Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)

Report of the Head of Community Engagement

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)

Cabinet received a report from the Head of Community Engagement to provide Cabinet with the opportunity to consider Priorities and Actions for the Corporate Plan for the three year period commencing 2012 – 2015.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

The report presented three options for Cabinet members’ consideration.  The options were all based around current priority areas, including the 14 additional priority areas recommended by Cabinet. 

Option 1:   Develop the 2012 – 15 Corporate Plan around four Corporate Priorities;

·                     Economic Growth

·                     Health and Well Being

·                     Clean, Green and Safe Places

·                     Community Leadership

                      Working in Partnership and Managing the Council’s Resources to be treated as themes that supported all priorities.

Appendix A to the report set out these corporate priorities, related actions and cross cutting themes for consideration.

Option 2:   Current Corporate Priorities were retained and members considered   where existing and planned future areas of work best fit.

Option 3:   Cabinet considered alternative Priorities.

The officer preferred Option was Option 1, which more closely reflected the council’s current aspirations and direction of travel.

The Corporate Plan was a central part of the council’s Policy Framework stating the key priorities, the actions that were necessary to deliver the priorities and the outcomes that the council hoped to achieve for the district.  The council’s strategic planning arrangements created an opportunity each year to consider the changing needs and aspirations of local communities and shifting priorities, opportunities and challenges and to refresh the Corporate Plan to reflect these.  The draft budget information and options set out in the Budget and Policy Framework Update also needed to be considered for the development of the council’s Corporate Plan for 2012 – 2015.

It had been recognised that some priority areas did not fit comfortably within the existing agreed Priorities.  Proposals to address this have been prepared for cabinet members’ consideration with a view to developing recommendations for full council.

Councillor Leytham proposed, seconded by Councillor Sands:-

“(1)      That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

By way of an amendment which was accepted as a friendly amendment by the proposer and seconder of the original motion, Councillor Barry proposed:

“That an additional recommendation be added that Environmental Sustainability is treated as a theme that underpins all Corporate Priorities to ensure that the Council minimises its use of energy, promotes sustainable energy generation, uses local businesses and resources where possible, has high environmental standards and promotes the use of green jobs in the district.”

Councillors then voted on the proposals, as amended:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)        That Cabinet approves four Corporate Priorities for the council’s Corporate Plan 2012 – 2015 as Economic Growth; Health and Well Being; Clean, Green and Safe Places; Community Leadership.

(2)        That Working Together in Partnership is treated as a theme that underpins all Corporate Priorities as a way of achieving added value and efficiencies across all operational areas and service delivery.

(3)        That Managing the Council’s Resources is treated as a theme that underpins all Corporate Priorities to ensure that operational areas and service delivery are managed efficiently, effectively and sustainably.

(4)        That Environmental Sustainability is treated as a theme that underpins all Corporate Priorities to ensure that the Council minimises its use of energy, promotes sustainable energy generation, uses local businesses and resources where possible, has high environmental standards and promotes the use of green jobs in the district.

(5)        That Cabinet notes that Recommendations 1, 2 and 3 are put forward as a result of existing Actions identified in the current Corporate Plan, the additional fourteen priority areas recommended by Cabinet, feedback from engagement workshops and the draft budget information and options set out in the Budget and Policy Framework Update report.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Head of Community Engagement

Reasons for making the decision:

The Corporate Plan is a central part of the policy framework stating the key priorities, the actions that are necessary to deliver the priorities and the outcomes that the Council hopes to achieve for our district over the next three years. The decision to approve Option 1 which sets out priorities that more closely reflected the council’s current aspirations and direction of travel would enable officers to develop the 2012-15 Corporate Plan around the four Corporate Priorities.