Agenda item

The Executive Member for Finance and Support Services submitted a report that presented a draft of the Council’s service plans which outlined priorities for the next year (2017/18) and going forward, those key outcomes it looked to achieve.  The Corporate Policy Officer provided a summary of the report, drawing Members’ attention to its new format .  He stated that strategic actions would be reported to scrutiny at quarters 2 and 4 in the financial year.  The Corporate Policy Officer explained that Key Actions 29, 35, 38, 146 and 147 had been deleted and that KA 24 had been changed.

Members were provided with clarification on the following Key Actions and asked that their comments detailed below be referred to the Executive:

·               5 – (Outcome: support for vulnerable families and individuals): Whether this aimed high enough in terms of its agenda and whether the Council was being sufficiently ambitious in terms of working with its partners to enlarge its scope;

·               4 - (With partner agencies; review and monitor the air quality action plan): That the Council’s report should be  published online and made available to the public;

·               13 – (Hertford Theatre, develop business models for expansion): The fact that there were five towns within the District and within those towns, only two theatres received all of the arts and leisure monies and the need to be equitable:

·               19 – (Work with local community groups to develop community energy schemes): Ensure that the Council was working with independent groups to generate interest including with schools and Hertford energy;

·               24 – (Work with Ware Society to take on full ownership of the Grotto):  Whether the society was sufficiently confident to take on full ownership;

·               32 – (Review of Licensing policies and procedures):  That Licensing Committee should be involved in the review process;

·               44 – (Appropriate control in relation to unauthorised development in the District) with regard to customer service targets: Whether these targets reflected an improvement following their last consideration or whether these were aspirational ;

·               50 – (Working with owners to return long term empty properties back into use): That the deadline needed to be achievable and that there should be more publicity disseminated to show what the Council was doing on this issue.  Additionally, concerns were expressed that the figure of 27 (empty properties) was low, the lack of focus in addressing poor landlords and living in sub-standard conditions.  The Chairman suggested that Members had a role to play in this in reporting such properties;

·               57 – (Strengthen networks with local businesses); 59 - Liaise with LEP (Growth Hub to ensure East Herts Businesses Benefit) and 60 – (Ensure successful delivery of the Rural Development Programme) – Whether the priorities in these collective Key Actions addressed the values the challenges in East Herts;

·               61 – (Support Visit Herts with delivery of a destination management programme):  The deadline of March 2018 and the need to ensure liaison with Bishop’s Stortford’s town plan;

·               66 – (Optimisation of on-street parking for all user groups within existing Resident Permit Zones):  Whether the deadline date could be bought forward given the impact this would have in terms of displacing 300 cars; the need for more action regarding schemes in Bishop’s Stortford and the issue of commuter “misery”; 

·               124 – (Continue engagement with local schools):  The need to continue to encourage good dietary health to address obesity.

Members supported the recommendations now detailed and that their comments detailed above, be referred to the Executive.

RESOLVED – that (A) the report be received;

(B)   the comments made by the joint meeting as now detailed, be referred to the Executive for consideration; and

(C)   the Executive be advised that the joint meeting of Scrutiny Committees supports the approval of the draft 2017/18 Service Plans as detailed in Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ of the report submitted.