Issue - meetings

Mrs Angela Woodhouse, Head of Policy, Communications and Governance, introduced the report.  Mrs Woodhouse outlined that the New Strategic Plan was designed to set out the future of Maidstone Borough Council through a clear vision, objectives and outcomes.  These had been defined following workshops with Members, and feedback was being sought ahead of a report being submitted to the Policy and Resources Committee.

The Committee provided the following feedback:

·  The wording used in the vision resembled a slogan rather than a statement.  The following suggestions were made:

“Making Maidstone a place of opportunity and wellbeing, where residents are proud to live.”

“We want Maidstone Borough to be a vibrant, prosperous, twenty-first century urban and rural community at the heart of Kent.  A place with distinctive character that is enhanced to create a clean, safe, healthy and green environment.  A place of high quality education and employment, where all people can realise their aspirations.”

·  The vision should include reference to “health” and “wellbeing”.

·  There was the potential to reduce the number of objectives, while maintaining the same purpose of the current objectives and outcomes.  The following suggestions were made:

1)  Great environmental quality

2)  Clean safe and empowered communities

3)  Embracing growth and thriving economy

4)  Proud of our heritage and culture

5)  Decent housing for everyone

6)  Promote infrastructure development and improve transport systems

·  There was an opportuntiy to review or enhance policies, particularly in relation to environmental quality.  Examples such as solar farms and considering outdoor space as part of planning developments were suggested.

·  The wording used for some objectives and outcomes was too passive.  This led to difficulties in linking key policies to specific objectives and outcomes.

·  Objective 1 should include the following outcome:

“As a borough we make a positive contribution to reducing global warming.”

·  The Leaders Forum was a potential opportunity to encourage future cross-party discussion.

Officers responded to questions from the Committee, stating that:

·  By reducing the number of objectives, there was a risk that the number of outcomes for each objective would increase.

·  The Council was able to influence a number of factors that would benefit the health of residents, and that the objectives and outcomes in the Strategic Plan would help to define how much each factor was prioritised.

·  After the future report had been submitted to the Policy and Resources Committee, the Committees would be approached for a prioritisation exercise.

·  That the timescales for the completion of the work were challenging and that a prompt response with feedback was welcomed.

RESOLVED:

That the feedback and suggestions provided by the Committee be noted and shared with Officers.