Issue - meetings

Report No:   CAB/SE/17/070

Portfolio Holder: John Griffiths        Lead Officer: Davina Howes

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (19 December 2017)

That the draft West Suffolk Strategic Framework 2018-2020, as contained in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/SE/17/070, be adopted.

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/17/070, which sought approval for the draft West Suffolk Strategic Framework 2018-2020 to be adopted by Council.

The most recent strategic plan for West Suffolk covered the period 2014-2016.  It had previously been agreed to extend the vision and priorities in that plan until the outcome of the devolution process in Norfolk and Suffolk was clear.  It was now considered timely for a new strategic framework document to be developed and adopted, especially given that both St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) and Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) had now agreed to proceed with proposals for creating a single council for West Suffolk. 

Councillor Griffiths, Leader of the Council, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including that work had been undertaken by FHDC and SEBC Portfolio Holders since summer 2017 on the revised Strategic Framework for 2018-2020 and had been presented to both FHDC and SEBC Overview and Scrutiny Committees for their suggestions and comments, which had contributed towards its development, as detailed in the report.

In summary, the draft document, which was attached as Appendix A to the report, contained the proposed:

(a)     West Suffolk councils’ vision: Supporting and investing in our west Suffolk communities and businesses to encourage and manage ambitious growth in prosperity and quality of life for all;

(b)     Strategic priorities:

·         Growth in West Suffolk’s economy for the benefit of all our residents and UK plc.

·         Resilient families and communities that are healthy and active.

·         Increased and improved provision of appropriate housing in West Suffolk in both our towns and rural areas.

(c)     Projects and actions to support the priorities: projects and actions already underway as well as those that had been agreed but not yet started; and

(d)     Ways of working: how the West Suffolk councils would work together in taking forward and delivering the ambitious set of projects and activities, in order to support improvements in the quality of life in West Suffolk.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

That the draft West Suffolk Strategic Framework 2018-2020, as contained in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/SE/17/070, be adopted.