North Yorkshire Council
Housing & Leisure Overview & Scrutiny Committee
10 June 2026
Leisure and Culture Bi-annual Performance Update
Report of the Assistant Director (Legal and Democratic Services)
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 For the Housing & Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review a summary of the relevant thematic performance data that forms part of the quarterly reports to the Executive and
1.2 For the committee to consider whether there are any lines of enquiry arising from the information provided to follow up on or to be put forward for the future work programme.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 North Yorkshire Council is ambitious to provide the best possible services to residents, communities and businesses. Understanding how we are performing is a critical step in identifying how we can continue to improve and achieve the best outcomes. As noted in the North Yorkshire Council Performance Management Framework 2025-26: “As an organisation going through a huge amount of change, monitoring performance, understanding it and learning from that insight is crucial to keep us on track.”
2.2 A key part of the corporate performance management arrangements is the ‘Quarterly Performance and Budget Monitoring Report’, considered by the Executive to show progress against the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) identified against the Council Plan. The report is organised under the five Council Plan themes: Place and Environment, Economy, Health and Wellbeing, People and Organisation, to aid in the monitoring of the overall Council Plan.
2.3 As part of the consideration of this report at the quarterly Performance Monitoring Executive meetings, members of the Scrutiny Board, made up of the Chairs of each of the six Overview and Scrutiny committees, are invited to ask questions to hold Executive members to account, based on the data, trends and narrative presented in the report of any performance challenges or opportunities.
2.4 As part of ensuring that this Overview and Scrutiny committee plays its role in analysing the performance of the relevant directorate within the Council, a summary of the performance information is presented as an appendix to this report for consideration at this meeting.
2.5 The appendix provides all committee members an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments, as well as to identify and interrogate trends in the data presented and identify key lines of enquiry. This scrutiny process of performance could lead to follow up actions from the committee, such as requests for follow-up reports to the committee at a future meeting, informal briefings on particular areas of interest and/or requests for further information to be collated from the directorate to develop the knowledge and understanding of the committee.
3.0 PERFORMANCE REPORT
3.1 The relevant extract form the Executive Q4 Performance Monitoring Report is presented at Appendix A. It sets out a summary of the narrative that details Q4 performance around leisure and culture that formed part of the overall quarter 4 report considered by the Executive in May 2026.
3.2 At that Q4 Performance Monitoring Executive meeting there were no questions from members of the Scrutiny Board that related to Leisure and Culture.
3.2 At the Q3 Performance Monitoring meeting of the Executive in February 2026 a question was raised about the new mobile library and the extended service it was able to provide. This Committee is due to receive its annual report on the Library Service at its September meeting which will provide members the opportunity to fully explore Library Service performance.
3.3 In March 2026 the Committee received a detailed implementation update on the council’s Cultural Strategy. The Strategy is about supporting and collaborating with our communities and our cultural sector, developing welcoming and accessible places and spaces to engage with culture and creativity and creating a region where accessible and inclusive culture and heritage is at the heart of improving people’s lives. The strategic priorities for the Cultural Strategy are listed below:
i. To use culture and creativity to create places where people want, and are able to live, work, visit, learn and engage
ii. To enable a thriving cultural workforce including employees, volunteers and freelancers, where grassroots creativity is nurtured and supported to grow
iii. To maximise the value and ensure sustainability of the region’s cultural assets and promote the cultural, identity, wealth and distinctiveness of the region
iv. To ensure cultural engagement contributes to improved health and wellbeing of communities (& to ensure that places, spaces and activities are inclusive and accessible)
3.4 The Committee has previously agreed to receive annual progress updates on the implementation of the Strategy, and is scheduled to receive its next update at its meeting in March 2027.
4.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
4.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from this report.
5.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
5.1 All local authorities have a duty to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which their functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
6.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
6.1 As a wider strategic document, the Council Plan 2025-2029 provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of outcomes in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion across protected characteristic and socio-economic groups, and target action to eliminate discrimination, advance equality (reduce inequalities) and foster good relations in line with our Public Sector Equality Duties.
7.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
7.1 There are no direct climate change implications arising from this report.
8.0 PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
8.1 This report sets out the thematic performance data that forms part of the quarterly reports to the Executive. By presenting directorate-specific KPIs and narrative information for the Overview and Scrutiny committee to review, this will help to improve corporate grip, control and delivery in our drive to improve as an organisation.
9.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
9.1 To give committee members an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments on the directorate performance set out in Appendix A and identify key lines of enquiry that could form part of future reports and feed into the work programme.
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10.0 |
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Committee:
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i) Note the performance information detailed in Appendix A.
ii) Feedback on the performance data and narrative contained within Appendix A, with a view to considering any future lines of enquiry for the committee to explore.
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APPENDICES:
Appendix A – Q4 Performance Data
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
Barry Khan
Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic Services
County Hall
Northallerton
18 November 2025
Report Author & Presenter – Melanie Carr, Senior Scrutiny Officer
Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.