Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk

The Sub-Committee received a Report of the Town Clerk concerning Corporate and Business Planning.

Highlighting paragraph 8, Members requested that the Sub-Committee still be kept informed about relevant outputs from the Chief Officer Peer Review Sessions.

Members expressed the view that the High-Level business plans were too often a “fait accompli” and a tick box exercise. These plans were the only opportunity to shape the agenda for the following year, so needed more engagement, than simply being nodded through. The City Surveyor suggested that a useful way to increase Member engagement was via strategy away days for spend committees and relevant officers; this was something that the Property Investment Board were exploring in the autumn. The Chairman thought this a good idea and suggested that it would be helpful, in general, to hold these discussions outside of the routine Committee meetings and that more engagement at each stage (e.g. start of the year, quarterly progresses, end of year outturn) of the planning process.

RESOLVED – that the Sub-Committee noted the Report.