The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change presented a report seeking Council approval of the Council’s Corporate Plan 2018-2023 reviewed for 2021-22 (attached at Appendix A to the report).

She advised that the Corporate Plan 2018-2023, described the Council’s vision for Bridgend County Borough, its 3 well-being objectives and  organisational values and principles that underpin how BCBC will work in the future, to deliver its priorities. It also represented the contribution to achieving the 7 national well-being goals.

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change, explained that the Corporate Plan had been refreshed for the year 2021-22. This followed a corporate planning process with Corporate Directors / Heads of Service through each Directorate’s departmental management teams. The process was carried out between October 2020 and December 2020 to review progress and streamline the plan, going forward.

As part of work undertaken to develop the Council’s approach to recovery planning from Covid-19, the recommendations of the cross-party Recovery Panel set up with the aim of shaping, informing and advising Cabinet on the Council’s recovery planning have been used to inform the review of the refreshed Corporate Plan for 2021-22.

Also, as part of the annual review, it was also proposed to extend the life span of the current Corporate Plan by one year to 2023. The rationale for this was detailed in paragraph 4.5 of the report.

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change explained that, due to Covid-19, some of the targets set had become redundant, in that the performance indicators and data collected for these were not indicative of a normal year of performance.

She advised that the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the updated Plan on 14 January 2021 and also had made a number of constructive comments and, where feasible, changes had been made to the updated Plan. The Committee would continue to monitor progress against the Plan, added the Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change.

If approved by Council, the updated Plan would then replace the current Corporate Plan. Its delivery would be supported by the MTFS and directorate business plans. It would also be monitored quarterly through the Corporate Performance Assessment process, directorate management team meetings and twice a year by the Corporate Overview and

Scrutiny Committee.

The Cabinet Member – Education and Regeneration felt that targets and performance indicators set last year during Covid had become almost irrelevant, in that the work that the Authority had achieved in this most unprecedented of times would never accurately reflect the challenges BCBC employees had to face and the work they had processed right across the whole of the Authority, from virtually day one of lockdown.

The Leader confirmed that the Corporate Plan did not fully reflect some of the dramatic and far reaching changes that had affected society during the last 12 months. The Authority had achieved a great deal in that time, including supporting the homeless through the provision of temporary accommodation. Work was ongoing with the third sector to help these individuals improve their lives further, through assisting them in securing more permanent accommodation, moving forward. He thanked members of the Council’s Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their constructive engagement which had assisted in the Plan’s development.

The Cabinet Member – Communities commended some of the Plan’s vision and aspirations including the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal which over the next 15 years would create 25,000 jobs and 4 billion private sector investment, including a firm commitment to tourism and business as well as de-carbonisation proposals through a new Strategy.

A Member hoped that as soon as the pandemic started to subside, some of the Plan’s targets would be met, recognising that last year had been a difficult one by which to achieve all its goals and aspirations. He hoped that targets for bringing empty properties back into habitable use would be aspirational moving forward.

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change assured the Members that this would be the case and that targets and challenges not met last year, due to Covid, would continue to be taken forward and where not met, these would be challenged through the Overview and Scrutiny process.  

The Cabinet Member – Wellbeing and Future Generations, added that the targets set for bringing empty properties back into occupation next year and in future years, would be a realistic one as the Authority moved forward out of the pandemic.

RESOLVED:                           That Council approved and adopted the      Corporate Plan 2018-2023, reviewed for

2021-22.