Agenda item - CORPORATE PLAN 2023-2027 - ANNUAL ACTION PLAN 2025/26

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

Decision

RESOLVED

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

Reason for the decision:

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.

The Leader explained that the actions detailed in the Action Plan had 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 would change the context in which the District Council operated and worked over the next three years, alongside continuing with ‘Business As Usual’ and maintaining service delivery for the district’s residents until any proposals for new unitary councils in Norfolk were agreed.

The actions proposed therefore sought 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. He said that it was therefore recognised that there was some degree of choice and prioritisation as to the actions proposed for delivery in the period April 2025 – March 2026.

He set out the key actions that would be focussed on going forward and explained that the number of targets had been reduced and the focus would be on strategic project delivery rather than policy development.

Cllr J Toye, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth, referred to ‘Investing in our Local Economy and Infrastructure’, item 2, and the reference to Stalham and the High Street Task Force. He encouraged all communities to develop a vision, such as a neighbourhood plan, which would help them focus on opportunities and funding and help the Council assist them with their vision for the future.

Cllr A Brown, Portfolio Holder for Planning, said that following on from a question asked at Full Council by the Local Members for Stalham, arrangements had been made to meet with them and progress some of the matters raised.

Cllr L Shires, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Estates and Property Services, referred to Action 5, and proposals to safeguard the Council’s tourism infrastructure assets in the face of local government reorganisation. She encouraged any local communities which had an asset which they wanted to safeguard going forward, to contact the Council. The Chairman agreed, adding that several communities had already been in touch. He acknowledged that it was a real concern, particularly those that were discretionary assets. North Norfolk had a particularly rich tourism related asset portfolio and it was imperative that this was protected for the future.

Cllr L Withington, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, commented on how well engagement with the parish and town councils had been received. She highlighted three forthcoming events focussed on business engagement.

It was proposed by Cllr T Adams, seconded by Cllr W Fredericks and

RESOLVED

To approve the Corporate Plan Annual Action Plan for 2025/26.

Reason for the decision:

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.