COPELAND council’s failure to hit almost half its performance targets by the end of the third quarter is no cause for concern, authority bosses have insisted.

A meeting of the executive yesterday heard that the council has hit 13 of its “key performance indicators” in the last three months - 52 per cent of its objectives.

But members were also told it is in the red for 12 of those – or 48 per cent – including the number of homes built and approved and recycling targets.

David Moore, portfolio-holder for corporate and nuclear, said the authority had been “set up to fail” on some of the key performance indicators.

He said: “Although there are targets that we haven’t met, some of them are the old perennial ones that come around every time because we have to meet national targets and those national targets don’t reflect local [issues]. We are almost set up to fail on some of those.

“We have identified what the problems are, and what we are doing to bring them back in line.

“The focus always turns to those that are in red. I think what we miss sometimes is the excellent work that’s done to hit targets.”

Council chief executive Pat Graham backed Councillor Moor’s comments, stressing that some of the issues fell out of the authority’s control.

She said: “The way that we have to present the information disguises a really good story.

“If you look at the housing, for example, we have got more applications in the pipeline and approved than we have had in years, but we don’t control the housing market.

“We can only deal with what comes through the door. We have been identified as one of the top performing planning authorities in the country.

“Where we are not hitting those targets there are no surprises, nothing that we should be unduly worried about.

She added: “Some we need to monitor, but overall it’s another solid quarter for Copeland.”

The executive meeting heard that the wording on performance reports will be adjusted in future to better reflect local circumstances.

Green (targets hit)

Percentage of council tax collected

Number of empty homes brought back into use.

Percentage of non-domestic (business) rates collected

Number of apprenticeships within the council year.

Speed of processing new housing benefit claims

Speed of processing new council tax reduction claims

Homeless relief cases processed within time frame

Domestic abuse project

Percentage of complaints resolved at stage one

Percentage of council tax collected using direct debit payment

Percentage of ‘major’ planning applications determined within 13 weeks

Percentage of ‘minor’ planning applications determined within 8 weeks

Percentage of ‘other’ applications determined within eight weeks

Red (targets missed)

Number of new homes approved

Number of new homes built

Number of affordable homes built

Number of executive homes built

External funding for economic development secured

Speed of processing changes of circumstances for housing benefit claims

Speed of processing changes of circumstances for council tax reduction claims

Additional income generated through commercial activity

Percentage of Freedom of Information requests resolved within deadline

Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting.

Percentage reduction in residual household waste

Percentage of Non Domestic Rates (business rates) collected using direct debit payment method.