Agenda item

Executive Summary

This report and accompanying appendix present the 2023 – 2027 Corporate Plan Action Plan for the period April 2025 – March 2026 to Cabinet for approval.

Options considered

The actions detailed in the 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 under the Government’s English Devolution programme and proposed Local Government Reorganisation which will change the context in which the District Council operates and works over the next three 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.

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 need to focus on 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 there is some degree of choice and prioritisation as to the actions proposed for delivery in the period April 2025 – March 2026, although perhaps less compared to previous years given the need to create capacity to respond to and engage with the process of local government reorganisation across the County

Consultation(s)

The development of the 2025/26 Action Plan has been somewhat later than in previous years when the Annual Action Plan has been agreed in the autumn.  This has been due to uncertainties around the 2025/26 local government financial settlement impacting on the setting of the Council’s 2025/26 budget, new policy announcements being made by Government during the autumn following the July General Election, and the publication of the English Devolution White Paper which raises the prospect of significant public service reform through proposals for devolution and local government reorganisation.

The 2025/26 Annual Action Plan has been developed against this background but has involved processes of consultation and engagement in terms of development of a strengthened Medium-Term Financial Strategy and preparation of the 2025/26 budget, which has been taken through Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny processes before adoption at the 19^th February 2025 meeting of Full Council.

Recommendations

That the Cabinet approves the Corporate Plan Annual Action Plan for 2025/26.

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 any proposals to establish a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority through the English Devolution proposals and any related programme of local government reorganisation in Norfolk which seeks to replace the existing two-tier County and District structure of local government with unitary councils.

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.uk

Tel:- 01263 516232