The Council’s strategic direction is set out in its Corporate Plan which is a fundamental element of the Council’s Policy Framework. The Corporate Plan (‘Our Vision’) was adopted unanimously by Council on 28 November 2023 (Minutes 76 refers) and covers the period 2024-28 (and is reproduced at Appendix A to this report).

A key element of delivering against the adopted Corporate Plan is through annual highlight priority actions approved by Cabinet. The 2025/26 initial proposals for highlight priorities were adopted by Cabinet for consultation purposes on 20 December 2024.

This report summarises the response to that consultation and invites Cabinet to finalise its highlight priorities for 2025/26, giving due consideration to the outcome of the consultation undertaken and the impact of Greater Essex being placed on the Devolution Priority Programme by Government, which includes proposals being developed for local government reorganisation.

RESOLVED that Cabinet -

a)       notes the outcome of the consultation on the initial highlight priorities adopted for that purpose at Cabinet’s meeting on 20 December 2024;

b)       approves the final highlight priorities for 2025/26, as set out at Appendix B to the Leader of the Council’s report (A.2); and

c)       expressly approves the inclusion of a new highlight priority, as set out in the aforementioned Appendix B, in relation to the critically important area of devolution and local government reorganisation in view of their consequential impact on delivery of services to residents of the District.

Cabinet considered a detailed report of the Leader of the Council (A.2).

Members were aware that the Council’s adopted Corporate Plan 2024-28 (‘Our Vision’) set out its strategic direction. That strategic direction itself sought to reflect the issues that mattered most to local people, the national requirements from Government and the challenges that faced the District over the time period of the Plan.

The themes of the 2024-28 Corporate Plan (‘Our Vision’) were:

• Pride in our Area and Services to Residents
• Raising Aspirations and Creating Opportunities
• Championing our Local Environment
• Working with Partners to Improve Quality of Life
• Promoting our heritage offer, attracting visitors and encouraging them to stay longer
• Financial Sustainability and Openness

The Corporate Plan (‘Our Vision’) itself was set out at Appendix A to the Leader’s report (A.2).

Cabinet was aware that it established each year its highlight priority actions to deliver against the Corporate Plan and thereby ensured that the ambition of that Plan was central to its work.

Members were reminded that the priority actions did not cover every separate element of the ambition of the four-year Corporate Plan; nor were they intended to indicate that other projects, schemes or activities were not being pursued. They were though intended to reflect imperatives across the Council and for the District and actions that it was right to focus on in 2025/26.

Members recalled that the initial proposals had been agreed by Cabinet on 20 December 2024 and had been the subject of a consultation exercise, a summary of which was included within the body of the Leader’s report (A.2).

Cabinet was informed that the desire among respondents for local residents to be engaged in the big decisions facing the Council/District was clear. Likewise steps to improve the area through supporting the local economy to grow, providing opportunities for skills development and “place setting” with partner organisations had come through in that consultation.

Cabinet was aware that, since the initial priorities had been proposed by Cabinet, the Government had published its English Devolution White Paper and had requested expressions of interest for areas to be included within the Devolution Priority Programme.  On Wednesday, 5 February 2025 the Deputy Prime Minister had announced that Greater Essex had been accepted onto the programme, which included developing proposals for Local Government Reorganisation.  An Interim Plan was required to be submitted to Government by 21^st March 2025 and Full Council had considered this at its meeting on 11^th March 2025.

It was reported that the degree of the impact of both the devolution and local government reorganisation programmes were still unknown but, due to the tight deadlines being imposed and the level of preparation work at a senior level, it was clear that the Council’s resources would be significantly affected for 2025/26.  Therefore, in adopting any priorities Cabinet were mindful that those would be subject to change and reflection throughout the year. It was also right that devolution and local government reorganisation was recognised as a highlight priority for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 144