Issue - meetings

The Council Plan 2016/21 was agreed at Full Council in February 2016 and covers the Council’s strategic objectives up to 2021. It sets out the Council’s three priorities and three ways of working which aim to deliver these priorities.

This report proposes the introduction of a new overarching Council Strategy; which will be a shorter, more outcomes focused document than the current Council Plan, without all of the detailed performance measures and delivery plans explaining how the strategic objectives are to be met. 

Following consultation with directorates and initial consideration by the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet, this report presents the draft Medway Council Strategy for approval.

Discussion:

This report provided details of a proposal to introduce a new overarching Council Strategy which would be a shorter, more outcomes focused document than the current Council Plan. The report stated that the detailed performance measures and delivery plans explaining how the strategic objectives would be met would be set out in the Council Plan, which would be presented for Council approval in February 2020.

The report had been considered by the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 22 August 2019 and the Cabinet on 24 September, details of which were set out in sections 3 and 4 of the report respectively.

A Diversity Impact Assessment was undertaken on the Strategy, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

The Portfolio Holder for Resources, Councillor Gulvin, supported by the Portfolio Holder for Business Management, Councillor Turpin, proposed the recommendations in the report.

Decision:

a)    The Council noted the comments of Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet as set out at sections 3 and 4 of the report respectively.

b)    The Council agreed the Council Strategy, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report.

c)    The Council agreed that the Council Strategy be added as a Policy Framework document and that paragraph 4.1 of Article 4 (The Full Council) in Chapter 2 of the Constitution be amended, as set out at Appendix 2 to the report.

Background:

This report proposed the introduction of a new overarching Council Strategy; a more outcomes focused document than the current Council Plan, without all of the detailed performance measures and delivery plans explaining how the strategic objectives were to be met. The Strategy was intended to set the Council’s vision and would be supported by the Council Plan which would continue to include the detailed performance measures and delivery plans.

The Council Strategy was presented to the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 22 August 2019 and its comments were detailed in section 3 of the report.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been completed and was attached at Appendix 3 to the report.

Reasons:

The Council Strategy sets the high level objectives for the Council and will be under-pinned by the Council Plan which includes the detailed performance measures and delivery plans explaining how the strategic objectives are to be met.