Agenda item

Draft Corporate Plan framework for Public Consultation

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report regarding the adoption of the draft Corporate Plan to go to public consultation. 

 

The Leader of the Council and Chairman of Cabinet, Business, Economic Development and Property informed that he was very pleased to be in a position to present the draft Corporate Plan. It looked to build upon the work already undertaken in terms of the interim strategy adopted in July 2020. In recognition of this significantly changed operating context for the local authority brought about by COVID-19.  There was a need to succeed that interim strategy with a new forward looking Corporate Plan, a plan, which sets out the clear strategic direction of the council over the next period four or five years.

 

The plan was being designed as a evidence based approach with the final plan due to be proposed to full Council for adoption in the autumn. Before that point it would go through a thorough and rigorous scrutiny process. It had already had significant input from all members and our valuable community partners in shaping that draft before us this evening.

 

The plan set out to crystallise focus on the core areas where the council at most needs to drive forward change. But also to help in the crucial allocation of guidance, resources and energy and delivering that change. The administration was committed to creating aa area of opportunity and innovation. They wanted a clear plan, a credible plan and a deliverable plan.

 

Development and deliver needed to follow strong process and good governance

In line with good practice, the objectives, goals, strategies and measures model had been adopted to help formulate the final plan. The purpose of this reports was to propose a draft framework noted as Appendix B for a six week period of public consultation and engagement. This had been drawn up in close consultation with relevant Cabinet Members, the Corporate Leadership Team, Council staff and members of the opposition and indeed our wider partners.

 

The purpose of the next stage of public consultation was to invite residents, partners and businesses into the development of the plan to give tthe opportunity to not only share their views on our framework but strengthen the plan so we truly can deliver a council of opportunity and innovation.

 

The Deputy Leader of the Council, Corporate & Resident Services, Culture and Heritage and Windsor informed Cabinet that she supported the paper and that it was really refreshing that the Council was asking residents, what they think of our proposed Corporate Plan. This shows a huge step forward in transparency, and the way we wish to engage with our residents, and to listen to what they say. So I'll be very interested in in what they do have to say.  She asked how the report and the consultation would be communicated.

 

The Monitoring Officer informed that we had already been out to consultation, in relation to this report. The next stage was rolling out through engagement HQ, which is our electronic platform for engagement, that will hit a number of areas our communities, our residents, and our key stakeholders. So primarily, we will be doing a lot of it electronically, because that's a safe, efficient way of consulting on the plan. But we'll also be having real life conversations to really get into the detail.

 

The Chairman said that we would be looking to build upon the success, particularly at the very recent libraries consultation, but the consultation on the budget.  It was the administrations intention to consult more widely then before.

Deputy Chairman of Cabinet, Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, Health and Mental Health informed that consultations was really important on these kinds of documents. It was pleasing to see that we had an embedding approach on all of our critical policy papers to get maximum public participation and engagement.  It was pleasing to hear the range of communication channels that were being used to try to optimise feedback.

 

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Sustainability, Parks and Countryside said that she was excited about the report and the approach of engagement to get a broad view of opinions to the final plan.

 

The Chairman welcomed Mr Hill to the meeting who had registered to speak to Cabinet.

 

Mr Hill said that this was simultaneously the most inspiring set of words, and if you not careful the least likely to ever be put into practice. He said to misquote ‘Councillor’ Eric Morcambe, “I like all of the words in it, but not necessarily in the order written.”  The draft was mostly rhetoric that can be spun by anyone to mean anything. As a critical friend he wanted to show how limited this approach to using generic objectives could be.

 

Cabinet say they wanted to “empower individuals, communities, and business to maximise their potential”.  Fantastic words unless you live in Windsor where the request by individuals and communities to literally empower themselves to create a Town Council was rejected this week, and in Maidenhead where the request by 60 members of the Neighbourhood Forum to empower them to create a neighbourhood plan was rejected last year.

 

Mr Hill asked why does Cabinet not commit tonight to a corporate plan with a concrete deliverable goal of allowing the creation of a maidenhead neighbourhood plan? Wouldn’t that be a positive and practical vision?  Cabinet say you want to be “evidence led and invest in prevention”.  Excellent words, but might they not ring hollow in Datchet where the evidence suggests you could have prevented flooding if you had invested in the Environment Agency scheme?

 

Cabinet says they want to “promote awareness of a clean sustainable and biodiverse environment in every decision we make”. Every single decision, unless that decision concerns the biodiversity of the golf club site, in which case the deer can make their own way across the busy roads to whatever copses are left.

