Agenda item

The Council is asked to consider the recommendation submitted to it by the Cabinet in respect of the final proposals for ‘Our Vision’, the Corporate Plan 2024/28.

Council was informed that, at its meeting held on 10 November 2023 (Minute 47 referred), the Cabinet had considered a report of the Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance (A.2), which had sought its approval and recommendation to Full Council, of the final proposals for ‘Our Vision’ (the Corporate Plan 2024/28) following full consultation with the public, key partners and stakeholders.

It had been reported to Cabinet that the consultation process had included submission to the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and consultation with residents and key partners (other Local Authorities, health service bodies, Fire & Rescue, Police and voluntary sector) and businesses. The feedback from the consultation process had been summarised within the Leader’s report.

It was felt that the final proposals for the Corporate Plan continued to follow the principles which had previously been agreed by the Cabinet, namely a “Plan on a Page” and with Community Leadership at its heart.

Cabinet was informed at their meeting that, through the consultation, there was broad support for the key themes, proposed at the 21 July 2023 meeting of Cabinet namely:-

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; and

Financial Sustainability and openness.

Members had also been made aware that the three themes with the most relevance to the lives of respondents had been: “Pride in our area and services to residents”; “Championing our local environment”; and “Financial Sustainability and openness.”

The consultation outcomes had been set out in Appendix C to the Leader’s report, and based upon the findings and further reflection, some changes to the proposed text for the Themes, including an additional one around Tourism, had been shown in red in Appendix B to the Leader’s report.

The previously agreed timetable for completion of the Corporate Plan had still stood and sought approval by Full Council at this meeting.

In order to ensure that the views of local residents, businesses and partners (as expressed in the consultation findings set out in this report) were fully considered and to then facilitate the adoption of an informed Corporate Plan 2024-28 Cabinet had:-

“RESOLVED 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 and create 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.”

Council had before it a copy of the published Leader of the Council’s report (and its appendices) to the Cabinet meeting held on 10 November 2023, which was attached to item A.2 of the Reference from Cabinet.

Councillors M E Stephenson, Bush and I J Henderson addressed the Council on the subject matter of this item.

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson and:-

RESOLVED that Council approves and formally adopts the final proposals for ‘Our Vision’, the Corporate Plan 2024/28, as set out in Appendix B to item A.2 of the report of the Leader of the Council, as submitted to the meeting of the Cabinet held on 10 November 2023 [Appendix 3 to item A.2 of the Reference from Cabinet].