The Chief Executive sought endorsement of the Council’s new Corporate Plan 2016-20 for 2018-22 prior to submission to Council for approval.

He stated that the Corporate Plan which covered 2018-2020 set out the three corporate priorities, which was based on extensive public consultation known as “Shaping Bridgend’s Future”, undertaken in 2015.  He informed Cabinet of the need to build on the current corporate plan and re-affirmed the current three corporate priorities for the forthcoming four years.  The Plan also set out principles which will govern how the Council operates and the aspiration to work as one Council.     

He reported that the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the draft plan and had played an important in the development of the plan.  A series of constructive comments for amendment and inclusion had been made by the scrutiny process, which had been considered and wherever feasible, been incorporated into the draft Plan.  He stated that the Plan will be supported by the Medium Term Financial Strategy, directorate business plans and service plans.  The Plan sets out the Council’s priorities and commitments which would be reviewed annually to take into account changing circumstances and progress made and to ensure that the requirements of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 and the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 are met. 

The Chief Executive reported on the results of the consultation which had been carried out and that 15 engagement events were held across the County Borough.  He stated that the results showed strong agreement with the three priorities.  Another “Shaping Bridgend’s Future” consultation was undertaken in 2017, which reaffirmed the findings of 2015.  Major consultation exercises were carried out by the Council and its partners in 2017, on the Wellbeing Assessment and Population Assessment which found that the Council’s priorities reflect citizens’ priorities and therefore the right ones for the Council to focus on in the next four years. 

The Chief Executive informed Cabinet of the Council’s duty to set wellbeing and improvement objectives.  Once approved, the three corporate priorities  would be the Council’s wellbeing objectives under the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and improvement objectives under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009.  He stated that the Well-being Statement, required by the Act, is embedded into the plan and the commitments are the steps the Council will take to deliver the integrated improvement and wellbeing objectives.  He informed Cabinet that the plan also sets out how these objectives make a contribution to the seven national wellbeing goals.    

The Leader commented that the Overview and Scrutiny process had been very thorough in its scrutiny of the Corporate Plan and most of the suggestions had been incorporated into the Plan.  He stated that two consultation exercises had been carried out on the Plan and on both occasions the members of the public which had responded were overwhelmingly in support of the Council’s priorities.                 

The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations was pleased to see that the new indicators in the Corporate Plan reflected more accurately the aims of the Council, than the previous Corporate Plan.   

The Leader referred to the aim in the Corporate Plan to create successful town centres and informed Cabinet there were no cameras to measure the number of visitors to Pencoed town centre.  He also stated that comments had been received that the Corporate Plan is too short, but he explained that the Council runs in excess of 750 different services and felt that the Plan had the right balance. 

RESOLVED:           That Cabinet endorsed the new Corporate Plan 2018-22 and recommended it to Council for approval on 28 February 2018.