Agenda item

Business Plan 2019 - 2024 (Cabinet - 6 February 2019)

 

Cabinet

 

RECOMMENDED THAT COUNCIL

 

(a)  Approve the Business Plan (Appendix A), incorporating feedback from Scrutiny and Overview Committee.

 

(b)  Authorise the Chief Executive to make any minor wording changes required before publication, in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

Decision:

 

Council AGREED to:

 

(1)  Approve the Business Plan (Appendix A), incorporating feedback from Scrutiny and Overview Committee.

 

(2)  Authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with Lead Cabinet Members, to prepare detailed implementation plans and associated performance measures and ensure these are reflected in directorate service plans and quarterly position reports during 2019/20.

 

(3)  Authorise the Chief Executive to make any minor wording changes required before publication, in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

 

(Note: The Leader agreed to review the Business Plan with a view to making certain adjustments to reflect comments made by Members at the meeting)

Minutes:

Councillor Bridget Smith, the Leader of the Council, moved the recommendations from the meeting of the Cabinet held on 6 February 2019 which invited the Council to approve the Business Plan 2019 – 2024.  She was pleased to present the ambitious plan to the Council and highlighted the key elements, including proposals under each of the four priority areas “Growing local businesses and economies”; “Housing that is affordable for everyone to live in”; “Being green to our core” and “A modern and caring Council.”  Councillor Bridget Smith also emphasised that the Business Plan had been informed by, and responded to, feedback received following the public consultation exercise.  A new approach to gathering views on the Business Plan had been followed this year with feedback being sought on a set of high level priorities, rather than on a detailed plan.  There was therefore confidence that there was public support for the proposed priority areas.

 

Councillor Dr. Aidan Van de Weyer seconded the motion.

 

During discussion:

 

·         Councillor Ruth Betson pointed out that, despite the comments regarding the positive response to the public consultation, only 168 responses had been received.

·         Councillor Philippa Hart spoke on the “Modern and caring Council” priority, particularly highlighting the action to put the customer at the centre of everything the Council did by embedding it into the organisation’s culture to deliver continuous improvements.

·         Councillor Bill Handley was supportive of what he regarded as an exciting Business Plan and welcomed the package of proposals to support businesses, particularly the support for start-ups and small businesses and the proposed simplification of the Council’s procurement process.

·         Councillor Pippa Heylings spoke strongly in support of the proposed measures to tackle climate change in the Business Plan, including the commitment to becoming a Zero Carbon Council and the proposals for investing in renewable energy generation and for maintaining and improving air quality across the District.

·         Councillor Philip Allen was pleased to see the proposed measures for preventing homelessness and providing support for vulnerable people which he felt supported values of compassion and decency.

·         Councillor Sarah Cheung Johnson welcomed the commitment to deliver community facilities at Northstowe.  Citing the decision of the County Council not to relocate to Northstowe, she commented that Northstowe had not always felt supported by local government but believed that the proposal around provision of community facilities underlined the Council’s commitment to building a thriving community.  She thanked the Council’s Community Development Officers for their support.

·         Councillor Nick Wright expressed the view that the Business Plan built on the 2018/19 Plan and was pleased to see development of what he regarded as many of the proposals in the previous plan.

·         Councillor Anna Bradnam welcomed the proposals to review taxi licensing policies to incentivise taxi operators and drivers to improve air quality. She also referred to a Government consultation on statutory guidance to be issued to taxi and private hire licensing authorities on protecting children and vulnerable adults and was pleased to note that the Council already undertook many of the measures mentioned.

·         Councillor Gavin Clayton made a plea for the housing priority area to be amended to refer to housing that is truly affordable for everyone to live in.  He was also disappointed that the section on growing local businesses and economies did not make any mention of the role of the charity and not for profit sector.

·         Councillor Peter Fane supported the objectives in the Business Plan but was mindful of the challenge of delivering them.  He particularly referred to the challenge of maintaining vitality in small villages and of providing truly affordable homes in such villages.  Councillor Fane believed that it was important to promote neighbourhood plans; review the target for the number of new affordable homes built on rural exception sites each year and to look at the provisions of paragraphs 77-78 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

·         Councillor Eileen Wilson commented that affordable housing was not just about “bricks and mortar” but also about the provision of high quality public transport as an alternative to using the car.  She therefore felt that residents should be encouraged to engage with the Greater Cambridge Partnership “Choices for Better Journeys” consultation.

·         Councillor Deborah Roberts expressed her disappointment at the apparent absence from the plan of any acknowledgement of the significant amount of growth facing the District.  The plan also did not appear to reference the potential implications of the East-West Bedford to Cambridge rail project in terms of bringing even further growth to the District.  She was therefore concerned at the absence of a recognition of the significant extent of growth proposed in South Cambridgeshire and the public concerns associated with such growth.

