Agenda item - COUNCIL PLAN AND PRIORITIES 2022-2027

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

This report proposes a new Council Plan and process for finalising the Plan.

RESOLVED:

(1) That Cabinet reviews and recommends the approval of the Council Plan (Appendix A) to Full Council with the three new Council Priorities as outlined below:

· People First

· Sustainability

· A Brighter Future Together

(2) That Cabinet recommend to Council to delegate any minor changes in relation to the Council Plan to the Managing Director in consultation with Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council.

REASON FOR DECISION: To provide an overarching policy framework document, to guide and influence the use of Council resources; providing a focus for activities, plans and services the Council provide.

Audio Recording – 6 minutes 30 seconds.

The Policy and Community Engagement Manager presented the report entitled Council Plan and Council Priorities 2022-2027 along with the following appendices:

· Appendix A – Council Plan

· Appendix B – Council Plan 2022-2027 (updated)

He drew attention to points including:

· Appendix B was a visual mock-up of the draft plan meant to reflect the new design approach; the substantive content was better reflected in Appendix A

· Cabinet was being asked to review the Plan and make recommendations to Council

· The Plan had been drafted by a working group of Officers and Members with input from the public liaison group, peer authorities and service directors

· The three Council Priorities together formed the overarching vision of the Council Plan as follows: “We put people first and deliver sustainable services, to enable a brighter future together,”

· The new Council priorities were expanded upon as follows; ‘People first,’ referring to putting residents, staff, councillors and other partners at the heart of everything the Council does; ‘sustainability,’ referring to delivering relevant and sustainable services with environmental responsibility and sound financial planning at their centre; and ‘brighter future together,’ referring to the long term plans to deliver the best outcomes for residents and the economy of the District.

Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg advised that the design and presentation of the Council Plan in the supplement had been revised and presented to Cabinet to demonstrate the commitment to people-first government, and that the current layout made the Plan more accessible.

The following Members asked questions and took part in debate:

· Councillor Steve Jarvis

· Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg

· Councillor Ian Albert

· Councillor Judi Billing

Points raised included:

· The theme and direction of the Plan was determined but the final draft and specific wording was still under review

· The Council Plan was a strategic priorities document which would dovetail with the Medium Term Financial Strategy and other documents and represented policy standing at the forefront of decision making

· The Plan set clear project and timeframes for delivery of those

· The public consultation around the future of Charnwood House was a success and the issue of potential refurbishment was a consideration for the Council in future

· The Customer Service Strategy was one of those daughter documents beneath the Council Plan.

The Monitoring Officer advised that if Cabinet recommended approval of a document to Council the document should be in its final form as the issue could not be revisited within 6 months of its presentation to Council.

The Managing Director advised that an additional recommendation be made to Council to delegate the finalising of the text of the Plan to the Leader and Managing Director.

Councillor Judi Billing highlighted that it would be preferable that such a recommendation would be to delegate the finalising of the text of the Plan to the Leader, Deputy Leader, and Managing Director.

On the vote it was: