Issue - meetings

At its meeting on 8 January 2020 the Executive Committee considered the Council Plan 2020-2024 and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the Council Plan 2020-2024 be ADOPTED subject to some of the more business-related photographs being replaced by photographs of tourism/environment related areas.  

(Please Note: the Council Plan document as attached includes the new photographs).

61.1           At its meeting on 8 January 2020, the Executive Committee had considered the new Council Plan for 2020-2024 and recommended to Council that it be adopted subject to some of the more business-related photographs being replaced by photographs of tourism/environment related areas. 

61.2           The report which was considered by the Executive Committee had been circulated with the Agenda for the current meeting at Pages No. 27-48 and Members were advised that the Council Plan document, attached to the current Agenda, included new photographs.

61.3           The Chair of the Executive Committee proposed the recommendation and thanked all Members for their involvement in the creation of the Plan which he felt neatly set out what the Council’s priorities were for the period.  The recommendation was seconded by the Vice-Chair.

61.4           A Member indicated that one of the opening photographs in the document was of the M5 motorway and she questioned whether that was how the Council wanted to promote the Borough; in response, the Head of Corporate Services indicated that he would take that comment away for consideration. Another Member questioned whether the garden town was in the right place given concerns about flooding and infrastructure. She hoped it would prove to be the first truly sustainable garden town but for that to happen the government needed to act with changes to planning laws etc.; she felt the Council should not be prevented from doing its best in that regard. She also expressed the view that, whilst the inclusion of sustainability in the document was a good start, and she thanked Officers for making the changes she has suggested, it must be clear that words were not enough and deeds had to follow. In supporting those comments, a Member advised that he felt the Council Plan did not go far enough in terms of the climate change emergency or sustainability – the clock was ticking and he felt the Council’s commitment to making a difference needed to be stronger. The County Council had a ten-point plan which it was working towards and he felt Tewkesbury Borough Council needed to have a commitment like that to tackling climate change. In terms of Tewkesbury Garden Town, he was also exceptionally concerned about the flood risk which would be brought to the existing Tewkesbury Town.

61.5           The Leader of the Council indicated that the Council Plan set out the Council’s priorities and specific reference had been made to flooding and climate change with one of the objectives being to work with the County Council in delivering its climate change agenda. It was a fact that the County Council had the authority and resources to take the lead on climate change, as such, the Council’s priority to support that work was the correct way forward. It was also necessary to bear in mind that the Council Plan was a ‘live’ document that would be revised throughout the four-year period to take out achievements and bring in new objectives.

61.6           Accordingly, it was

                  RESOLVED          That the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61

To recommend the Council Plan 2020-24 to Council for adoption.  

That it be RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the Council Plan 2020-2024 be ADOPTED subject to some of the more business-related photographs being replaced by photographs of tourism/environment related areas.  

66.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 63-84,  attached a new Council Plan for 2020-2024 which Members were asked to consider and recommend to Council for adoption.

66.2           Members were advised that the Council Plan was the key strategic document which established the overarching vision for the Borough and set out, in broad terms, the priorities, objectives and actions that the Council would focus on to work towards its vision. The current plan had been approved in 2016 and was due to end this year therefore a new Plan was required. A Member Workshop had been held on 5 November 2019 which had discussed the shape of the new priorities and what the supporting objectives may look like. The workshop had been very well attended with Members positively engaged. They had been generally happy to retain the current four priorities and to add two new priority areas of ‘Garden Communities’ and ‘Sustainable Environment’ – it was noted that the word ‘sustainable’ had been used a lot at the workshop but was limited within the Council Plan as it was felt that overuse may dilute its meaning. The six priority areas had been subject to a two-week public consultation period during which time 345  responses had been received and those were summarised at Appendix 2 to the report – the comments received had not affected the substance of the Plan.  

66.3           Following the Member workshop, the Heads of Service and Operational Managers had discussed the draft Council Plan and much of it had been populated in consultation with those Officers. The document had then been considered by Group Leaders and the Green Party Member with some comments received about the photographs within the Plan being too focused on manufacturing rather than on the environment of the Borough. In addition, comments had been made about the use of the phrase ‘low Council Tax’ with some Members having the view that it should refer to a ‘fair Council Tax’. Management Team had agreed that whilst a low Council tax could be evidenced, a fair Council tax was a very subjective phrase as what was fair to some would not be seen that way by others.

66.4           The Chair had been impressed with the work undertaken on the Plan and he hoped the comment made about the photographs within the Plan could be addressed as this appeared to be a valid point. Other Members agreed and suggested some of the Borough’s tourist attractions, such as Tewkesbury Abbey, Sudeley Castle, Cleeve Hill Golf Club and the Cheese Roll, could be included. The Head of Corporate Services undertook to address this. In terms of the low/fair Council Tax remarks, some Members felt the phrase should be changed and that the use of the word ‘fair’ could be quantified with some thought. Other Members were of the view that ‘fair’ was too subjective and dependent on the social spectrum which could lead to divides in the community. One Member questioned whether  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66