Agenda item

RECOMMENDATION

The Policy Committee is asked to review and comment on the direction of the Council Plan, including the vision, themes and priorities.

Councillor Martin Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Asset Management; introduced the agenda item which set out proposals for the Council Plan 2025-30, an overarching high-level document covering what the council wanted to achieve and informing other strategies and plans, including the Local Plan and individual service plans.

Councillor Tod explained that the two policy committees and Scrutiny Committee were being asked to look at their relevant responsibilities of the current plan, he specifically, wanted to reassure the Cabinet, that  each committee had considered:

1. Their thoughts on the future challenges faced.
2. How the current plan had performed.
3. Where the committee thought the council needed to be by 2030.

He stated that this committee was asked to focus on:

1. Homes for All.
2. Vibrant Local Economy.
3. Pride in Place.

Simon Howson, Senior Policy and Programme Manager provided the committee with a presentation and introduced the process for developing the next council plan, he highlighted the following key points:

1. The presentation included a quick look back and a look forward, outlining challenges, knowns, and unknowns, and sought councillors' input on priorities, focus areas, and evaluation of what had worked or hadn’t.
2. The current council plan was adopted in January 2020 and runs until 31 March 2025; from 1 April 2025, a new plan would commence.
3. This was an opportunity to review outcomes and priorities for the council and the district, with priorities being evidence-based, using data from the recently completed resident survey.
4. Engagement was ongoing with councillors, parish councillors, businesses and the voluntary sector to gather input for the new plan.
5. The engagement phase aimed to listen to residents and businesses in the district in order to input into the next council plan.
6. The draft council plan would be considered by the Cabinet in December 2024, before going to full Council for adoption in January 2025.
7. He reminded the committee of the current council plan and vision, and the current priorities: tackling the climate emergency, homes for all, living well, vibrant local economy, your services your voice.
8. The focus for this evening was on homes for all, vibrant local economy, and pride in place.
9. He outlined the roles of various committees in the plan review and presented key questions for the committee to consider, including how challenges had changed since 2020, expected future challenges by 2030, and what success would look like.

The committee was asked to review and comment on the direction of the 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 asked about what evidence would be used to formulate the new council plan, referencing the corporate peer review feedback that highlighted perceptions of the council being too focused on the city at the expense of the wider district.
2. Further information was requested on the potential to better utilise the voluntary and community sectors.
3. A question was raised regarding how housing challenges had changed since 2020, noting that private landlords were leaving the market in large numbers, leading to potential increases in evictions and how the council plans to cope with this issue in the current or next plan.
4. A question was asked about the support to the growing elderly population, as indicated by the 2021 census data, and whether considerations had been made for disabled residents, such as incorporating suitable features in new housing developments or care homes.
5. Further clarification was sought on how the upcoming older persons strategy could be incorporated into the council plan.
6. An inquiry was made about addressing housing infrastructure issues, specifically how the council could alleviate flooding caused by inadequate pipes and water networks due to population growth.
7. An observation was made about the increasing need for a diversity of housing to meet emergent needs, such as emergency or short-term housing due to changes in circumstances like poor health, and whether this represents a change since 2020.
8. A question was asked about how the council can address the lack of affordable housing, which was crucial for encouraging young people to stay in the district, noting that this issue had become even more significant since the previous council plan.
9. An inquiry was made about whether policies could be implemented to encourage downsizing among the ageing population, thereby freeing up larger properties for families and helping address housing needs within the district.
10. A question was raised about how the council was addressing the need for housing to be more resilient to extreme weather events caused by the climate emergency, such as wind, rain, flooding, and extreme heat, particularly considering that well-insulated homes may lack air conditioning during extreme heat.
11. An inquiry was made about what more the council could do to support small businesses, particularly those with 0–9 employees, in terms of digital connectivity, considering future reliance on satellite and 5G connectivity, especially in rural areas where fibre connectivity was unlikely.
12. A question was raised about how the council could encourage farmers to adapt to changing farming practices due to a warmer climate, such as growing grapes, as part of promoting a vibrant economy.
13. An inquiry was made about how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence would affect various activities over the next five years—including the economy, transport, and banking—and how the council should focus on these areas.
14. A question was asked about what more the council could do to encourage and support small businesses in the rural economy, both to help existing businesses succeed and to support new businesses and ideas coming forward, recognising their significant contribution to employment and the economy.
15. An inquiry was made about how the council can address the trend of fewer young people starting businesses due to numerous rules and regulations, and how to encourage younger people to start businesses.
16. A concern was raised about the ageing workforce in trades such as plastering, carpentry, and bricklaying, with not enough young people entering these industries.
17. A concern was expressed about the lack of public transport in rural areas, limiting employment opportunities for residents without cars—particularly for retail jobs with shifts.
18. A question was raised about challenges experienced by Hampshire County Council, leading to reduced road repairs and potential closure or increased charges for Household Waste Recovery Centres, which would affect Winchester, particularly regarding pride in place, and how much of the slack the council would be expected to pick up.
19. A question was asked about how the council would ensure it balances its budget and manages dwindling finances over the next five years, given potential insufficient funding to maintain current service levels.
20. An inquiry was made about how the council can empower communities—particularly village halls and community centres wishing to become community hubs.

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

RESOLVED:

That the Committee requested that the cabinet member consider the committee's comments raised during the discussion of the item.