Issue - meetings

The report of the Chief Executive is attached.

The Leader and Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Borough-wide Leadership, Councillor Clarke presented the report of the Chief Executive.

In moving the recommendation, the Leader informed Council that the updated Corporate Strategy presented for approval built upon the successes of the previous Strategy, which continued to deliver improvements within the Borough including Bingham Arena and the Crematorium. The updated Strategy would carry forward the same four priorities as the last two strategies, providing stability and the opportunity to deliver long-term change. He noted that the Strategy supported the delivery of the quality services that residents expected, maintained the Council’s position charging the lowest Council Tax, whilst achieving the highest recycling rate, and drew Council’s attention to the range of projects included under the environment priority focusing on delivering further improvements in the Borough.

Councillor Brennan seconded the recommendation and reserved the right to speak.

Councillor J Walker commended the work of officers on the new Strategy but informed Council that the Labour Group would not be supporting its adoption as it was not in any way reflective of their views and stated that the Strategy lacked ambition especially in the areas of climate breakdown and the local economy. Councillor Walker went on to say that there had also been a lack of democratic engagement in the development of the Strategy, and that whilst Councillors had been given the opportunity to feedback on the draft Strategy that had been too late in the process. She went on to list the suggestions the Labour Group had made during the consultation process, including more stringent requirements on developers to incorporate more green technology, increased sustainable links between communities, including improved public transport; kerbside glass recycling and a recognised recycling strategy; local start-up funds and community wealth building; a commitment to lobby central government for a more regressive tax system and a business rates reset, and a commitment to learn from the peer challenge in respect of how other local authorities were increasing local democracy and resident participation; an assessment of the Council’s asset base to increase engagement across local communities; ensuring that the decommissioning of the power station made a positive contribution to the Borough; development of a robust social value strategy and a commitment to pay at least the national living wage as a minimum.

Councillor Thomas expressed the view that the document felt like a box-ticking exercise. She felt that the consultation was too high-level, did not encourage engagement from Councillors and happened too late in the process and that the responses received appeared to have been ignored. Councillor Thomas went on to highlight other aspects of the document that she felt were detrimental, such as its backward focus on achievements, that there were too many tasks in which the Council had limited control above setting its own goals, there was a lack of follow through relating to important Council initiatives such as increasing hedgerows, putting in requirements for solar panels on all new developments, making new homes more energy efficient,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45