Decision details

RESOLVED that Cabinet resolves that -

(1)    the outcome of the consultation (set out at Appendix C to the Leader’s report (A.2)) on the emerging Corporate Plan (‘Our Vision’) themes and supporting text, approved on 21 July 2023 (and repeated at Appendix A), be received and considered, including:

a.   The consistently positive relevance of the themes in the emerging corporate plan to respondents and their lives – and particularly the themes around ‘Championing the Local Environment’, ‘Pride in our Area’ and ‘Financial Sustainability and Openness’;

b.   The strong messaging from residents around services provided by partner organisations (including the condition of pavements and roads and access to health services) that underpins the proposed theme of ‘Working with partners to improve quality of life’;

c.   The need to recognise the long term socio-economic necessities around a skilled workforce to sustain and enhance the vibrancy of the District and the consequential needs to promote actions designed to “Raise aspirations andcreate opportunities” (and the adoption of a Corporate Plan theme around this); and

d.   Almost one third of respondents wishing to see more tourism to further promote our area and boost economic opportunities and almost half of respondents supporting the current levels of tourism to the District which, combined, suggest that there should be a new theme in the Corporate Plan around “Attracting visitors to our District and encouraging them to stay longer” (which itself accords with the Council’s existing Tourism Strategy;

(2)    based on (1) above, the final proposals for ‘Our Vision’ the Corporate Plan 2024/28 as set out in Appendix B be approved and recommended to Full Council for approval; and

(3)    Officers be requested to review the Council’s Communication Strategy and Community Engagement Strategy and their operation, taking into account the feedback received through the consultation with the public, partners and businesses, with a view to the outcomes being presented to a future meeting of the Cabinet.