 

Mr Hill also felt that the questionnaire was also similarly vague. He said that if someone ticks the box to say that the strongly disagree with “providing opportunities to families and individuals to fulfil their potential”,  then you already know that they are going to be visited by three ghosts next Christmas Eve, shortly before they stand for public office. Where there are actually controversial statement in the document Cabinet did not actually pose a question.

 

Mr Hill said for example, paragraph 2.5 could lead to the question: “Do you agree or disagree with the statement that RBWM must be unafraid to transform services away from a service-delivery model, promoting less dependence?”  Where I a solid Conservative I might agree with that vision, but is it a good idea to try and blame residents for being “dependents”, might some not fear these words? Others might argue that it is the developers who are truly “dependent” on RBWM.

 

Corporate plans, in times of austerity, need specific deliverable goals from the outset in my view. Do you agree?

 

The Chairman thanked Mr Hill and replied that with regards to clear goals we could only set these when a clear established mandate or intent was in place by outlining this with the consultation, the very high level of aspirations of the administration are in this report.  The proposed document had was not just this administrations but also had significant input by all parties.  He welcomed Mr Hill’s contributions as part of that consultation, but also had to be mindful of not adding too much detail so to be accused of predetermination. 

 

The chairman said that on some of the other issues, he was particularly pleased to see a reference in there, the building a barrier of housing opportunity, exactly what we will be doing, as he has said time and time again on the golf course site, where we deliver 40% affordable housing, the majority of which will be family accommodation. The majority, if not all of the golf course site, will be much needed family housing as well as publicly accessible open space.  He said that it had been said a number of times the intention to really strengthen our climate resilience package of measures, particularly in the areas of flooding. On the issue of Windsor Town Council. That debate was held on Tuesday nights Council and it was clear that a strong mandate was required.  He again thanked Mr Hill for his contribution and looked forward to the consultation results.

 

Cllr Price addressed Cabinet and said that how could anyone disagree with this because it is motherhood and apple pie? Because it is at the higher level, I would find it very difficult for anyone to disagree. She asked what response rate would Cabinet accept in which to go ahead, would it be 2%, 3%, 5% or 10%?

 

Cllr Price also mentioned that when we came to the budget she made a point of asking for the voluntary sector to be involved it would but this happened as an afterthought and had limited input.   She asked that this time they are consulted as part of the process. She also asked what the evidence base was as well as if it would be appropriate to add to the consultation what ethnic origin or disability the respondents may be from.

 

In reply the Chairman said that he was happy to make the proposed additions to the consultation.  The Corporate Plan would go to a wide and robust consultation and would also be taken to scrutiny.  This was the start of the process and he was not prepared to set any form of threshold for a council Corporate Plan. There would be a full consultation that would include voluntary organisations, who had already been contacted.  

 

Cllr W Da Costa addressed Cabinet and said goals and measures and strategies are going to be included in a corporate plan and apply to investments programmes, contracts, we tender out and policies and it's absolutely right.  However it had ignoring climate change, we need to protect our residents with sustainable infrastructure and from future extremes of weather.  There was no mention how future housing would be sustainable and robust to climate change.  There was no mention of the lose of biodiversity or promoting and protecting sites. Where was the carbon zero measures.  Are these going to be included or did the report need to be ‘called in’.  He mention the consultation with members on the draft but at the time he did not recognise its implications. 

 

The Chairman replied that appendix B, the draft plan framework, which is promoting awareness of a clean, sustainable and bio diverse environment. In every decision we make. That is the top line statement below which will set all of the other council strategies and policies including the adopted climate change climate resilience strategy. And indeed, all of the follow up work that my colleague Councillor stimpson is working on, of course, it will play a central role in all of the decision making going forward.  We also have to balance that against the need to continue to provide new homes economic opportunity in jobs, ideally, green jobs, for our growing population to keep our adults and vulnerable children safe to provide the core services to make sure that we continue to provide all of those services.  He supported the document going to scrutiny and hoped that in resulted in robust debate and recommendations. 

 

Cllr Jones mentioned that she was pleased to see free text responses was available for the consultation and asked that the responses be made available.  She was informed that they would. 

 

Resolved unanimously:  that Cabinet notes the report and:

 

i)            Agrees the draft Corporate Plan framework for public consultation, and

 

ii)          Notes the timelines for implementation.

 

Supporting documents: