Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Lewis)

Report of the Director of Communities and the Environment (report published on 5 June 2020)

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Lewis & Sinclair)

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Executive which set out a high level plan for the achievement of the Council’s strategic priorities through the Covid crisis and beyond.  The report set out the key strategic groups that Cabinet would use to deliver achievement of the Council’s priorities within the context of the emergency phase and likely next phases of the Covid pandemic.  If adopted these would be used as the basis for further consultation, development, decision-making and long term planning and be referred to Full Council.

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

The diagram of the plan was set out in document B of the report. The plan recognised that significant effort over the next few years would be taken up in recovering from the impact of the COVID pandemic.  The overall aim was to deliver the Council’s strategic priorities and support recovery to a sustainable, safe and socially just District that was healthy, connected, empowered and enabled.

The plan would be delivered through 5 themed groups, all of which were interdependent and would cover a number of the Council’s strategic priorities. Each group would be led by 2 Cabinet Members and be supported by a Chief Officer. Each group would have officers assigned to support the workstreams of the group. Officers would be drawn from the range of services that the Council provided.

It was vitally important that the Council engaged with its communities and businesses and utilised the knowledge and community wealth that exists in the district. Councillors, organisations, community groups and individuals from outside the Council would be invited to contribute to the work of these groups.

The role of the groups would be to:

·        Assist in the development of policy and set objectives

·        Engage with communities / businesses / organisations etc

·        Assist in the defining of strategic outcomes

·        Prioritise resources

·        Agree and deliver projects

·        Deliver real outcomes

The themes and activities in the groups had been identified as development areas that would significantly contribute, in partnership with the community, to the achieving of the council’s key priorities. They did not represent the totality of what the Council delivered. Core statutory services would continue to be delivered.

Each group would agree a detailed delivery plan. As the plan was developed consideration needed to be given to ensuring democratic accountability and fit with the Council constitution.

The plan outlined has been developed by Cabinet and Officers.

The risk is not delivering the Council’s priorities. This plan is intended as a means of mitigating that risk.

Councillor Sinclair proposed, seconded by Councillor Lewis:-

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

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)             That Cabinet adopt the strategic groupings (circles) as set out in Document B to the report as the means of further progressing the agreed Council’s priorities.

(2)             That Cabinet work with officers on the development of the plan which when finalised will be recommended to Council.

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Executive

Reasons for making the decision:

Council adopted the priorities set out in Document B of the report on 29 January 2020 as the basis for development of its policy framework including budget decisions that were taken for 2020/21 and would be taken in future years. Cabinet has since then been planning how to deliver these priorities for the period to 2030.  There is a need to put in place an immediate plan that will support the recovery of the district and also set the path for the delivery of the Council’s priorities.

This Plan, when finalised, will form part of the Policy Framework of the Council, adoption of which will be by Full Council.