Agenda item

Cabinet:

(a)        RECOMMENDED to Council that the Corporate Plan setting out the Council’s vision, objectives and actions for 2016–2021, be approved as set out in Appendix 1to the report.

(b)        ENDORSED the indicative performance measurements set out in the draft plan and AUTHORISED the Executive Director, in consultation with Portfolio Holders, to prepare a detailed suite of Key Performance Indicators for subsequent agreement in April 2016.

(c)        AUTHORISED the Chief Executive to make any minor wording changes required to final drafts, in consultation with the Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder.

Cabinet considered a report which proposed a refreshed Corporate Plan, prepared following consultation, for approval.

Councillor Peter Topping, Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Customer Services, presented the report and highlighted the following four priority themes for the Plan:

·         living well;

·         homes for our future;

·         connectivity;

·         an entrepreneurial Council.

Councillor Topping reported that the priority themes had been developed into a final draft Plan which had been retained as objectives, refocussing entrepreneurialship as ‘an innovative and dynamic organisation’ to reflect business efficiency as well as commercialisation and income generation aims.  This also aligned with the Council’s Corporate Values.  He explained that the Plan was ambitious but was purposely not prescriptive about how that ambition would be reached, adding that it did not seek to restrict officers by setting stringent targets but was more of a document that they could be guided by in working with partners to deliver successful outcomes.

Cabinet noted that members of the community had been given an opportunity to have their say on the content of the Plan, as well as the South Cambridgeshire Youth Council, which had resulted in some changes to the draft.

Councillor Topping also highlighted that specific Portfolio Holders had not been aligned to specific elements of the Plan, making the point that delivery of the Plan was the collective responsibility of Cabinet which had shared ownership and responsibility. 

Councillor Bridget Smith, Leader of the Opposition, asked whether any measurable benchmarks should be included in the Plan regarding improved employee health and outcomes in respect of the living well theme.  She also questioned, in terms of homes for the future, whether the Plan should include reference to the Council’s self-build vanguard programme that it had committed to deliver.

Councillor Topping reiterated the point that he did not feel it necessary to introduce targets as part of the Plan, or commit to delivering specifics.  During discussion on employee health and wellbeing it was noted that this related to employees from all sectors in the district, not solely those employees of the District Council.  Engagement did occur with businesses but some Members felt it would be quite intrusive of the Council to request information regarding employee health and wellbeing.  Councillor Mick Martin, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, highlighted that there were mechanisms in place to collate this information in a soft approach through various casual conversations the Council often held with the business community.

In terms of the self-build vanguard, Councillor Topping stated that this was not an omission and that he was not convinced the Plan needed to reflect that level of detail regarding an individual programme.

Cabinet:

(a)        RECOMMENDED to Council that the Corporate Plan setting out the Council’s vision, objectives and actions for 2016–2021, be approved as set out in Appendix 1to the report.

(b)        ENDORSED the indicative performance measurements set out in the draft plan and AUTHORISED the Executive Director, in consultation with Portfolio Holders, to prepare a detailed suite of Key Performance Indicators for subsequent agreement in April 2016.

(c)        AUTHORISED the Chief Executive to make any minor wording changes required to final drafts, in consultation with the Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder.