How Ryedale is performing (From Gazette & Herald)

How Ryedale is performing

11:58am Thursday 4th February 2010

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IN response to the letter from Mr J David Wright of Old Malton, which was printed on your letters page on January 20 regarding Performance Poser for Ryedale Chiefs.

Ryedale has been given a score in the Comprehensive Area Assessment which is better than some and lower than some of our near-neighbours. The reference Mr Wright makes about managing performance is as printed in the oneplace report. However, what is not said is that the judgements are subjective and arbitrary.

There is no evaluation in the managing performance score to assist and help authorities understand why they have been judged differently. For example, Ryedale is the host partner for Internal Audit and Building Control, yet is scored lower than authorities who are in the same partnership.

Of course, it is our intention to do better, but we have always been focused on what matters locally and concentrate on the things which our communities have told us are important to them.

Ryedale District Council’s priorities are based on the things which the public have told us are important to them and not driven by a frequently changing inspection regime.

The judgements were made for the year 2008/9. Unlike some authorities which had three years to get used to the revised Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), Ryedale had just one year to experience that inspection regime. To continue the football analogy, the goal posts were moved again. This meant that Ryedale was at a disadvantage because it could not prove that it had “embedded” the things that the new performance framework stated a good/excellent council should evidence.

To answer the question: Yes, we do think that both the leader and the chief executive have the ability to inspire and motivate the team. We are very clear about the priorities and what will be delivered differently.

We have also been flexible and have been very proactive assisting our business community and have delivered a very successful business grant support scheme. We have assisted more than 65 businesses during this economic downturn and have allocated in excess of £93,000 to keep business working in Ryedale.

Our customers are very satisfied with the majority of our services and we know where we can improve. We are not complacent, but there is perhaps less to this review than meets the eye and we will continue to do all we can to ensure cost-effective and efficient services, working for people of Ryedale to make a difference.

Keith Knaggs (council leader) and Janet Waggott (chief executive), Ryedale District Council

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