Agenda item

To receive and consider the report of the Director (Policy and Governance).

The Executive Member (Resources), Councillor Peter Wilson presented the report of the Director (Policy and Governance) seeking approval for the refresh of the Corporate Strategy 2019/20 – 2021/22.

The Corporate Strategy for 2018/19 reinforced the council’s direction of travel with an emphasis on housing, delivering better services for residents across the borough and a more commercial approach to support the longer-term sustainability of council services.

The strategy successfully progressed large high-profile projects through to the final stages of delivery or completion including the extension to Market Walk, construction of Strawberry Fields Digital Office Park and the Primrose Gardens Retirement Village.

As well as delivering major new developments, activity in 2018/19 further contributed to the long-term outcomes identified in the Corporate Strategy by improving facilities for local communities. 

For 2019/20-20/21, the Corporate Strategy vision, priorities and long-term outcomes stay the same to maintain the long-term impact of strategic activity and investment.  This year, in recognition of the critical importance of the green agenda, the Corporate Strategy reflects the commitment of the council to supporting and enabling residents to be more environmentally conscious and leading the way as an organisation.  Activity in 2019/20 will ensure that environmental considerations cut across all aspects of council business.

The following projects are included within the Corporate Strategy:

Involving residents in improving their local area and equality of access for all

·         Undertake renovation works at Astley Hall

·         Refresh the council’s website

·         Deliver a programme of community resilience building work

Clean, safe and healthy homes and communities

·         Progress improvements to Tatton recreation ground and surrounding area

·         Improve play and community spaces across the borough

·         Implement the Housing Strategy action plan

A strong local economy

·         Bring forward employment land at Alker Lane

·         Deliver improvements to the town centre

·         Develop the business plan for the wholly owned company

An ambitious council that does more to meet the needs of residents and the local area

·         Deliver shared council services

·         Make our borough cleaner and more attractive including wildflower meadows

·         Work with our partners to deliver sustainable public services

·         Deliver a project to support Chorley Councils commitment to the green agenda

The strategy includes 28 performance indicators that will be measured and reported against in order to demonstrate success and progress towards achieving the priorities and long-term outcomes.  All of the measures and targets have been reviewed and updated to ensure that they remain challenging to reflect council ambition.

Councillor Chris France arrived at 6.50pm. 

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Martin Boardman, expressed a view that the focus for the administration was the Town Centre rather than the villages and expressed concern at the debt incurred by the administration.  He noted following a walk on Market Street, Fazakerly Street and Chapel Street that there were 27 empty retail units.  Opposition Members queried the number of jobs created, if these were full or part time and value for money relating to the investments and borrowing made.  Future provision of sixth form education within the Borough was queried and a lack of spending on rural infrastructure. 

Before taking a decision on these proposals, Members considered alternative proposals put forward by the Conservative Group in the following agenda item.