·         Councillor Clare Delderfield commented on the proposal to run an annual programme of resident and community education and promotional campaigns to increase recycling and spoke about the importance of involving children and young people in such campaigns.

·         Councillor Peter Topping expressed the view that the themes in the plan were broadly similar to those in the previous year’s document.  However he felt that the plan ought to address some of the realities associated with the significant development facing the District and not just aspirations.

·         Councillor Nigel Cathcart welcomed the plan but reflected on the development affecting the District.  He also spoke of the need to preserve the built environment and to ensure that listed buildings and conservation areas were protected. He particularly highlighted the need to preserve village pubs and noted that this was not mentioned in the plan.

·         Councillor Geoff Harvey was enthusiastic about the ambitious approach to the green agenda outlined in the plan.  In particular, he was pleased to note that the Council had now decided to invest in green energy generation allowing it to benefit from the feed in tariff which ceased from 1 April 2019 and referred to what he considered to be the low risk nature of such an investment.

·         Councillor Sue Ellington remarked on the apparent absence of any reference to social isolation or social inclusion in the plan.

·         Councillor Pippa Heylings commented on the proposal to develop a new Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document as part of the Local Plan process in order to enable due weight to be given to biodiversity considerations in the planning process and was pleased that this proposal had received cross party support at the Climate Change and Environment Advisory Committee.  She further remarked that the previous Business Plan had not contained any reference to climate change or carbon.  Finally, Councillor Heylings indicated that she would welcome the establishment of a Citizen’s Assembly for young people in South Cambridgeshire.

·         Councillor Dr. Ian Sollom welcomed the Business Plan which he regarded as both ambitious and credible.  He was particularly pleased to see the focus on affordable housing and spoke on the particular challenges faced by young people.  Councillor Dr. Sollom believed that the Council had more to do in delivering affordable housing for everyone but particularly for young people.

·         Councillor Heather Williams was supportive of the green initiatives proposed in the plan.  She was also appreciative of the need to work with local businesses, but felt that it was important to strike the right balance between supporting businesses and protecting the interests of residents.  Councillor Heather Williams echoed earlier comments regarding the potential impact of the East-West Rail project in terms of additional development and on the need to protect village pubs.

·         CouncillorDr.Tumi Hawkins felt that the plan was bold and exciting and did not agree that it simply built on the themes of its predecessor.  She also responded to earlier Members’ comments on the significant growth facing the District, noting that the plan contained proposals to build thriving communities. Councillor Dr. Hawkins additionally highlighted the proposal to require developers to consider and plan for an energy secure, zero-carbon future.

·         Councillor Dr. Aidan Van de Weyer, in seconding the motion, welcomed the plan which he believed contained a mix of concrete measures and longer term ambitions.

·         Councillor Bridget Smith summed up and thanked Members for their contributions.  She also agreed to review the plan with a view to picking up some of the omissions highlighted by Members during the debate.

 

Upon being put to the vote, votes were cast as follows:

 

In favour (33):

 

Councillors Philip Allen, Henry Batchelor, John Batchelor, Anna Bradnam, Dr. Martin Cahn, Nigel Cathcart, Sarah Cheung Johnson, Gavin Clayton, Dr. Claire Daunton, Dr. Douglas de Lacey, Clare Delderfield, Peter Fane, Neil Gough, Jose Hales, Bill Handley, Philippa Hart, Geoff Harvey, Dr. Tumi Hawkins, Pippa Heylings, Steve Hunt, Alex Malyon, Tony Mason, Peter McDonald, Brian Milnes, Dawn Percival, Deborah Roberts, Nick Sample, Bridget Smith, Hazel Smith, Dr. Ian Sollom, Dr. Aidan Van de Weyer, John Williams and Eileen Wilson.

 

Against (11):

 

Councillors Ruth Betson, Dr. Shrobona Bhattacharya, Tom Bygott, Grenville Chamberlain, Graham Cone, Sue Ellington, Mark Howell, Peter Topping, Bunty Waters, Heather Williams and Nick Wright.

 

Abstain (0)

 

Council accordingly

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)  That the Business Plan, as set out at Appendix A, incorporating feedback from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, be approved.

 

(2)  That the Chief Executive, in consultation with Lead Cabinet Members, be authorised to prepare detailed implementation plans and associated performance measures and ensure these are reflected in directorate service plans and quarterly position reports during 2019/20.

 

(3)  That the Chief Executive be authorised to make any minor wording changes required before publication, in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

Supporting documents: