Agenda item

RECOMMENDATION:

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider the priorities in the current Council Plan and review and comment on the direction of the new Council Plan, including the vision, themes and priorities.

The Chairperson advised that the scrutiny committee was given the opportunity to review this topic now and again at its November meeting. However, with only three weeks apart and noting that the item had already been presented to both policy committees, the Chair proposed to have the item tabled at this meeting only.

Councillor Martin Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Asset Management, introduced the report which set out proposals for the Council Plan 2025-30. The introduction included the following points:

1.    The cabinet was keen to gather input from across the council for the Council Plan 2025-2030.

2.    Discussions had been held with parish councils, Winchester Business Improvement District (BID), and policy committees.

3.    The views of the Scrutiny Committee were now being sought and Councillor Tod welcomed questions, feedback, and insights to consider while developing the proposed Council Plan further.

Simon Howson, Senior Policy and Programme Manager, provided a further introduction which included the following points:

1.    That the current Council Plan, adopted in January 2020, was in its final year, ending on 31 March 2025, providing an opportunity to review outcomes and set new priorities for the council and district.

2.    The new priorities should be evidence-based, incorporating results from the recent resident survey, young people's views, parish councils, businesses, and staff engagement.

3.    The new Council Plan would cover the period up to 31 March 2030 and support the council in delivering a balanced budget, aligning closely with the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and budget considerations.

4.    It was essential that the Council Plan was affordable and reflected in the upcoming budget to be presented in February.

5.    The current Council Plan priorities and enhanced practices were set out, including tackling the climate emergency, homes for all, living well, vibrant local economy, your services your voice, cost of living, greener faster, pride in place, and listening better.

6.    Engagement activities undertaken included liaison with parish councils, resident and young person surveys, presentations to policy committees, engagement with Winchester BID and the voluntary sector, and the Scrutiny Committee meeting.

7.    The draft plan would be considered by Cabinet on 11 December, with a recommendation for adoption by Council in January 2025.

8.    Key questions were posed to the committee about changes in service demand since 2020 and anticipated changes over the next five years, inviting feedback to inform the development of the next Council Plan.

The Scrutiny Committee was asked to consider the priorities in the current Council Plan and review and comment on the direction of the new Council Plan, including the vision, themes, and priorities.

The committee proceeded to ask questions and debate the report. In summary, the following matters were raised.

1. A question was raised about making Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) clear and understandable, using language that residents could easily comprehend.
2. Concerns were expressed about how the council could support communities with the restoration or establishment of community centres.
3. A suggestion was made to support community centres in improving heating facilities to help achieve climate emergency goals by 2030.
4. It was proposed that the council enable community facilities to learn from each other and make better use of grants through facilitating knowledge sharing and support.
5. A question was asked about allocating more space for allotments to promote self-sufficiency and support increased demand for outdoor spaces post-COVID-19.
6. Concerns were raised about the impact of COVID-19 on retail services in rural market towns, with facilities closing, and a request was made for more attention and support for rural areas, including transport issues.
7. A question was asked about providing grants to support community buses in rural areas.
8. Concerns were expressed about the progress in delivering projects and the need to consider this as an area of concern.
9. A suggestion was made to focus on reducing the need to travel rather than relying on rural bus services, by making amenities in rural areas more accessible and supporting initiatives that reduced congestion and pollution.
10. A question was asked about influencing digital connectivity in new housing developments through local planning, to support a reduced need for travel.
11. A question was raised about considering hydrogen as an alternative to electric vehicles in the council plan.
12. A question was asked about exploring additional recycling options, including learning from neighbouring councils, to enhance recycling efforts without transporting waste over long distances.
13. Concerns were raised about the usability of the Winchester City Council website, with some residents finding it challenging to navigate and access information or submit comments.
14. A concern was expressed that while there were many ideas for environmental initiatives, the council needed to progress them faster, focusing on efficient delivery.

15.Questions were raised about the council’s cultural strategy, including the potential for history walking tours and the promotion of local heritage.

16. A suggestion was made that projects should focus on housing and energy efficiency, ensuring people had adequate homes and could access services and education.
17. A point was made emphasising the importance of financial planning and improving efficiency by 2030, to ensure the council could deliver its projects.
18. A concern was raised about the importance of updating cyber security to protect council services.
19. It was acknowledged that upgrading council homes to improve energy efficiency was a major project that needed to be addressed over the next few years.
20. It was suggested that the resident survey should be fully taken into account with regard to the council plan.

These points were responded to by Councillor Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Asset Management, Simon Howson, Senior Policy and Programme Manager, and Councillor Cutler, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance accordingly.

RESOLVED:

The committee agreed to ask the Cabinet Member to consider the points raised during the discussion on the item.