Issue - meetings

Executive Summary

This report and accompanying appendix present the 2023 – 2027 Corporate Plan Annual Action Plan for the period April 2026 – March 2027 to Cabinet for approval.

Options considered

The actions detailed in the Annual Action Plan have been developed in support of the five themes in the adopted Corporate Plan recognising the increasing pressure on the Council’s budget, the moves towards establishing a Combined Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk and Local Government Reorganisation which will change the context in which the District Council operates and works over the next two years, alongside continuing with Business As Usual maintaining service delivery for the district’s residents until any proposals for new unitary councils in Norfolk are agreed and put in place.

The actions proposed seek to balance the capacity of the organisation to deliver, taking into account the staff and financial resources available to the Council, the increased resource and focus required in supporting the transition of services into any new unitary council(s) and the potential to access external funding or partnership resources, with the aspirations laid out in the Corporate Plan.

In this respect it is recognised that as the process of local government reorganisation moves forward beyond the Government announcing its preferred option for new councils in Norfolk in the next two or three months there will be increasingly less scope for the Council to deliver against the actions proposed in the 2023 – 2027 Corporate Plan as focus and resource needs to shift to establishing the new unitary authority/ies.

Consultation(s)

The development of the 2026/27 Annual Action Plan has therefore been later than in previous years. This has been due to the LGR process and the lateness of the Government publishing the 2026/27 local government financial settlement impacting on the setting of the Council’s 2026/27 budget.

The 2026/27 Annual Action Plan has involved internal processes of consultation and engagement with regards to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and preparation of the 2026/27 budget, which was approved by Full Council at its meeting of the 18^th February 2026,after discussion by Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny processes.

Recommendations

That the Cabinet approves the Corporate Plan Annual Action Plan for 2026/27.

Reasons for recommendations

Sound management of the authority’s staff, property and financial resources to deliver projects and initiatives which support improved service delivery and positive outcomes aligned to the previously agreed Corporate Plan themes and seeks to position North Norfolk’s residents, communities and businesses strongly in the context of proposals to establish a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority and the process of local government reorganisation in Norfolk which will see the establishment of new unitary council(s) in Norfolk in March 2028.

Background papers

2023 – 2027 Corporate Plan

Wards affected

All

Cabinet member(s)

Cllr Tim Adams, Leader of the Council

Contact Officer

Steve Blatch, Chief Executive

Email:-steve.blatch@north-norfolk.gov.ukTel:- 01263 516232