Agenda item

Report of the Interim Corporate Improvement Manager attached.

The Committee received a report from the Interim Corporate Improvement Manager on the Council’s new Corporate Plan for 2018-2023 and Corporate Risk Register for 2018-19.  The Committee was asked for its views before it was considered by the Cabinet on 14 February and submission to Council for approval on 28 February 2018.

The Corporate Plan provided a new Vision for the Council - that ‘South Ribble is and continues to be recognised nationally as the best place in the UK’.  It also included three new corporate priorities for 2018-2023:

·         Excellence and financial sustainability

·         Health and wellbeing

·         Place

The Committee was advised of minor amendments to the Corporate Plan document since the papers were published.  These related to

·         reference to City Deal on page 4 amended to read ‘an initiative developed by partners and supported by central government’

·         on page 10, Regeneration & Leisure added under Lead on Place Promotion and My Neighbourhood Plans

·         the Local Plan and the Investment Strategy added under Policies and Strategies and, Capital Strategy under Resources on page 13

A robust suite of Key Performance Indicators was being developed and future reports would be presented indicating the Council’s performance in the delivery of its Corporate Plan.

During the discussion, the Committee’s comments and matters raised included the following:-

·         the Corporate Plan document was generally welcomed and felt to be easy to read.

·         Vision – the recognition of South Ribble was felt to be by those beyond the locality/neighbouring area.

·         Working in Partnership – there was no reference to Parish & Town Councils who were felt to be important element of partnership/stakeholder working in local communities.

·         Key Outcomes – starting from a baseline the Council aimed to be above the national average and as the average rose, the outcomes would also and be stretched. The associated performance indicators were being developed.

·         Health Inequalities – whilst overall life expectancy in the Borough was above the national average, there were areas where it was lower with poorer general health which needed to be addressed. When the Committee received updates on performance data it would monitor the amount of progress in narrowing the gap.

·         Delivery Plan – whilst this currently had no measurable objectives/milestones an assurance was given that the future performance indicators to be used would provide a measure of success.

·         Surplus Sites – the Committee was informed that there were currently no details but the aim was to make better use of Council assets to support the Corporate Plan and any future detailed proposals would be considered by the Cabinet. The Committee was still keen to receive the earlier Cushman and Wakefield report. Also to understand how that report had been used.

·         Plain English – the Committee sought and received clarification of the Resources statement on page 14 of the Corporate Plan document.  In that the identified capital and revenue resources would be aligned to support the identified projects.  

·         Leisure Contract – the Committee was advised that as the current contract expired in 2021 a review/negotiations needed to start very soon.  It was also currently not clear how far the proposed Campus approach would have progressed.  It was assured that all projects in the Corporate Plan would have milestones and timescales.

·         Child & Fuel Poverty – it was not clear to what extent a revised Council Tax Support Scheme and/or implementing Living Wage reforms for Council staff would address this programme and the Committee wondered if the Council was being ambitious enough. It was informed that the Corporate Plan identified realistic deliverable projects for Year 1 and from Year 2 other projects could be looked at.

·         Programmes/Projects: Cabinet Lead – whilst acknowledging that certain programmes/projects would come under more than one portfolio, one portfolio holder needed to take ownership. 

RESOLVED (Unanimously) that the Committee:

1.    welcomes the new format and layout of the Corporate Plan and Corporate Risk Register;

2.    asks that consideration be given to how and who would measure the Council’s Vision nationally;

3.    suggests that Parish and Town Councils be identified as a partner/consultee in the Corporate Plan;

4.    looks forward to reviewing outcomes to ensure they are ambitious and measurable;

5.    would particularly welcome the strengthening of the outcomes to address health inequalities;

6.    looks forward to milestones and timescales being added to the Corporate Plan;

7.    be provided with the Cushman and Wakefield report along with an explanation of how it was used by the Council;

8.    requests a greater use of plain English in future reports to Scrutiny;

9.    asks for a timetable for the review of the leisure contract;

10.requests that further thought be given in the Corporate Plan to the child and fuel poverty programme; and

11.requests that one Cabinet portfolio lead take responsibility for a programme/project.