Issue - meetings

The Leader’s Portfolio

To consider report CEX/60 of the Leader and Chief Executive, which was referred to the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission on 30 January 2023.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)            Approves the Corporate Plan 2023 – 2027 (Appendix A of report CEX/60)

b)                   Delegates authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, to make any minor amendments to the Corporate Plan including any changes to legislation and statutory guidance as required.

(Generic Delegation 7 will be used to enact this recommendation).

c)         Requests Full Council to adopt the Corporate Plan 2023 - 2027.

Reasons for the Recommendations

The Corporate Plan sets out the strategic direction of the Council for the next four years. Where necessary, it will be updated to ensure the Council’s activities reflect the national and local challenges it faces.

The Leader presented report CEX/60of the Chief Executive.  The report documented a refresh the Council's Corporate Plan, so it reflected the Council's priorities for the period 2023-2027. The key changes within the Plan from the previous edition related to the Borough’s recovery from the economy crisis and the impacts of the Covid pandemic, the impact of water neutrality on the built environment, the need for more affordable housing and temporary accommodation and the importance of reducing the Council’s and the town’s Carbon footprint, through the delivery of the Climate Emergency Action Plan.

The Cabinet acknowledged the Commission’s comments of support for the proposed Corporate Plan as detailed in report OSC/308 from their meeting held on 30 January 2023. 

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)         approves the Corporate Plan 2023 – 2027 (Appendix A of report CEX/60)

b)         delegates authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make any minor amendments to the Corporate Plan including any changes to legislation and statutory guidance as required.

(Generic Delegation 7 will be used to enact this recommendation).

c)      requests Full Council to adopt the Corporate Plan 2023 - 2027.

Reasons for the Recommendations

The Corporate Plan sets out the strategic direction of the Council for the next four years. Where necessary, it will be updated to ensure the Council’s activities reflect the national and local challenges it faces.

To consider report CEX/60 of the Leader and Chief Executive.

The Commission considered report CEX/60 with the Leader and Deputy Chief Executive. The report documented a refresh the Council's Corporate Plan so it reflected the Council's priorities for the period 2023-2027.

During the discussion, Councillors made the following comments:

·         Acknowledgement that the report documented and update from the previous Corporate Plan with a significant focus on post-pandemic recovery concentrating on areas including the economy, communities, water neutrality, continuation of the Crawley Growth Programme and Crawley Towns Fund, together with delivering affordable housing.

·         Support for the continued inclusion of the ‘duty to co-operate’ arrangements to work with neighbouring authorities in the spirit of partnership to deliver housing to meet Crawley's needs.

·         Confirmation provided regarding the programme required for reducing the town’s carbon footprint and the commitment delivery to net zero through the Council’s housing stock. It was noted whilst both these programmes were of vital importance the work would be allocated from different funding streams.

RESOLVED

That the Commission noted the report and requested that the views expressed during the debate, were fed back to the Cabinet through the Commission’s Comment sheet.