Flintshire Council performance report shows progress but misses key targets
Flintshire County Council has reported positive progress on many of its priorities for 2024/25, but some key services have not met their targets, according to the council’s latest performance report.
The Council Plan 2023/28, adopted in June 2023, sets out the council’s main goals in seven areas: tackling poverty; providing affordable and accessible housing; protecting the environment; supporting the economy; improving personal and community wellbeing; education and skills; and running the council efficiently.
The End of Year Performance Monitoring Report shows that 75 per cent of the 140 planned activities were either completed on schedule or are progressing well. Another 24 per cent made satisfactory progress, while one action, related to environmental targets, was off track.
Out of 87 performance measures tracked, 68 per cent met or exceeded their targets, 14 per cent narrowly missed them, and 18 per cent fell well short.
Areas where performance fell short
One of the most notable concerns is the council’s recycling rate, which stood at 64 per cent, six points below the Welsh Government’s target of 70 per cent.
From 28 April 2025, the council moved to reduce the frequency of waste collection from every two weeks to every three weeks.
This change is expected to improve recycling rates by around 4.5 per cent.
Alongside this, the council’s six-year Resource and Waste Strategy includes commitments to improve waste disposal outlets, increase the range of materials recycled, and raise the visibility of waste at Household Recycling Centres.
These efforts aim to help Flintshire reach the 70 per cent target in the coming years.
Delays in completing adaptations to homes for disabled residents have also been flagged. The average time to complete medium and large adaptations was 26 and 31 per cent longer than the council aimed for, largely due to resource issues that the council is now trying to resolve.
Customer satisfaction with the Housing Register service remains a challenge. The satisfaction rate was zero per cent against a target of 40 per cent. A policy review and plans for improving customer engagement are underway, with findings expected later this year.
Sickness absence among council staff rose to 11.8 days per full-time employee, well above the nine-day target. Mental health and musculoskeletal problems are the leading causes of absence. The council continues to work with staff and occupational health to offer support and reduce absences.
In education, none of Flintshire’s schools fully adopted the model Child Poverty Action Plan, missing a 100 per cent target. Fixed-term exclusions increased by 15 per cent, reflecting ongoing issues with challenging behaviour and special educational needs support.
Council response
Council Leader Dave Hughes said: “I want to thank all our staff for their hard work during what has been a challenging year. We have made good progress on many fronts, but there are clearly areas where we need to do better. We will continue to work with our communities and partners to improve services.”
Chief Executive Neal Cockerton added: “The council faces increasing financial pressures. We are committed to reviewing how we work and finding ways to deliver good services despite these challenges.”
The council is currently reviewing the existing plan and is developing a new Council Plan for 2025-2030. This will be shared for public consultation later this year to help shape future priorities.
Overall, the report reflects the difficult balance the council must strike between making progress on key issues and managing limited resources — while striving to meet the expectations of Flintshire’s residents.
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