), and Cherry Tree House 218 Fifth Avenue (48);
· Approval was granted for two privately managed student accommodation developments that totalled 208 ‘cluster’ flats at Mecca Bingo 68 Fishergate (104) and Alton Cars York Ltd 3 James Street (104) and represents 44.5% of all approvals over the monitoring period;
· A further 158 homes in Copmanthorpe were approved through a resolution to grant consent by councillors with the application being referred to the Secretary of State for determination;
· An application on Land North of Monks Cross that is allocated within the draft Local Plan (ST8) for 970 homes went to appeal in January 2022 due to non-determination and a decision from the Secretary of State is imminent. Indications are that CYC Planning Committee would have approved this scheme if the Local Plan had been adopted, and
· A further application for circa 300 homes at Huntington South Moor, New Lane also went to appeal in January and has been sent to the Secretary of State for consideration. CYC do not support this site for development.
Number of homeless households with dependent children in temporary accommodation
81 The latest available data shows that the number of households with dependent children in temporary accommodation has reduced from 28 at Q4 2021-22 to 22 at Q1 2022-23. This is 43% of total households in temporary accommodation at Q1, which is a decrease from 57% at the end of 2021-22 where numbers had risen throughout the year. The national figures for England consistently showed throughout 2021-22 that around 62% of households in temporary accommodation were households with children.
82 When looking at the total number of households in temporary accommodation per households in area (000s), York performs positively compared to national benchmarks (0.58 in York compared to 3.97 Nationally, 0.89 Regionally and 15.46 in London). It should be noted that these figures are snapshot figures and therefore may fluctuate between the snapshot dates.
Average number of days to re-let empty Council properties (excluding temporary accommodation)
84 The Building Services department continues to experience significant challenges associated with the national issues of significant competition for skilled tradespeople and the shortage of building materials. This is in addition to the service continuing to work through the pent up demand for the service following the full release of lockdown restrictions. At the start of the last calendar year, an “Action Plan” was created to support improvement through these challenges. The total number of void properties at the end of December 2022 was 85. This has reduced from a peak of 152 at the end of October 2021, but still remains high.
Energy efficiency – Average SAP rating for all Council Homes
85 The provisional average SAP rating for all Council homes in 2021-22 is 70.6. This is primarily based on our stock condition survey of 2019. A large scale stock appraisal exercise is underway as part of development of an energy efficiency and retrofit strategy for council homes, a process which includes work with carbon reduction analysts, Parity Projects Portfolio, to model energy performance, and identify the most cost-effective route to net-zero. One key output of this work will be a detailed analysis of multiple sources of energy performance data, however further property surveys are needed in order to update the current estimate.
Number of new affordable homes delivered in York
86 There were 224 new affordable homes delivered in York during 2021-22 which was a large increase on the 130 delivered during 2020-21.
88 There is a significant future pipeline of affordable homes with planning permission in place across the council’s own newbuild development programme and section 106 planning gain negotiated affordable housing. Inclusive of applications with a resolution to approve from Planning Committee, there are around 950 affordable homes identified in approved planning applications. The progress ranges from sites that are being built out currently to others with substantial infrastructure or remediation challenges to resolve prior to development. Over 350 of these have progressed through detailed planning, either as a Full application or Reserved Matters. The remainder are at Outline stage, with more uncertainty on timescales and final delivery levels, including the York Central affordable housing contribution.
Superfast broadband availability/Average broadband download speed (Mbs)
89 In 2022-23, 96.3% of properties in York had access to superfast broadband (download speeds of at least 30 Mbit/s), which compares to 95.5% in 2021-22. Nationally 96.9% of UK homes can access superfast broadband although more than a quarter (27%) who have access to it have not taken it up.
90 With households now using 482 GB of data a month on average, full fibre can better support families who need to stream, work, game, video-call and study online all at the same time. Full-fibre connections – along with upgraded cable networks – can deliver download speeds of one gigabit per second (Gbit/s) or higher. In total, gigabit-capable broadband through a range of technologies is now available to 74% of York households (70% of the UK), up from 61.3% last year (47% Nationally). This increase can be attributed to the Council’s continuing work with service providers around improving infrastructure.
91 The average broadband download speed in York in 2022-23 was 177.5 Mb/s, which compares to 159.3 Mb/s in 2021-22 and 147.1 Mb/s in 2020-21. The national benchmark download speed is 106.1 Mb/s in 2022-23. This data is provided by an Ofcom panel of consumers so should be treated as an indication rather than actual figures.
Safe Communities and culture for all
% of Talkabout panel satisfied with their local area as a place to live
92 Results from the Q3 2022-23 Talkabout survey showed that 83% of the panel were satisfied with York as a place to live, and 82% were satisfied with their local area, both consistent with results from Q1 2022-23. A slight decline in satisfaction with the local area can be seen over recent years but York continues to perform well against the latest national figures of 79% (Community Life Survey 2020-21) and 78% (Local Government Association Poll February 2022).
All Crime per 1000 population
Number of Incidents of ASB within the city centre (Alcohol Restriction Zone)
96 Across the city as a whole, there were 3,492 calls for service recorded by North Yorkshire Police linked to anti-social behaviour during the first eight months of 2022-23 (up to the end of November). This is lower than during the same reporting period in previous years (4,779 in 2021-22 and 6,268 in 2020-21).
Visits - All Libraries
% of Talkabout panel who agree that they can influence decisions in their local area
99 Results from the Q3 2022-23 Talkabout survey found that 21% of panellists agreed that they could influence decisions in their local area, down 5% from the previous survey and below the latest national figure of 27% (Community Life Survey 2020-21). The percentage agreeing they can influence decisions has been between 27-30% over the past three years.
