Issue - meetings

The attached report updates Cabinet on the progress made in delivering the Corporate Strategy 2020-24 and our performance in 2022-23.

Cllr Dave Wood introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation and made the following statement:

“This is a moment to really reflect on the last four years and the incredible achievements this Council and its staff have made against the backdrop of the Covid pandemic and rising inflation. 

We have:

·  Invested extra millions into road repairs and cleaner streets, starting to reverse a decade of cuts to local government

·  Introduced the first charging clean air zone (CAZ) outside of London

·  Invested in high streets in Midsomer Norton, Keynsham and Bath

·  Sharply increased renewable energy in the district

·  Achieved and sustained our best recycling rate ever

·  Built more pedestrian crossings, segregated cycle lanes and 20mph zones than ever before

·  Created the Chew Valley recreational trail

·  Found new ways of engaging people through Citizens’ Juries

·  Created the first new social rent properties in a generation

·  Built a state-of-the-art new recycling centre in Keynsham

·  Is the first Council in England to adopt a net zero based housing plan

These are the building blocks of future success as we embark on the historic second term voters have given us.  The first administration to prove itself worth being re-elected for another four years.  This is our record of action and I’ll go on to talk about our promise of more in the next item.”

Cllr Alison Born seconded the motion and made the following statement:

“As has been noted, this systematic approach to planning and performance was introduced by the previous Liberal Democrat administration. It has provided a structure for articulating our aims and our planned programmes of work; it has increased transparency and accountability to the residents we serve. Our clear guiding principle is to improve people’s lives and this report accounts for progress across our services.

When developing the strategy for our first term, we were not expecting to spend two years in the grip of an unprecedented global pandemic that had a massive impact on people’s lives, but the authority responded well to that challenge, we continued to deliver services throughout the pandemic, supporting residents and businesses and adapting to meet changing needs and circumstances. Our focus during the height of the pandemic was to protect, contain and mitigate the impact of the emergency and to lay the foundations for an effective and sustainable recovery.

The 2022/23 performance report provides information on the extent of that recovery and demonstrates the success of that strategy. I am going to focus particularly on actions we have taken to meet the needs of vulnerable people. We have continued to invest in social care and are now supporting significantly more looked after children with many more on child protection plans. Our Connecting Families Service has continued to provide effective support for families with complex needs and our children’s services were rated Good by recent OFSTED inspection.

We have increased support to local third sector groups through the Community Contribution Fund and through targeted use of community Infrastructure Levy funds. We have responded positively and robustly to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12