Issue - meetings

To provide the Cabinet with an update on the positive progress with Highlight Priority Actions adopted for 2024/25 towards the Council’s Corporate Plan Themes for 2024/28.

To inform Members of a breach of the Council’s Policy Framework and legal decision making requirements with regards to the Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy (sections 5 and 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998).

That Cabinet:

(a)    notes the contents of the report together with the highlighted realignment of particular milestones for particular highlight priority actions, as set out in the Appendix to the Portfolio Holder’s report (A.1);

(b)    formally receives and notes the Monitoring Officer’s report issued under Section 5A of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 in respect of the position in relation to Council’s omission regarding the formulation and implementation of a Crime and Disorder Strategy for the Council, as required under Sections 5 and 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; and

(c)    in response, requests an update from the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships on the proposed form of action to resolve the historical omission at the next meeting of Cabinet complete with timescales.

Earlier on in the meeting, as detailed under Minute 57 above, Councillor Barry had declared a Discloseable Pecuniary Interest in the subject matter of this item insofar as he was a Trustee of the Brightlingsea Lido and the Lido Trust was referred to within the Appendix. Councillor Barry had been granted a Dispensation by the Monitoring Officer pursuant to Section 33(2)(e) of the Localism Act 2011, to enable him to stay in the room and vote on this item, as reference to the Brightlingsea Lido, of which he was a Trustee was mentioned but only in noting a factual position, rather than regarding making any new decisions about the Lido.

Cabinet considered a joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Monitoring Officer (A.1) which provided it with an update on the positive progress with Highlight Priority Actions adopted for 2024/25 towards the Council’s Corporate Plan Themes 2024/28. The joint report also informed Members of a breach of the Council’s Policy Framework and legal decision making requirements with regards to the Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy (sections 5 and 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998).

Members were well aware that the Council had approved a Corporate Plan for 2024/28 and that this had established its strategic direction for those four years. That strategic direction itself sought to reflect the issues that mattered most to the local people, the national requirements from Government and the challenges that faced the District over that time period. The Corporate Plan had been adopted unanimously at the Full Council meeting held on 28 November 2023 (Minute 76 referred).

The themes of the 2024/28 Corporate Plan were:-

•    Championing Our Local Environment

•    Pride in Our Area and Services to Residents

•    Working with Partners to Improve Quality of Life

•    Raising Aspirations and Creating Opportunities

•    Promoting Our Heritage Offer, Attracting Visitors and Encouraging Them to Stay Longer

•    Financial Sustainability and Openness

The Corporate Plan shaped and directed the Council’s work and an extensive range of actions had been, were being and would be undertaken across the 2024-28 life of the Plan to deliver against its themes and priorities.

Members recalled that the Highlight Priority Actions adopted by Cabinet on 12 March 2024 sought to take forward the Corporate Plan. This meeting of Cabinet provided the opportunity to review progress with the Highlight Priority Actions adopted and realign the milestones for certain of those Highlight Priority Actions in view of the circumstances that now required this.  This detail was set out at Appendix A to the joint report.

It was reported that, within Appendix A, the opportunity had been taken to update Cabinet as a whole on the delivery of five highlight priorities for which there were no specific milestone for Quarter 2(Q2).  Those highlight priorities were:-

•A3(b) - Progress the review of the Local Plan to support sustainable development of  quality housing for a range of tenures.

•B4      - Take the opportunities afforded by Freeport  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63