Agenda item

Draft Corporate Plan 2020 - 2024

To consider the draft Corporate Plan 2020-24.

Minutes:

Councillor Barker declared a non-pecuniary interest as member of Essex County Council.

 

The Leader presented the report on the draft Corporate Plan. He said the Administration had put much work into the Plan and had taken on board the constructive comments of the Scrutiny Committee, which had considered the draft Plan on two occasions. He said the Corporate Plan Delivery Plan would be made available at the end of March 2020.

 

The Leader proposed to adopt the Draft Corporate Plan for 2020-24. This was seconded by Councillor Coote.

 

Councillor Dean, who had provided notice of an amendment to the proposal, said the draft before members was nothing more than a wish list that did not stipulate how and when its objectives would be delivered. He said it was imperative that the Delivery Plan was available at the point of Council approving the Budget. The amendment was proposed as follows:

Council is resolved:

 

  1. To approve the draft Corporate Plan for 2020-24, containing the Council’s vision and priorities.
  2. To welcome the proposed extension of the joint district/parish scheme for recruiting Police Community Support Officers to Great Dunmow, in addition to existing PCSOs services for Saffron Walden and for Stansted/Elsenham/Henham. Council also welcomes new, outline initiatives in the Corporate Plan to tackle the Climate Emergency.
  3. To note that the Delivery Plan for the Corporate Plan will not be available prior to agreement of the 2020/21 budget. The Council requests that Members and the public be made aware by the Administration of what will be delivered and by when before any future annual budget is confirmed.

 

Councillor Caton seconded the amendment.

 

Councillor Day said the Corporate Plan’s purpose was to set out the Council’s direction in broad terms. He said the delivery stage of the strategy would provide the detail that Councillor Dean was requesting.

 

Councillor Light agreed and said whilst it would take time to implement the Corporate Plan, a delivery plan should be attached to the budget. She added that there had been no consultation with residents and that the budget should be deferred.

 

Councillor Sell said it was not good enough to say political campaigning or canvassing constituted an adequate consultation process. He said Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) group had not canvassed significantly in Stansted so it could not be said that its residents had been consulted.

 

Councillor Driscoll said he had canvassed opinion in Birchanger and Stansted in the form of Ward meetings and question and answer sessions as an R4U member.

 

The Chief Executive said the item could not be formally deferred but under Rule 12.10 of the Constitution the debate could be adjourned to a later date.

 

Councillor Light proposed to adjourn the debate until the Delivery Plan was available. Councillor Fairhurst seconded the motion.

 

In response to a question from Youth Councillor Widuch, Councillor Lees said young people had not been specifically consulted on the Corporate Plan, but it would be something the Administration would look at in the future.

 

The Chair moved to a vote to adjourn the debate. The proposal was defeated and Council returned to discussing the amendment tabled by Councillor Dean.

 

The Leader said he took issue with the “political posturing” of point three of the amendment. He said his intention was to release the Delivery Plan by 25 March 2020.

 

Councillor Caton said he regretted that political games were being played as the amendment had been put forward in good faith. He questioned the political motivation behind the amendment to the amendment, which had been tabled by the Leader.

 

The Chair called a vote on Councillor Dean’s amendment. The amendment was defeated.

 

The Leader proposed a further amendment. It read as follows:

 

  1. To approve the draft Corporate Plan for 2020-24, containing the Council’s vision and priorities.
  2. To welcome the proposed extension of the joint district/parish scheme for recruiting Police Community Support Officers to Great Dunmow, in addition to existing PCSOs services for Saffron Walden and for Stansted/Elsenham/Henham. Council also welcomes new, outline initiatives in the Corporate Plan to tackle the Climate Emergency.
  3. To note that the Delivery Plan for the Corporate Plan will be available on 25th March.

 

Councillor Armstrong seconded the amendment.

 

In response to member questions, the Leader said the Delivery plan would include costings and would be available for Scrutiny’s consideration.

 

Councillor Dean asked for it to be recorded that the majority group were happy to sign the Administration a “blank cheque” and he would be abstaining from the vote. He added that by removing the third point of his amendment the Administration had demonstrated that it was not committed to improving practice.

 

Councillor Driscoll asked the Chair to move to a vote as there had been too much political point scoring on show. 

 

The Chair called a vote on the Leader’s amendment. The amendment was carried.

 

The Chief Executive read the substantive motion for the benefit of Council.

 

Councillor Gregory said the Corporate Plan had been considered by Scrutiny a number of times and robust scrutiny would also be given to the Delivery Plan.

 

The Chair moved to a vote on the substantive motion.

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.         To approve the draft Corporate Plan for 2020-24, containing the Council’s vision and priorities.

2.         To welcome the proposed extension of the joint district/parish scheme for recruiting Police Community Support Officers to Great Dunmow, in addition to existing PCSOs services for Saffron Walden and for Stansted/Elsenham/Henham. Council also welcomes new, outline initiatives in the Corporate Plan to tackle the Climate Emergency.

3.         To note that the Delivery Plan for the Corporate Plan will be available on 25th March.

 

Supporting documents: