Agenda item

Since their election in May, the multi-party Executive, comprising Farnham Residents, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors, has been working together and with senior managers to agree their shared priorities for their term of office, 2019-23. 

This report accordingly sets out a new draft Corporate Strategy with a stronger focus on housing affordability, climate and public engagement. 

It is recommended that the Executive recommend the corporate strategy set out at Annexe 1 to Full Council for adoption at its 18 September Full Council meeting.

Recommendation

That the Executive recommends the adoption of the Waverley Borough Council Corporate Strategy 2019-2023 (attached as Annexe 1 to this report) to Full Council.

16.1     The Leader of the Council introduced the new draft Corporate Strategy for Waverley. Since the election in May 2019, the multi-party Executive, comprising Farnham Residents, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors, had been working together and with senior management to agree their shared priorities for their term of office, 2019 – 2023.

16.2     The Leader proposed a number of minor drafting amendments to the strategy, which had been tabled:

·         encourage affordable access to sports and leisure facilities and the arts for all, improving leisure services across the borough, focusing on health inequalities in the borough and seeking to ensuring that no area is disadvantaged;

·         ensure local residents have access to local countryside and are not excluded through high parking charges;

·         work with partners to promote a pedestrian-friendly and cycle-friendly road system taking action on air quality especially those caused by vehicle emissions, and encouraging an improved “clean” bus service;

·         press the government for appropriate funding to meet local needs as reflected in our vision for Waverley and reverse cuts to local government funding to enable us to intelligently deal with the looming budget shortfall.

The amendments were seconded by Cllr Follows, and the Executive RESOLVED to adopt the amendments into the draft Corporate Strategy.

16.3    In response to questions from Cllr Potts, Cllr John Gray, Cllr Jenny Else, and Cllr Hyman, the Executive members provided the following explanations:

·         The new Executive was keen to address the need for ‘housing that is affordable’ across all tenure types, and not focus only on affordable housing for social rent.

·         The new Corporate Strategy was deliberately succinct. The new Executive had promised no ‘seismic changes’ in direction, also felt it was important to be clear about the agreed objectives of the four political Groups, which had been the product of discussion, collaboration and compromise.

·         It was timely to bring this statement of the broad direction of travel to Council now, which would allow the service planning and budget process to flesh out the detail of the objectives.

·         The reference to promoting reduction and re-use and well as recycling highlighted the need to actively minimise the amount of new resources used.

·         The Strategy recognised the value and worth of all residents, including those with particular needs due to age and vulnerability, but the Executive welcomed the suggestion to specifically include a reference to age.

16.4     The Leader proposed a further amendment, to include “age” in the third bullet point of the Vision statement. This was seconded by Cllr Follows, and the Executive RESOLVED to adopt this amendment into the draft Corporate Strategy.

16.5    The Executive RESOLVED to recommend the Waverley Borough Council Corporate Strategy 2019-2023 (as amended above) to Full Council for adoption.

Reason: Since their election in May 2019, the multi-party Executive has been working together and with senior managers to agree their shared priorities for their term of office, 2019-2023. The proposed new Corporate Strategy has a stronger focus on housing affordability, climate and public engagement.

[This matter is recommended to Council for decision and is not subject to the call-in procedure.]