Issue - meetings

The Council’s Corporate Strategy will guide council activity and budget planning over the next four years.  As recommended by Cabinet following it’s meeting on 13^th February 2020, this report now invites Council to adopt the Corporate Strategy and Corporate Delivery Programme as set out in Appendix One and Appendix Three.

Following recommendation by Cabinet on 13^th February 2020, the Council considered a report seeking adoption of the Corporate Strategy and Corporate Delivery Programme to guide Council activity and budget planning over the next four years.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Richard Samuel, it was

RESOLVED to;

1.  Thank those who provided feedback on the draft Corporate Strategy and agree to continue to work with local communities to ensure their involvement during the strategy’s implementation and review;

2.  Note the responses and agree the recommendations and next steps following the feedback on the draft strategy, as set out in the Corporate Strategy Engagement Report in Appendix Two;

3.  Note and consider the responses from the Policy Development and Scrutiny Panels also set out in the Corporate Strategy Engagement Report in Appendix Two;

4.  Adopt the new Corporate Strategy 2020-2024, including the new Community Engagement Charter;

5.  Adopt the new Corporate Delivery Programme 2020-2020.

[Notes;

1.  The above successful resolution was carried with 42 Councillors voting in favour and 10 Councillors voting against.]

The Council’s Corporate Strategy will guide Council activity and budget planning over the next four years. This report invites Cabinet to recommend to Council that the Corporate Strategy and Corporate Delivery Programme as set out in Appendix One and Appendix Three be adopted.

Once adopted, the Corporate Strategy will become the overarching framework for Council activities until 2024 and will frame our financial strategy over the same period.

Ian Barrett, Chief Executive of Avon Wildlife Trust, was invited to make his statement at this point.  (A full copy is available to view online and attached to the minutes).  He welcomed the inclusion of the nature emergency in core policies.  He described the loss of wildlife populations and ecosystems and called on the Council to declare an ecological emergency.  Councillor Sarah Warren explained that the Cabinet were working hard to improve habitats and address ecological issues and enquired if Avon Wildlife Trust would work with them on this.  Ian responded that the strength of the Bristol City Council approach was the partnership with other organisation such as key businesses and charities and welcomed this type of approach.

Councillor Dine Romero explained that they had taken their manifesto commitments and translated them into this strategy which she was pleased to present.  They would continue to engage communities in taking this forward.

Councillor Richard Samuel explained how this strategy provided the context for the budget, which translated aspirations into reality.  It is intentionally high level.

Councillor David Wood thanked Councillor Romero and officers for delivering this strategy which was clearly based on the foundation of the Liberal Democrat manifesto.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Richard Samuel, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed to:

1.  Thank those who provided feedback on the draft Corporate Strategy and agree to continue to work with local communities to ensure their involvement during the strategy’s implementation and review;

2.  Note the responses and agree the recommendations and next steps following the feedback on the draft strategy, as set out in the Corporate Strategy Engagement Report in Appendix Two;

3.  Note and consider the responses from the Policy Development and Scrutiny Panels also set out in the Corporate Strategy Engagement Report in Appendix Two;

4.  Recommend that Council adopt the new Corporate Strategy 2020-2024

5.  Recommend that Council adopt the new Corporate Delivery Programme 2020-2021.