The Chief Executive presented a report, the purpose of which was to provide an update on the Council’s Corporate Plan and seek approval from Council for the Corporate Plan 2023-28, attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

The Chief Executive explained that there was a statutory requirement to develop and publish a Corporate Plan and it was probably one of the most important documents that they would consider and deliberate on, as it set out the direction of travel for the organisation and the priorities of the Council over the next five years. It had to align with the Medium Term Financial Strategy. He acknowledged the huge amount of work from the Corporate Policy and Public Affairs Manager and her team, including engagement and consultation, the detail of which was set out in the report and in the appendix. He added that it would potentially change before it was published in terms of infographics and format. He referred to the new well-being objectives and new ways of working that had been expanded compared to previous versions. The document focused on those things that had the most impact on the well-being of local residents. Efforts had been made to present the Corporate Plan in a way that was easier to understand in plain English and it was therefore more accessible. He added that an annual action plan would accompany the main Corporate Plan and all the detailed PIs, milestones and the smart elements would be included in the annual action plan.

The Chief Executive outlined the salient elements in the report including the alignment between the Corporate Plan and the MTFS and the explicit links between the Council’s well-being objectives and the resources that needed to be directed to support them. He explained that the Corporate Plan was the Council's main vehicle for demonstrating and communicating the priorities to local people and businesses and a really important document for regulators such as Audit Wales. He referred to engagement, and in particular, with the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee and thanked the committee for their input and feedback. In terms of the feedback given, they had taken on board the suggestion to show the cost of Council services per day via infographics which was a much more meaningful way.

The Chief Executive explained the benefits of an annual action including the greater flexibility and allowing for additional and ongoing engagement including with young people. The Equalities Impact Assessment was set out in full as Appendix 2 to the report.

The Chief Executive added that a Delivery Plan would be presented to the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with the aim of monitoring and measuring the outcomes and objectives of the Corporate Plan’s Action Plan.

The Leader, the Cabinet Member for Future Generations, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the Cabinet Member for Communities thanked the Corporate Policy and Public Affairs Manager and her team for their work on the plan and welcomed the level of engagement across the Chamber resulting in changes to the plan. They were encouraged to see the level of engagement with young people and partners. The Corporate Plan was an easy document to read and follow and showed how that authority provided value for money.

A Member commented that the infographics worked well and asked how the ageing population and those without computers would be able to view the document.

The Chief Executive replied that in terms of the delivery of the plan, he envisaged different versions and ways of accessing the plan such as large print versions etc. They had recognised this issue and would consider further the best way to ensure the document was accessible.

A Member referred to comments and criticisms that there should be more focus on Bridgend Town Centre and tourism and asked for assurances going forward that there would be a lot more emphasis on both this and Porthcawl.

The Chief Executive replied that there was a specific well-being objective which talked about thriving towns and there was a focus on striking a balance. The Leader added that they all shared that ambition for all the towns within the borough. The Cabinet member for Regeneration referred to the new college campus in the town centre which would be the biggest single investment they had ever seen in Bridgend Town Centre and would help in terms of the vibrancy of the town and would deliver a state-of-the-art higher education campus for students in the County Borough.

RESOLVED:       That Council approved the Corporate Plan 2023-28 attached as Appendix 1 to the report.