Council Minutes

Date:
Wednesday, 24th March, 2010
Time:
4.30 p.m.
Place:
Conference Room, Education Centre, Junction Road, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, TS20 1PR
 
Please note: all Minutes are subject to approval at the next Meeting

Attendance Details

Present:
The Worshipful the Mayor (Cllr Paul Kirton); Cllr Hilary Aggio, Cllr Jim Beall, Cllr Mrs Jennie Beaumont, Cllr Phillip Broughton, Cllr Mrs Ann Cains, Cllr Dick Cains, Cllr Julia Cherrett, Cllr Aidan Cockerill, Cllr David Coleman, Cllr Robert Cook, Cllr Mrs Eileen Craggs, Cllr Alex Cunningham, Cllr Ken Dixon, Cllr Kevin Faulks, Cllr John Fletcher, Cllr Mrs Suzanne Fletcher, Cllr John Gardner, Cllr Robert Gibson, Cllr Miss Barbara Inman, Cllr Mohammed Javed, Cllr Jean Kirby, Cllr Terry Laing, Cllr Colin Leckonby, Cllr Alan Lewis, Cllr Ken Lupton, Cllr Mrs Ann McCoy, Cllr Mrs Kath Nelson, Cllr Steve Nelson, Cllr Mrs Liz Nesbitt, Cllr Bill Noble, Cllr Mrs Jean O'Donnell, Cllr Maurice Perry, Cllr Mrs Maureen Rigg, Cllr Roy Rix, Cllr Fred Salt, Cllr Andrew Sherris, Cllr Mick Stoker, Cllr Steve Walmsley, Cllr Mrs Sylvia Walmsley, Cllr Mrs Mary Womphrey, Cllr Mick Womphrey, Cllr Bill Woodhead and Cllr Barry Woodhouse.
Officers:
N Schneider, L King, B Brown (CE); D E Bond, P K Bell (LD); P Dobson, S Daniels, R Poundford, C Straughan, R McGuckin (DNS); J Danks, G Cummings (R); J Humphreys, S Willson, T Beckwith, R Kench, J Morrison (CESC).
In Attendance:
Mr F W Hayes (Chairman of the Standards Committee).
Apologies for absence:
Cllr Lynne Apedaile, Cllr Paul Baker, Cllr Ian Dalgarno, Cllr Jackie Earl, Cllr Mick Eddy, Cllr Maurice Frankland, Cllr David Harrington, Cllr Tina Large, Cllr Andrew Larkin, Cllr Ross Patterson, Cllr Mike Smith and Cllr Allison Trainer.
Item Description Decision
Public
C
327/09		 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
 There were no interests declared.
C
328/09		 CABINET MINUTES
 Moved by Councillor Lupton, seconded by Councillor Mrs Beaumont and RESOLVED that the minutes of Cabinet held on 18th March 2010 (Minute CAB 201/09, CAB 202/09 and CAB 204/09) be confirmed or received as appropriate.
C
329/09		 COUNCIL PLAN 2010 - 2013
Preamble
RESOLVED that:-

1. The content of the draft Council Plan and Service Improvement Plans for 2010 - 2013 be noted.

2. Delegated authority be given to the Chief Executive to approve the final content of the Council Plan and Service Improvement Plans 2010 - 2013 in consultation with the Leader of the Council.
4.30 pm - 6.00 pm

Preamble

ItemPreamble
C
329/09		Consideration was given to a report on the draft Council Plan and abridged Service Improvement Plans for 2010 - 13. The Council Plan set out Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s key priorities which were the Council’s contribution to the Borough’s Sustainable Community Strategy.

The first part of the 2010 - 2013 Council Plan provided information about the Council and its work for the local community. The second part was an action plan setting out how the Council would achieve their priorities and how success and progress towards these priorities would be measured.

The Service Improvement Plans provided further detail on how the improvement priorities and objectives would be delivered and linked priorities to resources.

Business Unit plans would provide the detail on other areas of the Council’s day to day work.

The Council Plan set out how the Council would contribute to the community objectives set out in the Sustainable Community Strategy 2008 - 2021. It provided focus on the key Council priorities that needed to be achieved and needed to be monitored regularly.

The principle underlying the development of the Council Plan was that it was a business plan for the organisation, focusing on the key Council priorities. This approach was vital to ensure a clear focus on those priorities. The focus of the plan shifted each year as the key priorities altered over time in recognition of change. It was a three year rolling plan which was updated on an annual basis.

Service Improvement Plans and more detailed Business Unit Plans supported the Council Plan by setting out how priorities and objectives and the day to day business of the Council would be delivered. These plans showed the links to resource implications. The plans also included information about each service area and its achievements.

The 2010 - 2013 Council Plan was in two main parts. The first was a narrative explaining about the Borough, the Council, its achievements and future plans. This had been updated to reflect an improved communication on the Council’s vision and priorities and was set out under the themes of:-

Stockton Borough - The Place
Stockton Borough - the People
Stockton Borough - the Council

The eight themes within the Sustainable Community Strategy fell under theses headings. The second part of the plan detailed an action plan which set out how the key priorities of the Council would be delivered. A list of the contents of part one of the plan and the key priorities detailed in part two of the plan were attached to the report.

