Issue - items at meetings - Annual Update of the Council's Corporate Plan 2013/14

Report of the Chief Executive (copy attached).

(1)               That the refreshed Corporate Plan content (Appendix 1), including the new Commitments for 2013/14 as included in the Budget be agreed, and recommended for adoption at the full Council meeting in March; and

(2)               That the progress made on the 2012/13 Commitments as summarised under each of the priorities in the Corporate Plan (Appendix 1) and in more detail in Appendix 2 and Appendix 2.1 to the report be noted.

163.1          The Chief Executive introduced the report which provided an update to the Council’s Corporate Plan and detailed the progress achieved in relation to the commitments that had been identified and new commitments that were proposed.  She stated that the number of priorities had been reduced from five to four with the previous priorities 4 and 5 being merged into a new priority 4, ‘Modernising the Council.’  She believed that revised corporate plan set out the council’s role, purpose, ambition, priorities and values which could be supported by all Members and employees.

163.2          The Chair welcomed the report and stated that he believed the inclusion of the priorities within the budget setting process was a positive step forward and noted that 52 commitments had been achieved and a further 13 partially achieved, which he felt should be recognised as excellent progress.  He wished to thank everyone involved in the achievements to date.

163.3          Councillor West welcomed the report and stated that he also wished to thank the Chief Executive for her contribution and measured approach to the revised corporate plan and the intention to combine the new commitments within the budget process.  He drew the committee’s attention to the second priority on page 208 and stated that the committee should be encouraged by the work of officers in delivering changes.

163.4          Councillor G. Theobald stated that he believed the promotion of the local economy as detailed on page 206 should underpin everything that the council did and welcomed the level of investment that had been attracted into the city.  However, he also stated that the Conservative Group could not support the recommendations contained in the report because of the commitment to a permanent Travellers site being established at Horsdean on page 194; and therefore would abstain from voting on the report.

163.5          The Chair noted the comments and that the commitment for a permanent site had been made by the previous administration in successfully bidding for funding from the Government and therefore the council needed to provide a site.

163.6          Councillor Mitchell moved a point of order and stated that there had been an urgency meeting to enable the submission of the bid for £1.7m to approve the provision of a travellers’ site identified at Wilson Avenue and noted that it was now government policy to require local authorities to identify traveller sites within their boundaries.

163.7          Councillor Wakefield drew the committee’s attention to pages 187 and 188 of the report and the intention to enable people to remain in their own homes which she felt was an important consideration for everyone and should be fully supported.

163.8          Councillor Shanks welcomed the fact that recent Ofsted inspections had found that schools were performing well and hoped that further improvements would be made.

163.9          The Chair noted the comments and put the recommendations to the vote.

163.10      RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:

(1)         That the refreshed Corporate Plan content (Appendix 1), including the new Commitments for 2013/14 as included in the Budget be agreed, and recommended for adoption at the full Council meeting in March; and

(2)         That the progress made on the 2012/13 Commitments as summarised under each of the priorities in the Corporate Plan (Appendix 1) and in more detail in Appendix 2 and Appendix 2.1 to the report be noted.