Agenda item

RESOLVED: That Cabinet;

1.     Approved the Corporate Plan subject to further review, consultation and stakeholder engagement on the detailed implementation of the priorities within the services, and

2.     Delegated to the Chief Executive final approval in Consultation with the Leader

REASONS:

1.     The recommendation was made in order that West Northants Council sets a clear foundation for its future planning and direction aligned to its stated vision of making West Northants “a great place to live, work, visit and thrive”.  It is important that the priorities to achieve the Council’s vision provide a clear reference point to link all decision making back to and provide a clear direction to inform all service planning. 

2.     It is common and best practice for Councils to publish such plans as a means to communicate their priorities, for stakeholders to be clear on what the future holds and for everyone to understand what future success would look like and how it will be measured.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

None. The plan is required as the first formal statement of the intent and commitment of the new Council and to set out where its focus will be as it moves towards longer term planning, service design and transformation.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS DECLARED AND DISPENSATIONS GRANTED: None. 

The Chairman presented the report, copies of which had been previously circulated. He invited comments from the members who were present.

·       It was noted that the report was well presented but the question of whether the Plan could be more ambitious was raised.

·       The re-opening of the London to Bedford Rail line was mentioned as something that would be positive for Northampton, as well as improving travel to London.

·       It was noted that the closure of sure start centres had had an adverse effect on vulnerable children and families.

·       It was noted that the construction of a new secondary school in Daventry had drawn concerns with regard to the use of green space. It was asked why more work had not been done with the current schools in the area, instead of constructing a new one.

·       Concern was raised regarding how long care plans took to be provided for Adults returning home after a stay in the hospital.

·       It was suggested that a supplementary document detailing the journey of the new Council would be helpful.

·       It was suggested there was a crisis with regards to housing with many poorer families living in overcrowded conditions.

·       It was asked whether the Heritage Board would be restarted.

·       The Social Value Act 2013 was discussed, with emphasis placed on how the Council could benefit from it.

·       It was noted that lack of parking for students had increased the amount of students parking in the side roads of Far Cotton and this had become an issue for residents. It was asked whether Section 106 could be used to mitigate these issues.

The following responses were issued by the relevant Cabinet members.

·       Consultation had and would be occurring regarding the re-opening of rail lines and the Council would continue to be a part of the East–West rail consortium. It was agreed that Northampton’s rail connectivity could be improved.

·       The Cabinet was informed that the Mayor or Bedford had asked for the Council to be involved in supporting the re-opening of the Northampton to Bedford Rail Line. The Council had written in support of this.

·       It was agreed that the closure of the sure start centres had had an impact on troubled families. It was noted that the Council had been awarded grants to help with this, which was being looked in to.

·       A new Assistant Director would be starting in July and would review school place sufficiency.

·       The points relating to a shortage of suitable housing were noted.

·       With regards to the anti-poverty strategy it was noted that it was important to find a way to engage with all Councillors on this issue.

The Chairman advised that the Heritage board had been paused due to Covid-19, but there was due to be a meeting very soon.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet;

1.     Approved the Corporate Plan subject to further review, consultation and stakeholder engagement on the detailed implementation of the priorities within the services, and 

2.     Delegated to the Chief Executive final approval in Consultation with the Leader