The objectives within the 2010 - 2013 Council Plan had changed from the previous year to be more outcomes focussed, highlighting key priority areas, and recognising the financial climate and pressures and demands on services.

The Key Council Priorities were detailed under each of the Sustainable Community Strategy Themes as follows:-

Stockton Borough - The Place

Economic Regeneration and Transport

• Minimise the effects of the economic downturn on Stockton through proactive responses and partnership working.
• Regenerate the Borough through the delivery of major local and sub regional projects.
• Improve and promote a sustainable transport network.
• Strengthen Strategic Planning through the Local Development Scheme.

Environment and Housing

• Make the Borough a cleaner, greener and more attractive environment.
• Provide appropriate accommodation, assistance and support for residents of the borough including those who are vulnerable and with special needs.
• Meet the challenges of the housing Market.
• Tackle climate change through carbon reduction and resilience to extreme weather events.

Culture and Leisure

• Develop the Events Programme, to involve local people, raise the profile of the area.
• Highlight and celebrate the local heritage.
• Refresh the libraries and invest in new technologies to deliver a wider range of services more effectively.
• Increase participation in sport and active leisure through innovative programmes and high profile events.

Stockton Borough - The People

Children and Young People

• Ensure effective multi-agency safeguarding of vulnerable children and young people.
• Raise achievement across all Key Stages for all children, particularly for the vulnerable and hard to reach groups.
• Further improve young people’s participation, progression, retention and achievement in further education, training and employment.
• Seek to reduce poverty and the impact of poverty on children, young people and families.
• Improve the quality of learning and school buildings through implementing Building Schools for the Future and Primary Capital Programmes.

Adult Services

• Improve choice and control over personal health and well being.
• Ensure effective safeguarding arrangements are in place for all service users.

Health and Wellbeing

• Reduce health inequalities by adding ‘life to years and years to life’.
• Reduce substance misuse (including alcohol and tobacco) by children, young people and adults and reduce the effect on children, young and family life.
• Reduce levels of obesity in children, young people and adults.

Community Safety

• Reduce levels of youth offending and anti-social behaviour.
• Reduce Crime and the Fear of Crime.
• Ensure our residents are safe.

Stronger Communities

• Create the conditions for a strong and vibrant Third Sector.
• Further develop Community Engagement infrastructure and activity.
• Develop an appropriate Member Learning and Development Strategy that supports and enables Members to be effective

Stockton Borough - The Council

Our people

• Implement our ‘People Strategy’ and Integrated Children’s workforce strategy:-
- Develop new ways of working and achieve value for money.
- Achieving Excellence in leadership and management.
- Developing the workforce.
- Recruiting and retaining a diverse and talented workforce.
- Working together.

Our organisational effectiveness

• Establish a shared intelligence framework with partners.
• Deliver the Customer Excellence Programme.
• Promote a positive image of the Council and pride in the area.
• Develop a Member Induction Strategy for 2011 that enables Members to become/continue to be excellent Councillors with a good understanding of their role, responsibilities and priorities for the Council.
• Deliver the Efficiency, Improvement and Transformation Programme.
• Investigate feasibility of partnering opportunities.
• Develop new approaches to commissioning.

The plan had been developed in partnership with:-

• Councillors - through seminars on the budget and Council Plan and through discussion sessions with members.
• Corporate Management Team, Heads of Service and Policy Officers through joint working to develop the plan.

The Plan also took into consideration the results of consultation and engagement with local people, including Place survey results.

Full copies of the plan would be provided to Members, senior managers and key partners. A summary version of the Council Plan would also be prepared for all staff. The Council Plan would be made available in public places and copies could be provided to the public if requested. Full and summary versions would also be available via the internet.

The Service Improvement Plans (SIPs) supported the delivery of the Council Plan and Sustainable Community Strategy. Plans were structured to include:-

• an introduction outlining the strategic direction of the service and key achievements from the previous year;
• action plans linked to the eight themes of the Sustainable Community Strategy and a theme of Stockton borough - The Council. The action plans included links to other plans, identify actions and milestones, responsible officers, success measures, targets and risks. In addition where actions will have resource implications these are identified.
• The medium term financial plan for the service
• A performance indicator table including both measures and targets.

Plans had been developed to cover all service areas. Performance against SIPs would be monitored and reported to Members twice a year, alongside Council Plan monitoring.

The abridged versions of the draft SIPs, focused on key elements of the action plans. The latest draft documents were attached to the report and also on the intranet. Once the Plans had been agreed, the Plans would be published in both electronic and hard copy with a set of hard copy plans lodged in the Member’s library.

Members were given the opportunity to comment and ask questions on the Council Plan and Service Improvement Plans 2010 - 2013.

  • Contact

  • Democratic Services

    Municipal Buildings
    Church Road
    Stockton-on-Tees
    TS18 1LD

  • 01642 526193 or 01642 528173

  • [email protected]

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