Issue - meetings

That:

a)        the refreshed Community Plan 2023-2027 be referred to Full Council for approval and adoption;

b)        the £45,000 budget that was allocated towards activities for Motion for the Ocean as part of the 2025/26 revenue budget setting, be re-allocated into the Flooding Defence Reserve to fund a further Community Resilience Grant Scheme in 2025/26; and

c)        the transfer of £10,000 from the Cleaner, Safer, Greener reserve to Environmental Services to allow the organisation of day-to-day activities around the commitment to grow ocean literacy (Motion for the Ocean) be approved.

The Transformation and Service Improvement Officer presented a report which proposed a refreshed Community Plan for 2023-27 for recommendation to Full Council. The Community Plan was the key direction setting document used to outline the priorities and vision of the Council for a four-year term. The current Plan had been in place formally since December 2023 and senior Members and Portfolio Holders had been reviewing progress against the Plan and challenging what was outstanding as a priority and account for any emerging priorities which had arisen since the development of the Plan.  The refreshed Community Plan was attached as Appendix 1 to the report, with the changes being highlighted in Appendix 2.

As part of the refresh, it was proposed to adapt and broaden out the action which described the Motion for the Ocean, to instead to outline the Council’s ambition to work in conjunction with statutory authorities to promote good river and waterway health. The refreshed Community Plan had been presented to the Policy and Performance Improvement Committee at their meeting held on 10 March 2025, at which they recommended approval.

AGREED (with 6 votes for and 1 abstention) that:

a)        the refreshed Community Plan 2023-2027 be referred to Full Council for approval and adoption;

b)        the £45,000 budget that was allocated towards activities for Motion for the Ocean as part of the 2025/26 revenue budget setting, be re-allocated into the Flooding Defence Reserve to fund a further Community Resilience Grant Scheme in 2025/26; and

c)        the transfer of £10,000 from the Cleaner, Safer, Greener reserve to Environmental Services to allow the organisation of day-to-day activities around the commitment to grow ocean literacy (Motion for the Ocean) be approved.

Reasons for Decision:

The Community Plan 2023-2027 is the key document which will set the vision and direction of the Council during a four-year term. As such it is necessary that this document is refreshed throughout the four year term, to ensure the plan reflects the projects and initiatives which are ongoing or yet to be delivered.

Options Considered:

To not refresh the Community Plan for 2023-2027.