POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

14 February 2018

 

Strategic Plan 2015-20, 2018-19 Update

 

Final Decision-Maker

Council

Lead Director

Chief Executive

Lead Officer and Report Author

Angela Woodhouse, Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

 

Executive Summary

 

This report sets out the feedback from the Service Committees’ consideration of the Strategic Plan and the refreshed Strategic Plan at Appendix A. The Strategic Plan has been updated and those changes approved by the Committee in December 2017 have been incorporated into the document.

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:

1.   To recommend the Strategic Plan 2015-20, 2018-19 Update at Appendix A to full Council for approval.

 

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Policy and Resources Committee

13 December 2017

Strategic Planning and Sustainable Transportation Committee

9 January 2018

Communities, Housing and Environment Committee

16 January 2018

Heritage, Culture and Leisure Committee

30 January 2018

Policy and Resources Committee

14 February 2018

Council

28 February 2018



Strategic Plan 2015-20, 2018-19 Update

 

 

1.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

1.1     The Strategic Plan sets out the Council’s vision, mission, priority areas and actions for 2015-20. The plan is a five year document which has been refreshed annually to ensure it remains relevant and up to date.

 

1.2     Following substantial changes to the plan for the 2017-18 update, the Policy and Resources Committee agreed at its meeting on 25 July that a rewrite of the Strategic Plan was not required for 2018-19.

 

1.3     The Plan has been updated to reflect where strategies and polices have moved from creation/adoption to delivery. New plans and policies developed during 2017-18 and/or planned for 2018-19 have been included in the “we will commit to” sections under each priority. Each service Committee has considered the action areas relevant to their terms of reference in order to make recommendations to Policy and Resources Committee as set out in Appendix B.

 

 

 

2.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

2.1     The recommendations made by the Service Committees in relation to the update for 2018/19 are included at Appendix B.

 

2.2     Other than the addition of the Bio Diversity Action Plan (approved in December) further comments/recommendations have not been incorporated into the Plan at Appendix A as they are subject to approval from this Committee. The Committee is asked to consider if any of the recommendations should be taken forward. Any changes approved by the Committee will be made to the plan prior to submission for final approval at Council.

 

2.3     The addition of the word “green” into the title of the “Clean and Safe Environment” priority action area will require minor amendments to the contextual information to ensure it relates to the priority. It is requested that rather than amend this wording at Committee this is delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of Policy and Resources Committee. The Leader’s foreword may also require amendment to reflect this change or any other changes that are agreed by Policy and Resources Committee prior to the Plan’s submission to Council for approval.

 

2.4     The Plan at appendix A includes all changes agreed by Policy and Resources Committee in December and an updated foreword from the Leader of the Council for the upcoming year. Changes are not substantial and consist of updates to the statistics, policies and plans contained in the document.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

3.1     The Committee is asked to approve the updated plan at Appendix A for submission to Council. The Committee approved the changes to the Plan prior to submission to the three remaining Service Committee’s for comment at this point it was agreed that the three priority action areas for 2017-18 would remain for 2018-19.

 

3.2     Appendix B sets out the recommendations from the Service Committees in relation to the Plan. The main change suggested is the addition of the word “green” into the “Clean and Safe Environment” priority action area.

 

3.3     The Committee must consider whether to agree to the suggested change the implications of which are set out at paragraph 2.3.

 

 

4.       RISK

4.1    The Strategic Plan sets out the Council’s priorities and how they will be delivered, informing the Council’s risk register and risk appetite. The Council has a corporate risk register which will pick up any actions from the Strategic Plan.

 

 

 

5.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

5.1     Residents were asked to consider the priorities in the Resident Survey carried out in 2017. This was reported to Committee when they considered the update in December. The resident survey has been used by managers across the council to plan for service delivery in 2018-19, it will also be considered when we update the action plan for the Communication and Engagement Strategy that sits alongside and supports the delivery of the Strategic Plan.

 

 

 

6.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

6.1     The next stage will be for the Plan to be considered by Council on 28 February 2018. The approved updated plan will be published on the Council website.  Posters will be updated plus communication at staff events such as one council and our forums on the changes to the Plan.

 

 

 

 

7.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

The Strategic Plan sets out the priorities.

Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

Risk Management

Already covered in the risk section

Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

Financial

The Strategic Plan sets the Council’s priorities. The Medium Term Financial Strategy aligns with the Strategic Plan and sets out the priorities in financial terms

Section 151 Officer & Finance Team

Staffing

The plan informs service plans and appraisals.

 

Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

Legal

Each local authority has a statutory duty to “make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness”, The Council’s Plan demonstrates compliance with this duty

Keith Trowell, Interim Corporate Governance Team Leader, Mid Kent Legal Services

Privacy and Data Protection

There are no data protection implications

Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

Equalities

The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment

Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

Crime and Disorder

The Strategic Plan sets out

the high level priorities for

Community Safety

Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

Procurement

No implications

Section 151 Officer

 

 

 

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·         Appendix A: Strategic Plan 2015-20, 2018/19 Update

·         Appendix B: Recommendations from Committees on the Plan

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None