Issue - meetings

This report sets out proposals for a refreshed Corporate Strategy, which sets out the long-term direction for the Council, and also for an overall corporate planning framework.

Members received a report which set out proposals for a refreshed Corporate Strategy, which set out the long-term direction for the Council, and also for an overall corporate planning framework.

The refreshed Strategy, which had been developed via an extensive consultation process, built on the excellent foundations established through the Council’s existing Corporate Strategy. The refreshed Strategy was however enhanced significantly by the addition of a series of long-term (10 year) “direction statements” which gave the Council’s improvement priorities essential strategic context.  These focused on areas which were fundamental to how the Council needed to operate in the future and what role it took in the city.  The refreshed Strategy would provide clarity over the Council’s improvement priorities and set out a 4-year programme of work for the Council in the period 2007-2011.  If Members agreed to the headline issues proposed in the overall corporate planning framework, then further work would be carried out to work up the detail and produce an updated Corporate Strategy document and a summary by the end of October. This could then be published widely within the organisation, with residents and with partners. 

Members had the option to agree the proposed outline for the refreshed Strategy set out in Figure 1, continue with the existing Strategy or vary parts of the refreshed Strategy.

Having considered the advice of the Shadow Executive, it was

RECOMMENDED:(i) That the proposed outline Corporate Strategy, set out in Figure 1 of the report, be agreed;

(ii)               That the values, direction statements, improvement priorities and imperatives set out in Annexes A-C of the report be agreed;

(iii)That the embedding proposals and next steps outlined in paragraphs 25-27 and 37 of the report be agreed.

REASON:      In order that the Council has an agreed Corporate Strategy which sets out long-term strategic direction and improvement priorities, which in turn underpin improved services for the people of York.