Agenda item

Report of the Leader

The Leader introduced the report and explained that the interim corporate strategy action plan set out a range of projects and initiatives where there was a current commitment. It was then proposed that a longer term corporate strategy be brought back to Council in July 2018 that would set out a longer term plan of action and a more robust performance management framework.

The Leader went on to explain that the two key strategic documents that had helped shape this year’s corporate strategy were the draft place strategy and the council’s medium term financial strategy. By aligning the corporate planning framework to the place strategy framework the council was making a statement in support of the place strategy and providing more detail about how the place aspirations would get delivered. He highlighted that the corporate strategy constituted the council’s Crime Reduction Strategy to comply with Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty which came into force in April 2011.

The Leader then highlighted that the council would drive forward and provide leadership on many issues (but not all) in the plan. He explained that the Cheltenham Transport Plan had been part of the vision for the town for a long time and would come to fruition this year with the reconnection of the High Street as a trial in June. This would provide economic and environmental benefits for the town. There was much work to be done and any consequences arising from this would have to be managed and would take a high profile in the next plan.

The corporate plan also incorporated elements of the MTFS and highlighted a number of investment opportunities.

The following points were raised by Members and responses given :

• Boots Corner-the Cabinet Member Development and Safety stated that this represented 8 years of work and had been welcomed by businesses in the town and facilitated by a government grant of £6 million. Phases 1-3 of the Cheltenham Transport Plan were complete and had satisfied the predictions of the County Council’s traffic modelling. There was no reason to believe that phase 4, i.e. the closure of Boots Corner would not be successful. If it did then remedial action would be taken and changes introduced accordingly. On a point of personal explanation the Member explained that large pedestrian spaces were not always beneficial to those with visual impairments and the Leader agreed that various groups needed to be involved to ensure the area was accessible for all.
• It was requested that there be a more joined up approach between the  Mayor’s role as an ambassador for Cheltenham and the BID and Marketing Cheltenham. The Leader explained that Marketing Cheltenham was relatively new and one of its early tasks was to coordinate a list of events as they were currently not easy to access.
• Town centre CCTV-The Cabinet Member Development and Safety confirmed that CCTV would be undergoing a £260k upgrade and was currently in the procurement process; there had been a delay due to discussions with the Police regarding their requirements. He was pleased to confirm that CCTV on the Honeybourne Line was up and running.
• A Member remarked that there was unwillingness by the County Council to accept the need for a coherent strategy for parking in the town and residents parking schemes were being introduced on an ad-hoc basis and displacing parking problems to other areas of the town. He hoped that more could be done to encourage the County to work more closely with the borough. The Leader acknowledged the long standing difficulties with parking and explained that it had been suggested to the County Council that the Parking board be reinstated. Parking was crucial to the effective running of the town and there should be dialogue.

RESOLVED (unanimously) THAT

The interim corporate strategy action plan for 2018-19 (appendix 2) be approved and that this be used as a basis for monitoring the Council’s performance.

Authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make subsequent changes to the interim corporate strategy action plan as a result of this Council meeting.