Agenda item
Minutes:
The Committee considered the undernoted report:
“Purpose of the report
1. To agree the scope and format of a Members workshop as part of the process of developing a new Corporate Plan for 2011 and beyond.
Development of the new corporate plan 2011 and beyond
2. This is the final year of the current corporate plan which means that over the coming months Members will lead the development of a new corporate plan for 2011 and beyond. This will be a key activity for the Committee, which has responsibility for setting the overall strategic policy, direction and priorities of the Council. A paper was submitted to the Committee on the 23 April advising Members of the work that is already underway to support this process including the Members; Public and Employee surveys and an analysis of external developments and socio-economic and demographic information.
3. As with previous corporate planning processes it is important that Members are given time to consider the Council’s purpose, ambition and priorities in the light of this emerging information and to bring to bear their own views and those of parties on the process. Given the challenging economic environment and Members’ focus on value for money and efficiency it is also important that discussions with respect to future priorities are taken forward within the context of affordability limits and maximising the effectiveness of the Council’s assets. It is therefore vital that the discussion on the new corporate plan is integrated with the setting of the rate for 2011/12 and consideration of the capital programme. In order to begin this process it is proposed that a workshop is held for the Committee, to which all other Members are invited, so that Members can consider and discuss these matters in detail.
4. Members had already agreed at the Committee’s 18th June meeting that a workshop should be held to take forward consideration of key strategic planning issues. It is now proposed that this workshop should be held on 8th September, in the Group Space in the Ulster Hall to run from approximately 10.00am until 3.00pm. The key purpose of the workshop is to allow Members to begin to discuss and give direction on the Council’s purpose, objectives and priorities for 2011 onwards. This session will serve as the opening of this discussion with Members and as part of the workshop we will also map out and agree how, from this point forward, Members will lead the process of developing the Council’s new strategy.
Preparation for the workshop
5. A workshop report will be prepared in advance outlining all the background information Members will need to take into consideration when determining Council priorities including city profile information, feedback from the consultation exercises and information about the role of the corporate plan and the timetable and process for developing the new plan.
6. At the special SP&R on 6th August, Members considered information from the Strategic Regeneration Frameworks which have been created for the North, South, East, West and Shankill areas of the city. Members made the point that consideration of these frameworks could not be done in isolation to the development of the new corporate plan and to the Council’s capital programme and asked for further briefings. These briefings are now being arranged and it is hoped these will also help Members’ consideration of emerging priorities for the Council and the city.
7. As part of the workshop, consideration will be given to the roles of the SP&R Committee, other Committees, the Budget and Transformation Panel and the party groups in taking the process forward.
8. In previous corporate planning processes it has proved extremely valuable where parties have given consideration, in advance of a workshop, to the key issues which they feel will face the city and the Council over the next 4 years and their views on key priorities. Support and facilitation for these considerations can be provided for Party Groups through the Corporate Planning and Policy Team if required. If Parties adopt such an approach this year, Party Group leaders can then provide feedback on the issues emerging for their Party at the workshop.
9. Analysis of the public consultation exercise will be completed for presentation to Members at the workshop; however, in order to help Members consideration of these issues some information on citizen’s views on future priorities is set out below.
Priorities for the city
10.The key priorities emerging from consultation with the public are that the council should be:
§ Creating a safer city (50%)
§ Making the city cleaner and greener (31%)
§ Supporting children and young people (31%)
§ Investing in improving local areas (30%)
§ Helping to support and improve the city’s economy (24%)
§ Providing value for money services (23%)
The things identified as most likely to improve quality of life were:
§ Lower levels of anti-social behaviour (46%)
§ Lower levels of crime (39%)
§ More activities for children and young people (37%)
§ Better employment opportunities (33%)
§ Cleaner streets (28%)
Recommendation
· The Committee is asked to agree to a workshop on 8th September, to which other Members are invited, to commence discussion on the new corporate plan for 2011 and beyond.
· Members are asked to note that briefings will be held in advance of the workshop to facilitate Members’ consideration of these issues and are requested to consider the key issues which they feel will face the city and the Council over the next 4 years and their views on key priorities in their party groups in advance of the workshop.
Resource Implications
· Development of the new corporate plan and related will be taken forward in tandem with the budget estimating process so that resource implications can be assessed as part of the development process.”
The Committee adopted the recommendations and agreed that, due to the holding of the workshop on 8th September, the meeting of the Committee scheduled to be held on 10th September be cancelled.
Supporting documents:
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