Issue - meetings

Cabinet, at its meeting on 16 April 2009, will be asked to approve the draft Corporate Plan for 2009-2010 and to RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL that a final version of the Corporate Plan 2009-2010 be adopted which will incorporate changes to be agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder, such changes to be notified to Council.

The draft Corporate Plan submitted to the Council on 16 April 2009 is attached. A schedule of any alterations agreed by Cabinet and those subsequently agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder will be circulated to Council prior to the meeting.

The covering report submitted to the Cabinet is available to view using the following link to the Council's website (www.scambs.gov.uk) Copies have also been placed in the Members’ Lounge and are available from Democratic Services, telephone (01954) 713016 e-mail democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk.

AGENDA SUPPLEMENT – AMENDED VERSION OF THE CORPORATE PLAN FOR ADOPTION

Attached is a revised Corporate Plan, which takes into account the comments made at Cabinet on 16 April 2009 and includes other textual amendments and additions agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder. The main changes and additions are:

·          Changes to the Foreword to introduce the Aims, Approaches and Actions at paragraph 2.

·          Changes to the text on the Place Survey to reflect the fact that national comparisons will not now be available before the publication of this Plan and to refer to satisfaction surveys of Housing tenants and users of Environmental Health and Waste/recycling services. (page 6)

·          The addition of revenue and capital budgets for 2009/10 and paragraph on value for money (page 10)

·          The addition of content under Section 5 (Delivering our Council Aims) (pages 13 and 14)

·          The addition of section 7 - Ensuring that we achieve this Plan and Preparing for 2010/11) - page 15

·          Various changes in Appendix 1 to firm up proposals and targets.

Council is RECOMMENDED to approve the Corporate Plan as amended, and to delegate authority to the Chief Executive to approve further drafting amendments prior to final publication, in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder.

Council RESOLVED that the amended Corporate Plan circulated at the meeting be adopted, and that authority be delegated to the Chief Executive to approve further drafting amendments prior to final publication, in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder.

Council considered a recommendation from Cabinet in respect of the draft Corporate Plan for 2009/10. As notified in the Agenda, Council was advised that a revised version of the plan had been published and distributed to all Members, incorporating changes made to the draft plan since the Cabinet meeting by the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder. The updated version was accompanied with a schedule outlining the specific changes which had been made.

The Chairman adjourned the meeting for ten minutes to allow Members further opportunity to consider the revised plan.

Following this adjournment, Councillor RMA Manning moved, Councillor TJ Wotherspoon seconded and Council RESOLVED, with 33 Members voting in favour, four against and 16 abstentions,that the amended Corporate Plan circulated at the meeting be adopted, and that authority be delegated to the Chief Executive to approve further drafting amendments prior to final publication, in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder.

Cabinet commented on the draft Corporate Plan, taking into account the questions at paragraph 6 of the report before

(a)               RESOLVING that the draft Corporate Plan 2009-10 be approved, and

(b)               RECOMMENDING TO COUNCIL that a final version of the Corporate Plan 2009-2010 be adopted, incorporating changes put forward at the meeting and further changes to be agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder and notified to Council.

Cabinet commented on the draft Corporate Plan, taking into account the questions at paragraph 6 of the report before

(a) RESOLVING that the draft Corporate Plan 2009-10 be approved, and

 (b) RECOMMENDING TO COUNCIL that a final version of the Corporate Plan 2009-2010 be adopted, incorporating changes put forward at the meeting and further changes to be agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder and notified to Council.

Cabinet considered a report inviting a recommendation to Council that a final version of the Corporate Plan for 2009-2010 be agreed.

Councillor RMA Manning, Leader of the Council, introduced the report and draft plan. In doing so, he drew Members’ attention to significant achievements and examples of excellent performance over the past year, making particular reference to the Council Tax and national non-domestic rate collection rates of over 99% and the recycled or composted rate of 53.2% of waste. The Leader congratulated officers in the services concerned for these achievements. The Council maintained the twelfth lowest Council Tax of any district council and had achieved an improved score for its use of resources from the Audit Commission. The district had scored highly as a desirable location in the recent place survey. The plan set out details of the Council’s aims, approaches and actions for the coming year, which the Leader considered to be a realistic and achievable programme designed to address the key challenges facing the district.

Cabinet and other Members present commented on the format and content of the draft plan; the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder was requested to review the whole document to ensure it used plain English throughout.

Concerns were expressed at the low figures for customer satisfaction and value for money revealed by the Place Survey, in contrast to the low Council Tax and the district being seen as a desirable place in which to live and work. It was considered that these figures could be improved through effective communication of the value for money which the district council provided.

Cabinet commented on the draft Corporate Plan, taking into account the questions at paragraph 6 of the report before

(a)               RESOLVING that the draft Corporate Plan 2009-10 be approved, and

(b)               RECOMMENDING TO COUNCIL that a final version of the Corporate Plan 2009-2010 be adopted, incorporating changes put forward at the meeting and further changes to be agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder and notified to Council.

In making this recommendation, the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder advised that he welcomed contributions to developing the draft plan from all Members.

The Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder ENDORSED the content of the Corporate Plan to date and noted that the final Plan would be considered by the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder, the Executive Management Team and Senior Management Team, prior to submission to Cabinet and Council in April.

Not for call-in.

The Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder,

ENDORSED   the content of the Corporate Plan to date and noted that the final Plan would be considered by the Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder, the Executive Management Team and Senior Management Team, prior to submission to Cabinet and Council in April.

Paul Swift, the Policy and Performance Manager was in attendance for this item.

The Portfolio Holder considered the report concerning the Corporate Plan and noted the following information:

• Work on the Plan was ongoing
• The Improvement Plan would be appended to the Plan
• Discussions were in hand with the Auditors on the council’s ability to achieve level 3 regardingthe new Use of Resources test within the Comprehensive Area Assessment. A workshop for Members would be arranged to inform of the new outcome based test that would be applied for Use of Resources
• The need to avoid over surveying residents by sharing information between services
• Information would be sought from the Audit Commission on what areas it felt should be assessed; the outcome and how they were assessed could be considered by the Scrutiny & Overview Committee

The Policy, Improvement and Communications Portfolio Holder,

ENDORSED   the proposed content of the Corporate Plan and its development to date and noted that the final Plan would be considered again by himself, the Executive Management Team and Senior Management Team, prior to submission to Cabinet and Council in April.