Issue - meetings

This report presents the Bath and North East Somerset Council Corporate Strategy 2016-20 for adoption. The Corporate Strategy has been shaped by and will deliver the ‘Putting Residents First’ manifesto commitments. The priorities in this Strategy will provide context to and guide Council activity and budget planning over the next four years.

The Council considered a report presenting the Bath and North East Somerset Council Corporate Strategy 2016-20 for adoption.  The priorities of the Corporate Strategy are intended to provide context to and guide Council activity and budget planning over the next four years.

On a motion from Councillor Tim Warren, seconded by Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones, it was

RESOLVED to adopt the Bath and North East Somerset Council Corporate Strategy 2016-20.

[Note; The above motion was passed with 49 Councillors voting in favour and 11 against.]

This report introduces the draft Bath and North East Somerset Council Corporate Strategy 2016-20 for consideration and discussion.

Strategy and Plan Manager, Helen Edelstyn introduced the report. She explained that this document would help to inform the financial plan. The Strategic Director further explained that this document has been approved by the Cabinet but is still a draft that will go to Council to set the context for the budget.

Panel members made the following points and asked the following questions:

Councillor Furse explained his concern about the Council being a ‘business’ as this implies making a profit whereas he feels the Council should also be concerned with community need and there should be a priority to consider ‘value’ rather than ‘profit’. The Strategic Director explained that not all businesses are designed to make a profit, the Council is concerned with being ‘business like’ and efficient and if there is a return then that can be used for community benefit – that is the objective.

Councillor Barrett asked if this Panel should look at all of the Business Cases. The Divisional Director for Strategy and Performance explained that the Panel can request more details on specific items to be brought to the January meeting but there are a lot of Business Cases so all of them could not come to the Panel.

This report presents the draft Bath and North East Somerset Council Corporate Strategy 2016-20 for approval. The Corporate Strategy has been shaped by and will deliver the ‘Putting Residents First’ manifesto commitments.

Councillor Robin Moss commented that a lot of aspiration had been put into the Strategy, which should be supported by all parties in the Council.  Councillor Moss questioned what would be consequences from 100% business rates coming into Local Authorities and reduction, or loss, of the Revenue Support Grant because of it.  Councillor Moss also said that some statistics on page 7 of the strategy (climate change – ‘by 2020 summers could be 25% dryer and winters 16% wetter’) might not be right.

Councillor Joe Rayment asked if he could be given a guarantee that nobody would be worse off from the Review of the local Council Tax support scheme (page 21 of the Strategy).  Councillor Rayment also asked where a figure of further 15% reduction in net budgets came from (page 22).

Councillor Dine Romero stated that she would expect at least double or more than 469 young people (aged 15-24) coming to Bath to study (page 8).  Councillor Romero suggested that an update to this paper could reflect a real change in population.

Councillor Tim Warren thanked officers for the hard work they put into this report and said that Corporate Strategy sets out the 2020 vision and direction of travel over the next 4 years.  The Corporate Strategy had been shaped by and would deliver the ‘Putting Residents First’ manifesto commitments.  The Bath and North East Somerset 2020 vision sets out our aspirations for the future including good health and wellbeing, economic growth, financial sustainability, an effective transport system and an efficient, well run Council. The vision had been developed in partnership with the NHS, police, local business, education, the fire service and the voluntary sector.  Once agreed by Cabinet the Corporate Strategy would become the overarching framework for Council business until 2020. It would also set the context for our financial strategy over the same period.

Councillor Tim Warren moved the recommendations.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones seconded the motion.  This was a four-year delivery plan, which would also help inform how the Council plan our finances for the same period.  The strategy sets out aims and ambitions for the next four years. 

Councillor Charles Gerrish said that business rates proposals would not be due to take place before year 2020. 

Directorate Plans would replace the Medium Term Service and Resource Plans (MTSRPs). They would include the Directorate budget summary and details of growth and 2015 savings proposals. Directorate Plans would be submitted to all Policy Development and Scrutiny Panels in November as part of the normal budget development process.

A Review of the local Council Tax support scheme would be debated at the Full Council meeting on 12^th November.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet approved the Bath and North East Somerset Council Corporate Strategy 2016-20.