Agenda item

To consider a report (TO FOLLOW) from the Head of People, Performance and Partnerships proposing a new Council Plan.

20 Minutes.

(At this point during the meeting (7.10pm) Councillor S Cawley took his seat at the meeting).

With the aid of a report prepared by the Head of People, Performance and Partnerships (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel gave consideration to the content of a new Council Plan, which set out the Council’s vision and priorities for the 2011 to 2015 period.

By way of background, the Policy and Strategic Services Manager reported that the current Plan was in its sixth year of operation and that changes announced by the Government to the national performance framework for local authorities and the abolition of the Comprehensive Area Assessment and the Audit Commission, together with new challenges faced by the Council had prompted the need for a new Council Plan.

Having noted details of the process through which the Plan had been developed, the Panel proceeded to review in detail each of the proposed priorities. Having regard to the outcomes proposed for the priority to “Keep the District clean, provide recycling services and collect rubbish”, the Panel was informed that the target of 45% for the recycling outcome would be revised in advance of the Plan’s submission to the Council as it was regarded as being too low. The Panel also discussed at length the proposed outcome for the generation of household waste. A Member expressed the view that the public might infer that the Council would measure the level of waste produced by each household. In response, the Policy and Strategic Services Manager informed the Panel that an attempt had been made to propose measures that were meaningful to local residents and that it was not intended to weigh individual households’ waste. Other matters raised during the Panel’s deliberations on this priority included the means of communicating waste and recycling messages to residents within the District, a suggestion that households might be rewarded for achieving recycling and waste targets and the different grades of plastic that the Council recycled.

Members commented on references to “providing advice”, “giving advice” and “supporting and encouraging community-led activity” under the activities sections for the priorities relating to “Prevent and deal with homelessness”, “Help vulnerable and disadvantaged people to live independently” and “Support strong communities”. It was felt that the recently approved Budget for 2011/12 and the Medium Term Plan might hinder the Council’s ability to undertake these activities.

In response to a question by a Member concerning the proposed measure for the priority to “Help vulnerable and disadvantaged people to live independently”, it was confirmed that the figure of 240 related to the number of individuals that would be assisted through the Disabled Facilities Grants scheme.

Having regard to the priority to “Encourage new jobs, homes and facilities to meet our needs”, comment was made by a Member on the need to ensure that new homes within the District were built to an acceptable standard. Members were however mindful that quality standards were taken into account as part of the Development Management process. A discussion then ensued on the means by which the Council would measure employment floor space.

Finally, clarification was received of the proposed measure relating to the number of homes to be built on land which had previously been developed under the priority to “Safeguard the environment and successfully manage the impacts of growth”. The figure of 29% related to an existing performance measure for Planning Services.

RESOLVED

that the Cabinet be invited to consider the Panel’s comments as part of its deliberations on the report by the Head of People, Performance and Partnerships.