Agenda item

CORPORATE PLAN 2018 TO 2023

Meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Tuesday, 18th July, 2017 7.30 pm (Item 27.)

REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, PERFORMANCE AND GOVERNANCE

To consider the Corporate Plan 2018 to 2023 prior to consideration by Cabinet.

Decision:

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET: That Cabinet consider the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee made in the discussion above regarding the Corporate Plan 2018 to 2013, in particular the following:

(i) That the document as a whole felt disjointed;

(ii) That more hard data should be included;

(iii) That some specific and measurable targets should be included;

(iv) That some detail be included regarding the differences between parished and non-parished areas;

(v) That, whilst acknowledging financial constraints, the document should be more policy led.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to comment on the report entitle Corporate Plan 2018 to 2013 prior to consideration by Cabinet.

Minutes:

The Strategic Director of Finance, Policy and Governance presented the report entitled Corporate Plan 2018 to 2023 and reminded Members that the Corporate Plan informed the Corporate Business Planning Process.

This Corporate Plan was slightly different to previous Plans in that it recognised the day to day business of the Council, as it was increasingly likely that financial constraints would result in the emphasis for Council spend to be on day to day service delivery and it was important to be aware of the uncertainties that would affect the Council’s financial position.

The Corporate Plan aimed to put the day to day roles into context at the start of the document and then move through each of the objectives.

A Member queried the discrepancy on Page 68 between the number of households that waste was collected from and the number of homes that Council Tax was collected from.

The Strategic Director for Finance, Policy and Governance advised that the Waste collection figure should be increased to match the Council Tax figure.

Members commented that there was little of substance about commercialisation and that simple outsourcing of services was not a form of commercialisation.

They expressed concern that, although generally crime rates were down, there was no recognition of the rise in Domestic Abuse and the actions being taken to address this problem. They felt that this aspect needed to be made clearer.

There was some discussion about protecting the environment and that initiative such as planting trees would help the environment and make the area more attractive.

In respect of grants to local community groups a Member commented that the revised Grants Policy was unhelpful and resulted in Councillors having to award grants for more than one year because of restrictions on groups applying in successive years.

Members noted that the biggest employers in the District were retail and hospitality and that people living in the District often worked in other towns. They considered that progressive steps were needed to encourage smaller business into the towns.

There was concern that there was no mention of the differences between parished and non-parished areas and the effect that this had on local finances and services.

Members generally did not like the document. They felt that the objectives read as if they were something that ought to be said, rather than a belief and the document as a whole felt disjointed, as though the different elements were not related, but squeezed together to make a document.

They acknowledged that policy and finance were interdependent, but felt that the Plan was purely finance rather than policy led and that there should be some comment about what success would look like which would include some measurable targets.