Agenda item

Report No: OAS/SE/17/026

[Councillor Clive Springett arrived at 4.11pm during the consideration and subsequent voting on this item].

The Leader of the Council, Councillor John Griffiths presented Report No: OAS/SE/17/026, which sought input into the development of the draft West Suffolk Strategic Framework 2018-2020.  The strategic framework represented a revision of the existing West Suffolk Strategic Plan 2014-2016.

The report summarised the work which had been carried out to date on the development of a draft West Suffolk strategic framework and sought the Committee's views on the draft document attached at Appendix B to the report.  Work undertaken to date had involved the formulation of a draft vision and strategic priorities, based on a review of West Suffolk’s existing priorities, and set against a background of evidence about West Suffolk and the issues be faced.  The three priorities that emerged from the work continued to be growth; resilient families and communities; and housing.  Each of the three strategic priorities was supported by a draft set of projects and actions.

Attached at Appendix A, was diagram showing how St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Forest Heath District Council were contributing to outcomes in West Suffolk alongside others, including residents, families and communities, businesses, the voluntary sector and other public sector partners, including Suffolk County Council and town and parish councils.

The draft West Suffolk Strategic Framework would be considered by both councils’ Cabinets and Councils in December 2017.  The document would be proof-ready, formatted and designed, including the addition of photographs in advance of being published. 

A communications plan for the final stages of the process was also being finalised to ensure all Members, staff and partners were updated on how the final plan had developed.

The Leader of the Council wished to thank officers for their work in developing the attached document.

The Committee considered the report in detail and asked questions to which responses were provided.  Discussions were held on the infographics to be included at a later date and how the aspirations in the Strategic Framework would be evaluated. 

In particular, responses were provided in relation to the following questions raised:

-      Epicentre, Haverhill: Reference to the Epicentre should be kept in the document to demonstrate the council’s continuing commitment.  The Assistant Director (Growth) was progressing this with the developer as well as the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).  The LEP  was also pushing for better transport links for Haverhill.  

-      Single Council: The aim of the framework document was to set out the councils priorities for the final year of two separate councils and to set the direction in the first year of a new single council.  Decisions on what would happen after May 2019 would be for the new administration, whether or not that was a single council, but it was good practice to set the strategic direction beyond the end of the current administration to allow time for new priorities and plans to be developed.

-      Homelessness in Bury:  The Council was doing a lot of work behind the scenes to tackle homelessness.  West Suffolk was no different to what was happening nationally.  The Council had invested £230,000.  With this money the council had:

·         Increased the number of staff in the advice and prevention team, with the focus on prevention;

·         Created a new post “Welfare Benefit Officer” to help people to  budget, to increase the income and minimise outgoings, arrange payment plans and stop evictions;

·         Added an Income Recovery Officer to support people who might need short-term support to help them retain a home or move somewhere suitable.

This year the Council had prevented 360 families and individuals from becoming homeless by helping them keep their home or find alternative accommodation. 

-      Plans/Strategies:  There were a number of detailed plans being scoped and would be appraised individually through business cases.  Once the Strategic Framework 2018-2020 was approved, Strategies would then be developed during 2018, for example, for Growth and for Homelessness.  

Comments were made on the following areas of the draft West Suffolk Strategic Framework document:

(1)        Page 10: Point 3, reference to RAF Mildenhall closing – suggest some form of rewording along the lines of “if and when closed”

(2)        Page 11: Point 4, Infrastructure Provision- suggest rewording to include support for a rail link between Haverhill and Cambridge and reference to the A1307 to read “A1307 corridor”.

(3)        Page 15: Rural areas - suggest strengthening the wording on how that council was going to increase and improve provision of appropriate housing in West Suffolk in rural areas.

(4)        Page 16: Point 8, reference to Houses in Multiple Occupation – suggest including reference to the role of the voluntary sector.

It was then proposed by Councillor Frank Warby, seconded by Councillor Paula Fox and with the vote being unanimous, it was

RECOMMENDED:

That subject to the approval of Cabinet and Council the Draft West Suffolk Strategic Framework 2018-2020, attached as Appendix B to Report No: OAS/SE/17/026, be adopted, inclusive of comments made during the meeting.