Agenda item

To seek approval to commence the process of preparing a new Corporate Plan for the period 2024-2028.

RESOLVED that Cabinet -

(1)    notes and endorses the initial emerging themes for a Corporate Plan (Our Vision) for 2024-28, as set out at Appendix A to item A.6 of the report of the Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance;

(2)    requests Officers to undertake consultation with the public, stakeholder organisations, Councillors and staff on the initial emerging themes referred to in (1) above;

(3)    receives the outcome of that consultation at the meeting of Cabinet on 10 November 2023 with a view to development of finalised Corporate Plan (Our Vision) themes for 2024-28 being then recommended to Council on 28 November 2023; and

(4)    endorses engaging a social research company to support the consultation referred to in (2) above and, in view of the limited capacity within the Council, authorises that the costs of that support (up to £25,000) be met from corporately accrued vacancy savings to date in 2023/24, where this will not impact on service delivery.

Cabinet considered a report of the Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance (A.6), which sought its approval to commence the process of preparing a new Corporate Plan for the period 2024-2028.

Members recognised that the District of Tendring had amazing opportunities and some deep-seated challenges and that the Council’s Corporate Plan would reflect this as the Council’s focus. It also needed to recognise the Council’s challenging financial position, with financial sustainability being the key for delivery. The Council also recognised that it was a deliverer, influencer and facilitator, which would be the only way it could achieve its ambitious Corporate Plan aspirations.

Corporate Planning and Performance Management

Cabinet was aware that the Council had an established set of arrangements to set out its long and medium term aims and to monitor progress in delivering them. This included a long term Corporate Plan (agreed by Full Council), Annual Priorities and Projects in line with the Corporate Plan (agreed each year by Cabinet), and quarterly performance reporting. In addition, Departmental Plans were prepared annually at an operational management level.

An overview of the performance system was as follows:

A new Corporate Plan

Through this report, approval of the process of preparing a new Corporate Plan was sought.

With the election of a new Council, the formation of a new Administration and given that the current Corporate Plan ran to 2024, this was felt to be an appropriate time to begin preparatory work to develop a new Corporate Plan for agreement by the Council. It was acknowledged that it would take a number of months in order to allow proper consideration and scrutiny of the proposed content before the Council could be asked to formally agree the plan.

Cabinet was therefore requested to confirm at this stage that the overall approach to the Corporate Plan, Priorities and Projects and Performance Management and reporting should continue on the current basis and that the Corporate Plan itself should again be:

·    a “Plan on a Page”;

·    with Community Leadership underpinning its themes; and

·    a clear statement of the Council’s overall vision and values.

Public Consultation

Due to the proposed timeline and limited in-house capacity it was recommended that an external social research company be used, which would enable the Council to capture Tendring District specific data not only to assist the Council with developing its Corporate Plan but with future priority setting and decision-making.

In order for Officers to be authorised to undertake the consultation outlined and to alert Councillors, stakeholders and the public to the process of adopting a Corporate Plan for 2024-28:-

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson, seconded by Councillor I J Henderson and:-

RESOLVED that Cabinet -

(1)    notes and endorses the initial emerging themes for a Corporate Plan (Our Vision) for 2024-28, as set out at Appendix A to item A.6 of the report of the Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance;

(2)    requests Officers to undertake consultation with the public, stakeholder organisations, Councillors and staff on the initial emerging themes referred to in (1) above;

(3)    receives the outcome of that consultation at the meeting of Cabinet on 10 November 2023 with a view to development of finalised Corporate Plan (Our Vision) themes for 2024-28 being then recommended to Council on 28 November 2023; and

(4)    endorses engaging a social research company to support the consultation referred to in (2) above and, in view of the limited capacity within the Council, authorises that the costs of that support (up to £25,000) be met from corporately accrued vacancy savings to date in 2023/24, where this will not impact on service delivery.