% of Talkabout panel who give unpaid help to any group, club or organisation
100 Results from the Q3 2022-23 Talkabout survey found that 61% of panellists had given unpaid help to any group, club or organisation within the last 12 months. This is a slight decrease from Q1, however is similar to the latest national figure of 62% taken from the government’s Community Life Survey 2020-21.
Parliament Street Footfall
An open and effective Council
Average Sickness Days per FTE - CYC (Excluding Schools)
102 At the end of October 2022, the average number of sickness days per FTE (rolling 12 months) had increased to 13.0 days from 9.4 in October 2021. In 2020-21, sickness had reduced in the authority by approximately 2 days per FTE, to 8.8 days per FTE, which is close to the LGA public sector for Yorkshire and Humber authorities average of 8 days. Since the start of Covid, although exact comparative figures are not yet available, all authorities in Yorkshire and Humber are reporting a significant increase in sickness levels within the whole workforce due to both Covid cases and increased pressures in frontline services.
103 On top of day-to-day managerial practices for sickness cases, additional work is underway to assist and remind managers of the support and services that employees can access as well as the managerial role in ensuring the wellbeing and absence management of those employees absent, or those who remain at work but showing signs of reduced resilience. Managers are being reminded of the importance of timely absence support for individuals and teams, and employees are reminded of the self care that they need to exercise to ensure that they are able to perform their roles effectively.
104 CYC still has a number of Covid cases throughout staffing structure and contributes to increases overall sickness figure. Internally, business continuity plans are in place to ensure that services are able to be resilient to the fluctuating peaks and troughs of Covid infections, and it is likely that absence levels associated with Covid will return during Winter, when combined with other reason for absence, which will further impact on our absence levels.
Customer Services Waiting Times (Phone / Footfall / Webchat etc)
105 Customer Service is the main point of contact for residents and business visitors. As expected, the number of calls received decreased to 38,710 (from 59,338 in Q2 2022-23), with 89% answered (34,417). 51% of calls were answered within 20 seconds.
106 Customer Service signposted 5,793 customers (5,473 in the previous quarter), faciliated 449 customer appointments (580 in the previous quarter) with 89% seen within the target wait time (83% in the previous quarter) and welcomed 2,843 business visitors (2,480 in the previous quarter). In addition to speaking to customers over the phone, the customer service team also responded to 12,463 e-mails (14,518 in the previous quarter). Customer satisfaction is 78%, which has improved as expected due to lower waiting times.
107 Customers are continuing to opt to access services using alternative means:
· 10,417 customers made payments using the auto payments facility
· 11,980 people used the auto operator
· 56% of issues available to report online were reported by customers on-line
Number of days to process Benefit claims (currently Housing Benefit)
108 The average number of days taken to process a new Housing Benefit claim, or a change in circumstance, has remained stable, being just over three days during 2021-22. York performance is above the most recent national average of 4.98 days (2020-21).
109 The third quarter of 2022-23 saw the completion of the Energy Rebate (£150), the closure of the second Household Support Fund (HSF) and the start of the third Household Support Fund. The YFAS fund aimed at keeping residents in the community, and providing emergency payments, continues to operate as normal but with high demand. The third Household Support Fund will close at the end of March 2023 but further schemes have been announced for 2023-24.
110 Welfare support provided at the end of the third quarter of 2022-23 includes:
· Second Household Support Fund – 8,332 payments to families totalling £1,012,672 (now closed)
· Third Household Support Fund – 1,573 payments to families totalling £368,425 (closing 31st March 2023)
· 60,516 Energy Rebate payments of £150 and 13,863 credits of £150 to Council Tax accounts which accounts for 100% of qualifying residents (now closed)
· 76 Discretionary Energy Rebate payments of £150 totalling £11,400 (Now closed)
· 967 YFAS payments totalling £236.5k
· 128 Discretionary Housing Payments totalling £115k
% of 4C’s Complaints responded to ‘In Time’
FOI/EIR and SAR - % In time
112 In Q3 2022-23, although there has been a decrease in the number of FOIs (Freedom of Information Act requests) and EIRs (Environmental Information Regulation requests) received compared to the same reporting period in 2021-22 (170 FOIs in Q3 2022-23 compared to 241 in Q3 2021-22 and 110 EIRs in Q3 2022-23 compared to 146 in Q3 2021-22), we have improved the percentage of both FOIs and EIRs responded to in time (86.4% of FOIs in Q3 2022-23 compared to 80% in Q3 2021-22 and 90.2% of EIRs in Q3 2022-23 compared to 88% in Q3 2021-22).
113 There has been an increase in the number of SARs (subject access to records request) received compared to the same reporting period in 2021-22 (38 in Q3 2022-23 compared to 25 in Q3 2021-22), and we continue to maintain improved percentage of SARs responded to in time (80.65% in Q3 2022-23 compared to 80% in Q3 2021-22).
CYC Apprenticeships
115 Regular updates on apprenticeships within CYC and York are submitted to the Decision Sessions for Economy and Strategic Planning and the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee. Highlights from the most recent report include:
· To support the wider city agenda, the council’s Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Scheme, a total of £160,000 had been committed to support 9 local businesses and 27 apprenticeships
· £120,000 per year had been set aside to fund apprenticeships within hard to fill posts, such as business support and customer services, and some of these opportunities were also ring-fenced for our care leavers
· The apprenticeship team also support a number of other pathway interns and work experience placements such as T Levels