Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/079

Contact: Ben Threadgold, Policy and Performance Service Manager Tel: 07867 467838/Samantha Shepherd, Senior Policy Officer Tel: 07789 088173

Report by Chief Executive (CA10).

The Corporate Plan sets out the County Council’s overarching strategy for the period 2018-2021. It states our updated vision for ‘thriving communities’ in Oxfordshire and describes the council’s main priorities and the specific actions that will be taken in the period to March 2019.

This document builds on a short, public-facing document (the 'prospectus') which was published in October 2017 and summarised the council's vision and priorities. The Corporate Plan 2018-2021 expands on the messages in the prospectus, drawing together our vision, values and the key areas of focus for the coming year.

The intended audience for the Plan is Councillors, staff, partners, inspectors and residents with a specific interest.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          note the Draft Corporate Plan 2018- 2021;

(b)          RECOMMEND that the Draft Corporate Plan be agreed by Council;

(c)          Delegate authority for final additions and changes to be agreed by the Leader and the Chief Executive on behalf of Cabinet.

The Corporate Plan sets out the County Council’s overarching strategy for the period 2018-2021. It states the Council’s updated vision for ‘thriving communities’ in Oxfordshire and describes the Council’s main priorities and the specific actions that will be taken in the period to March 2019.

The Corporate Plan 2018-2021 expands on the messages in the prospectus, published in October 2017drawing together the vision, values and the key areas of focus for the coming year.

Councillor Laura Price Deputy Leader of the Opposition, referred to the previous discussion on home to school transport for children with special educational needs and stated that this raised real concerns for her over what had previously been a largely positive response to the Corporate Plan. She was pleased the Plan was shorter, more balanced in its content and a better document from working together. She welcomed the realistic approach to the scale of the challenges the Council faced. She had been keen to see the need for democratic input from residents and officers had listened to the challenge. However, she hoped that it would inform the Council’s approach. She felt that given the decision making today some of that would ring hollow with residents. There was a challenge back to councillors to be familiar with the document and to take it into every meeting and see it applied to decisions being taken. She suggested that the Working Group have the final say on any final additions or changes. A Cabinet Member responded that following a robust discussion on home to school transport there had been a clear split. The decision had been taken very seriously.

Councillor Brighouse, Chairman of Performance Scrutiny Committee, referred to the history of the document that had failed to gain approval at a previous Council meeting. The current document was excellent and the content would be discussed by Performance Scrutiny Committee before consideration by full Council in July. She looked forward to that discussion and thought that the time taken had made for a much better document.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Deputy Leader of the Council, commented that a cross part working group had been involved both before Council in February and since. They had responded to the views expressed for a shorter, more focussed document that included achieving future plans and priority outcomes. Councillor Heathcoat outlined the Corporate Plan document and Annex B that would be used to monitor and manage performance. She stressed that the document was very much a living document and she would be working with officers to find innovative ways to raise awareness of it. In response to the point raised by Councillor Price that final changes should lie with the Working Group, Councillor Heathcoat stated that the changes referred to were only about editing changes to correct typos and not about changes to the structure of the document.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)          note the Draft Corporate Plan 2018- 2021;

(b)          RECOMMEND that the Draft Corporate Plan be agreed by Council;

(c)          Delegate authority for final additions and changes to be agreed by the Leader and the Chief Executive on behalf of Cabinet.