Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council.

(a)           Cabinet agrees to the content and publication of the proposed Productivity Plan prior to 19 July 2024.

(b)           That authority be delegated to the Leader of Council in consultation with the Chief Executive, the ability to amend the Productivity report, in order to comply with any revised guidance that the new government may produce, before the report is due for submission on 19 July 2024.

Any amendments would be circulated to all members of council for information, and these would be reported at the next available opportunity.

Reason for the decision

All local authorities were required to ensure their own Productivity Plan had member oversight and endorsement, following which the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities had requested that each local authority returned their own plan to the DLUHC by 19 July 2024.

The Leader of the Council presented the report and advised that in a written ministerial statement following the local government finance settlement for 2024/25, the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) set out the requirements for local authorities to develop and share a Productivity Plan.

Subsequently, the Council received a letter from the Minister of Local Government (at the time) on expected content of the Plan. The submission date was not until the 19 July 2024 and given that there had now been a change in government and additional changes to DLUHC, the status of the plan may change. However, at present, councils were required to submit a Productivity Plan and members were asked to approve the report recommendation including an additional recommendation put by the Chair.

It was proposed by Cllr R Holloway and seconded by Cllr S Clifford

Decision

(a)           Cabinet agrees to the content and publication of the proposed Productivity Plan prior to 19 July 2024.

(b)           That authority be delegated to the Leader of Council in consultation with the Chief Executive, the ability to amend the Productivity report, in order to comply with any revised guidance that the new government may produce, before the report is due for submission on 19 July 2024.

Any amendments would be circulated to all members of council for information, and these would be reported at the next available opportunity.

Reason for the decision

All local authorities were required to ensure their own Productivity Plan had member oversight and endorsement, following which the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities had requested that each local authority returned their own plan to the DLUHC by 19 July 2024.