Agenda item
Corporate Plan 2021 - 2025
Minutes:
Following two public consultation exercise on the Council’s revised corporate priorities and consideration by the Joint Executive Advisory Board on 15 March 2021, the Council considered a report on the adoption of a new Corporate Plan for the period 2021-2025.
At its meeting on 26 October 2021, the Executive considered this matter and a modification to the draft Corporate Plan was suggested to include reference to the importance of biodiversity. The Leader indicated that he would confer with the Lead Councillor for Climate Change to see if this could be included. Subject to such modification, the Executive endorsed the recommendation to the Council to adopt the Corporate Plan.
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Joss Bigmore proposed, and the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Jan Harwood seconded the following motion:
“That the proposed new Corporate Plan 2021-2025, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Council, be adopted.
Under Council Procedure Rule 15 (o), Councillor Bigmore as the mover of the original motion, indicated that, with the consent of his seconder and of the meeting, he wished to alter his motion so that it read as follows:
“That the proposed new Corporate Plan 2021-2025, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Council, be adoptedsubject to the following minor modifications:
(1) Amend the first paragraph of the second page of the Foreword (page 963 of the agenda) as follows:
“Sustainable transport systems, cycle ways and footpaths and improved public transport routes are vital. New housing developments will be required to have lower carbon emissions. High energy efficiency standards, electric vehicle charging points and renewable energy sources will all be features. By using land more sustainably, we can also protect and create new habitats to enhance biodiversity”.
(2) In the second sentence of the third paragraph of the second page of the Foreword (page 963 of the agenda), substitute “I am immensely proud of the way in which our staff responded to the crisis” with “We are immensely proud of the way in which our staff responded to the crisis”.
(3) In the third sentence of the fifth paragraph of the second page of the Foreword (page 963 of the agenda), omit “As I write,”.
(4) In the third sentence of the sixth paragraph of the second page of the Foreword (page 963 of the agenda), substitute “I’m confident we will become a greener borough with a renewed, thriving economy, coming together to support our communities and most vulnerable residents.” with “We are confident we will become a greener borough with a renewed, thriving economy, coming together to support our communities and most vulnerable residents.”
(5) Under the Homes and Jobs theme (page 969 of the agenda), amend the fourth corporate priority as follows:
·
Facilitate Support high quality development of strategic
sites
(6) Under the Environment Theme (page 971 of the agenda), insert a fourth corporate priority as follows:
· Make every effort to protect and enhance our biodiversity and natural environment.
(The symbols to the side of the text to then include a Bumble Bee icon to reflect this additional priority.)
(7) Under the 'How We Will Measure our Success'(page 976 of the agenda), add an 8th measure, by inserting directly underneath air quality at monitoring sites, “net gains in biodiversity and natural habitats”.
The proposed alteration to the motion was put to the vote and was carried. The motion, as altered, therefore became the substantive motion for debate.
During the debate, the following points were raised:
· The alterations to include reference to the importance of biodiversity were welcomed
· Lack of specific detail and measurable goals to be able to identify the extent to which the Council delivers on its priorities
· No reference to support for urban areas other than Guildford
· No reference to support for older more vulnerable and less advantaged people in the community
· No reference to enhancing sporting cultural community and recreational facilities
· The draft plan provided some clear strategic goals for what kind of place we would like our borough to be and what kind of things we would like to achieve
· The purpose of the Corporate Plan was to set out the Council’s high-level vision for how we move forward on a very broad range of topics, which would be underpinned by a series of more specific detailed, measurable strategies; for example, a Savings Strategy, a Housing Strategy, and regeneration policies, in respect of which the administration could be held to account.
· Performance would be measured using the Council’s rigorous new performance management indicator framework, which was reported regularly to the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee
Following the debate, the Council
RESOLVED: That the proposed new Corporate Plan 2021-2025, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Council, be adopted subject to the following minor modifications:
(1) Amend the first paragraph of the second page of the Foreword (page 963 of the agenda) as follows:
“Sustainable transport systems, cycle ways and footpaths and improved public transport routes are vital. New housing developments will be required to have lower carbon emissions. High energy efficiency standards, electric vehicle charging points and renewable energy sources will all be features. By using land more sustainably, we can also protect and create new habitats to enhance biodiversity”.
(2) In the second sentence of the third paragraph of the second page of the Foreword (page 963 of the agenda), substitute “I am immensely proud of the way in which our staff responded to the crisis” with “We are immensely proud of the way in which our staff responded to the crisis”.
(3) In the third sentence of the fifth paragraph of the second page of the Foreword (page 963 of the agenda), omit “As I write,”.
(4) In the third sentence of the sixth paragraph of the second page of the Foreword (page 963 of the agenda), substitute “I’m confident we will become a greener borough with a renewed, thriving economy, coming together to support our communities and most vulnerable residents.” with “We are confident we will become a greener borough with a renewed, thriving economy, coming together to support our communities and most vulnerable residents.”
(5) Under the Homes and Jobs theme (page 969 of the agenda), amend the fourth corporate priority as follows:
·
Facilitate Support high quality development of strategic
sites
(6) Under the Environment Theme (page 971 of the agenda), insert a fourth corporate priority as follows:
· Make every effort to protect and enhance our biodiversity and natural environment.
(The symbols to the side of the text to then include a Bumble Bee icon to reflect this additional priority.)
(7) Under the 'How We Will Measure our Success'(page 976 of the agenda), add an 8th measure, by inserting directly underneath air quality at monitoring sites, “net gains in biodiversity and natural habitats”.
Reason:
The proposed new Corporate Plan has been prepared to set out the Council’s priorities for the period up to 2025.
A recorded vote on this matter was requested by Councillor Keith Witham, supported by four other councillors. The motion, as altered, was carried with thirty-two councillors voting in favour, eight against, and three abstentions, as follows:
For |
Against |
Abstain |
Councillor Paul Abbey Councillor Tim Anderson Councillor Jon Askew Councillor Christopher Barrass Councillor Joss Bigmore The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Dennis Booth Councillor Ruth Brothwell Councillor Colin Cross Councillor Guida Esteves Councillor Gillian Harwood Councillor Jan Harwood Councillor Liz Hogger Councillor Tom Hunt Councillor Diana Jones Councillor Steven Lee Councillor Ted Mayne Councillor Julia McShane Councillor Ann McShee Councillor Bob McShee Councillor Masuk Miah Councillor Ramsey Nagaty Councillor Susan Parker Councillor George Potter Councillor John Redpath Councillor Maddy Redpath Councillor John Rigg Councillor Deborah Seabrook Councillor Pauline Searle Councillor James Steel Councillor Cait Taylor Councillor Fiona White Councillor Catherine Young |
Councillor David Bilbé Councillor Richard Billington Councillor Graham Eyre Councillor Andrew Gomm Councillor Nigel Manning Councillor Jo Randall Councillor Paul Spooner Councillor Keith Witham
|
Councillor Angela Gunning The Mayor, Councillor Marsha Moseley Councillor James Walsh
|
Supporting documents:
- Item 08 - Corporate Plan, item CO63 PDF 129 KB
- Item 08 (1) - Corporate Plan - App 1 - Draft Plan, item CO63 PDF 14 MB
- Item 08 (2) - Corporate Plan - App 2 - Consultation Findings Report 2020, item CO63 PDF 2 MB
- Item 08 (3) - Corporate Plan - App 3 - Budget Survey 2021, item CO63 PDF 2 MB
- Item 08 (4) - Corporate Plan - App 4 - Minute of Joint Executive Advisory Board, item CO63 PDF 155 KB