Agenda item

The Cabinet considered a report which appended Cabinet Vision Statement 2022 – 2027.  The Leader, in presenting the 5-year vision statement explained that following the Local Government Elections (May 2022), the new Cabinet had committed to publishing a vision statement ahead of the Corporate Strategy which was due for publication in the Autumn.

It was highlighted that the relevant reports and recommendations on specific projects and programmes within the report would be presented through the democratic process over the next five years.

The statement provided the direction of travel that this Cabinet wants to focus on to make a difference across the County over the next 5 years. It was reported that work would include liaising with partners to strengthen the economy, increase prosperity, and invest in housing, education, culture, infrastructure, and the environment.

It was reported that the results of the ResidentsSurvey and the Staff Survey would be integral to the development of the Cabinet’s policy platforms going forward.  In addition, it was emphasised that in order to further refine the vision statement, a cross-party dialogue with all Members was welcomed and that a number of meetings had already been scheduled over the summer.

Each Cabinet Member present in the meeting was afforded the opportunity to present the vision within their portfolio.

As provided for by Protocol the Leader invited Councillor Rob James to ask his prepared question in respect of this item.

Question by Councillor Rob James:

“Reading the vision document, it reads much like a very long list of to do items or just generic statements such as; work with external bodies and understand what could be done to support residents.  Even a Conservative run Council would say that, it is very lacking on detail and it is remarkably similar to the ‘Moving Forward, the Next 5 Years’, I think is known in the Council the 96 point plan.  In fact, this is a plan with 113 points, so my main question is mainly;

How do we expect the public to give their views on a document when it is lacking in both detail and measurables? It doesn’t say what the future of education you would like it to be, it doesn’t say how you would try to integrate health and social care, it doesn’t say how you will try and build the economy for the future.  As Councillor Lenny described it is not ‘pie in the sky’ it doesn’t actually cover anything to do with prosperity or the inflationary pressures that will be placed on the budget or if you would be able to actually deliver on these promises.”

Response by the Leader:

“I think that maybe a fundamental misunderstanding on your part in terms of where we are at, at this point and what role this vision statement plays in feeding into our Corporate Strategy.  I would have hoped that the message had been received loud and clear by all Members of this Council, because I had been saying it consistently for the past 2 months.  I actually remember meeting you the first time after the election and when we met with yourself, Councillor Dot Jones and Councillor Deryk Cundy, where I stated quite clearly, that the ambition from my perspective was to get to a position in the Autumn with a Corporate Strategy where all views had been taken on board.  This is our starting position as a Cabinet, this is what we envisage to be our priorities going forward, but we acknowledge that others may have different ideas.  That is why it is important that we take on board the views of residents, through the Residents Survey, the staff, through the Staff Survey and yourselves as Members through the meetings that have already been scheduled or are in the process of scheduled with a range of different Members.  So those different views are fed in a measurable and a systematic way that when we get to the Corporate Strategy in the Autumn all those opinions have been taken on board. 

That is the process that has been set out and I have been clear over the past two months on what I expect from the different roles of different groups.  I think there is discussion here from the Labour Group and yourself as Labour Leader in terms of how you see yourselves feeding into that process and not just initially in terms of the Corporate Strategy but longer term in terms of policy development within this Council.  I think you have got a wonderful opportunity to feed in your ideas and your suggestions at a number of different stages, this is the first one. 

I will be honest with you, I am a bit disappointed in the question that you have put this morning.  I believe it to be lazy.  You had the opportunity to possibly put forward some constructive criticism you could have come to this meeting today to asked me as Leader that you do not agree and you need to strengthen X, Y and Z, but you chose not to.  You chose the lazy option, and I am sure some would argue that the purpose of the question was simply to provide a peg for Labours press release to the Evening Post, but I do hope that you and the Labour Group gives some serious consideration on how you want to interact with us as the Administration.  My offer as I have outlined again, in the introductory statements to this report, the genuine offer of dialogue is there and it will remain there, and it is up to others to take that offer seriously.

I absolutely refute the suggestion that this document lacks vision.  It is both ambitious and exciting but also deliverable as Councillor Lenny mentioned there are fiscal pressures facing us, which we are absolutely and acutely aware of and we are determined to work with others to try and overcome those.  The vision is there and as a starting point for discussion, I look forward to continuing those discussions with you hopefully in a positive manner over the coming months.”

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Cabinet’s Vision Statement for 2022-2027 be received.