Agenda item

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report (FPM-005-2015/16).

The Senior Performance Improvement Officer presented a report regarding the Corporate Plan Key Action Plan 2016/17.

In April this year the Council adopted a new Corporate Plan to take the authority forward for 2015-2020, which included Aims and Objectives that were the Council’s highest level strategic intentions for the next five years. The Aims and Objectives were delivered via an action plan produced annually that incrementally progressed  specific activities to achieve the Aims and Objectives across the lifetime of the Plan. The Action Plans had been developed earlier within the year to allow for Members input at an earlier stage and to inform the budget setting process which commenced in July 2015. The draft Key Action Plan for 2016/17 was in the second year of the lifetime of the Aims and Objectives and draft Key Action Plan for 2016/17 and had been produced building on activities identified in the action plan for the current fiscal year.

The draft Key Action Plan for 2016/17 had been developed and populated with actions or deliverables which would build on work identified in the 2015/16 action plan, and in line with identified milestones for the delivery of the Key Objectives.  The draft Key Action Plan 2016/17 would be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 21 July 2015 and would be further considered by Cabinet in October 2015 before submission to Council for formal adoption. As a living document the Action Plan was to be reviewed at Joint Management Board / Cabinet meetings on a quarterly basis. 

The Finance and Performance Management Cabinet Committee was requested to consider and provide comments on the draft Key Action Plan 2016/17, and bring forward any additional actions for inclusion based upon the Corporate Aims and Key Objectives 2015-2020.

Councillor Philip suggested that clarification was required for the Aim ‘to ensure that the Council had the appropriate resources for statutory duties and appropriate discretionary services whilst keeping the Council Tax low’ and 2016/17 (b) 4) To facilitate the delivery of the St Johns Road redevelopment scheme’, in that each stage of the development should be identified within the Key action Plan 2016/17.

The Cabinet Committee also commented that the 2015/16 (b) 6) the words ‘…as a result of flexible working arrangements’, should be deleted.  The plans to introduce flexible working arrangements had progressed to the consultation stage at JCC and Resources Select Committee and would be reflected within the Key Action Plan 2016/17.

The Directorate of Neighbourhoods advised that the flexible working included the relocation of staff from Hemnall Street to the Museum and Civic Offices, which would also contribute to the Chief Executive Transformation project.

The Cabinet Committee commented on the ‘Aim to ensure that the Council had a sound and approved Local Plan that was subsequently delivered 2016/17 (a) (4) Agree a draft Local Plan and appropriate sustainability appraisal’ there was the likelihood of delays.’ The Directorate of Neighbourhoods advised that currently a delayed had occurred around the Green Belt consultation of the Local Plan and could result in a delay of a month.

Councillor Philip asked that new additions to the Key Action Plan 2015/16 be highlight in grey to distinguish them.

The Committee asked for the ‘Aim (c) Key Action Plan 2016/17 (1)’ to be strengthen to reflect the need for Officers to use Building Control in house and justify why they had not used them.

Councillor Lion identified that Broadband would be fundamental to the progression of the Key Plan and perhaps considerations should be made to include the requirement in standard utilities of new developments. Councillor Mohindra advised that telecommunications should also be included as well. The Directorate Neighbourhoods advised that it would be encompassed within the Local Plan section of the Key Action Plan. 

Resolved:

1)            That the appropriateness of the proposed actions in the Corporate Plan Key Action Plan for 2016-2017 be noted; and

2)            That the following amendments be made to the Action Plan in line with the Corporate Aims and Key Objectives;

a)    Aim to ensure that the Council had a sound and approved Local Plan that was subsequently delivered (a) Key Action Plan 2016/17 (4) Agree a draft Local Plan and appropriate sustainability appraisal and the likelihood of delays. The Directorate of Neighbourhoods advised that currently a delayed had occurred around the Green Belt section of the Local Plan

b)    the Aim to ensure that the Council had the appropriate resources for statutory duties and appropriate discretionary services whilst keeping the Council Tax low (b) Key Action 4) To facilitate the delivery of the St Johns Road redevelopment scheme, in that each stage of the development was identified within the Key action Plan 2016/17

c)    (b) Key Action 2015/16 (6), in particular the result of flexible working arrangements had progressed to the consultation stage at JCC and Resources Select Committee and should be reflected within the Key Action Plan 2016/17.

d)    Aim (c) Key Action Plan 2016/17 (1) to be strengthen to reflect the need for Officers to use Building Control in house and justify why not, if this was required

3)            Councillor Philip asked that new additions to the Key Action Plan 2015/16 be highlight in grey to distinguish them

Reasons for Decisions:

The Key Objectives delivered the Council’s highest level aims across the five years from 2015/16 – 2019/20. The Key Objectives were in turn delivered via an annual action plan populated with actions to achieve the Council’s Corporate Aims by the end of their Lifetime.

The development and adoption of the annual action plan in a timely way both informs the budget setting process, and facilities a longer term view and enables planning for the next stages in the delivery of the Key Objectives and Corporate Aims.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

The annual action plan could be set later in the fiscal year, however this would be too late to inform the budget setting process.