Agenda item

The Corporate Plan is to be presented to the Panel.

With the aid of a report by the Corporate Team Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Corporate Plan was presented to the Panel. Members were acquainted with the Corporate Plan and how it links with Service Plans. The Panel noted that Overview and Scrutiny would have the information they require to hold Portfolio Holders to account.

When discussing the vision and strategic priorities and objectives the Panel expressed a preference for the first vision statement of ‘we want to continue to improve the quality of life for the people of Huntingdonshire and work towards sustainable economic growth whilst providing value for money services’. Members noted that the number of priorities has been cut from four to three.

The Panel agreed that there should be some preamble however not too wordy as Members felt that the document should remain a clean strategic document.

Under Enabling Communities section Members were concerned that the discrepancies between the market towns and villages would mean that the objective of ‘ensuring that our streets and open spaces are clean and safe’ would be difficult to achieve.

Concerns were raised that the action point within the Enabling Communities section of ‘reduce incidences of littering’ would be difficult to measure.

Following a question on what the Council were doing in regards to the objective of ‘support community development and enabling the voluntary and community sector organisations to develop, and working with communities to build resilience’ within the Enabling Communities section the Panel was informed that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Communities and Customers) have a Working Group investigating the issue.

Members questioned whether the objective of ‘supporting economic growth in rural areas’ within the Sustainable Growth section was achievable as rural areas suffer from slow broadband and they are competing with the enterprise zones.

The Panel did not believe the action within the Sustainable Growth section of ‘continue to work with partners and influence the Local Enterprise Partnership’s Strategy, to secure resource to facilitate delivery and mitigate the impact of new housing and to drive economic growth’ was realistic as Members believe that the Local Enterprise Partnership can’t be influenced.

In reference to the action of ‘facilitate delivery of new housing on the large strategic site at Wyton’ underneath the Sustainable Growth section a Member wanted to emphasise the requirement for infrastructure in particular road infrastructure. Members were also keen to include Molesworth underneath the same action point.

The Panel noted that the action of ‘Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB) Phase 2 is undertaken to identify further service savings’ under the section of Efficient and Effective Council meant that the next process of ZBB would take place within the lifetime of the Corporate Plan.

Under the Efficient and Effective Council section the action of ‘collecting money that is saved?’ was noted as particularly confusing however Members were advised that this was an error and the action should have read ‘collecting money that is owed’.

Concerns were raised regarding the measurement of ‘accelerate business growth and investment’ underneath Sustainable Growth. Members emphasised that they would like this to continue especially the measure of ‘processing of planning applications on target – major (within 13 weeks or agreed extended period)’.

Following concerns that the objectives and actions could be achieved not as a result of Council intervention the Panel were informed that the quarterly reporting would have an explanation with every distinct measure.

This led on to the suggestion of moving the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Finance and Performance) to a quarterly cycle to coincide with the Corporate Plan quarterly reports. Members received were supportive of the suggestion however recognised the requirement for additional meetings at busier points of the Municipal Year.

After a discussion concerning the elements within the Corporate Plan beyond the Council’s control, the Panel was reminded that the Council should try to influence those elements if it is important to Huntingdonshire as the Council has a responsibility to look after the District and its residents. In response a Member suggested adding a section on the interdependencies with other agencies and authorities that the Council relies upon to help deliver the Corporate Plan.

Following a question regarding the measure of ‘gross number of affordable homes delivered’ underneath Sustainable Growth, Members were informed that there are national definitions for affordable housing and they do take into account of the local property values.

A Member raised a concern that the measure of number of days the process Housing Benefit changes of circumstance’ underneath Efficient and Effective Council would be adversely affected by the level of zero hours contracts. In response Members were informed that there would be new electronic housing benefits form which would make the process quicker.

(At 8.09pm, during the discussion of this item, Councillor T Alban left the room).

(At 8.13pm, during the discussion of this item, Councillor T Alban returned to the room).