Decision details

Decision details

Watford Borough Council's reviewed vision, priorities and values and the Corporate Plan 2016-2020

Decision Maker: Cabinet, Council

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

Cabinet received a report of the Managing Director regarding the council’s corporate vision, priorities and values following a review as part of an annual review of the council’s corporate planning framework.  Following an earlier report to Cabinet in March 2016 this report presented the final recommendations on the new corporate planning framework and the council’s draft corporate plan for 2016-2020.

 

The Mayor introduced the report and reminded Cabinet that it had to go to Council for approval in July.  As the town was changing rapidly, it was important to change the council’s priorities and make necessary structure changes to achieve the new priorities. 

The local government landscape was also changing and Watford Borough Council needed to be ahead, particularly as the government grant would end after 2018/19.

 

The Managing Director explained that the existing corporate plan had been in place since 2012 and all organisations needed to review progress and priorities regularly.  The way that the town was changing and the demands on the council’s services along with the council’s ambitions justified a review of priorities.  

 

The new vision for the Council: to create a bold and progressive future for Watford was about ambition and taking measured risks and working with partners to deliver in a bold and progressive way. 

 

The Managing Director took Cabinet through the new council priorities:

          Identify ways to manage the borough’s housing needs

Housing was set as a top priority due to the huge pressure and demand, the scale of temporary accommodation the council had to provide support for and the high costs of housing in the borough. 

 

          Champion smart growth and economic prosperity

Maintaining the journey to prosperity, forecasts for Gross Value Added increases from the Metropolitan Line Extension were showing an £8bn investment into the town.  Growth should be smart; adjacent to transport links and with development on predominantly brownfield land. 

 

          Provide for our vulnerable and disadvantaged communities

Ensuring that growth in the town was to the benefit of all residents.

 

          Deliver a digital Watford to empower our community

To transform how the council engages with residents in terms of technology and digitalisation. 

 

          Secure our own financial future

To ensure the council would be financially sustainable as the government   withdraws grant.  The council would be dependent upon business rates, recycling property assets and investment from major projects.

 

The Mayor commented that there would be hard decisions to come and there would be changes such as the joint venture housing company with Watford Community Housing Trust.

 

Councillor Bell welcomed housing being one of the main priorities. 

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That Cabinet:

 

1.        approves the final recommendations for the council’s new vision, values and priorities and to note that these form the basis for the council’s corporate planning framework including the corporate plan, service plans and individual work objectives.

 

2.        notes the draft corporate plan 2016-20 and recommends it to Council.

 

3.        notes that the new corporate planning framework will be supported by communications and engagement with staff to ensure ownership and understanding.

 

Report author: Manny Lewis

Publication date: 15/06/2016

Date of decision: 06/06/2016

Decided at meeting: 06/06/2016 - Cabinet

Accompanying Documents:

 

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