Agenda item

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS AS REQUIRED BY LAW

(Papers relied on to write the report, which do not contain exempt information and which are not published elsewhere)

Decision

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet approve the Community Engagement Strategy.

That Cabinet agree the content of the Action Plan.

Reason for the Recommendations:

To clearly support the Customer Focus element of the CorporatePlan andCorporate DeliveryPlan andto set ahigh-level frameworkwhich ensuresthat engagement is undertaken in a consistent and effective manner; to ensure that people feel well informed about local issues, have opportunities to get involved, influence local decision making, shape their area andallow us to continue to improve services theyreceive.

The action plan identifies activities which support the transition of the Strategy into delivery of engagement.

Cllr V Gay, Portfolio Holder for Health & Wellbeing, introduced this item. She referred to the actions table and highlighted the way that the strategy fed through into democratic engagement. Other key measurements included increasing volunteering and work placements and these were all good outcomes for a community engagement strategy.

Cllr L Shires said that the strategy was predominantly customer focussed and it was based on what residents wanted and how they wanted North Norfolk to be. She thanked the Director for Communities for all his hard work in pulling the strategy together.

The Assistant Director for People Services, said that she had pulled together the responses that had been received as part of the consultation process, some of them had been excellent and had suggested different models of engagement which was helpful and would assist with learning and future development around working with partners and delivering the strategy.

Cllr J Rest referred to page 143 and the North Walsham Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) project. He said that there had coverage of the scheme on local radio which indicated that people were not very supportive – which was not implied within the strategy. The Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth, Cllr R Kershaw, replied that a project of this scale would always cause some level of disruption. He said it was unfortunate that the interviewer had not asked for a Council representative to respond. He added that some of the issues experienced by businesses were caused by the wider economic problems and not the HAZ scheme.

Cllr L Shires said that there had been an extensive consultation process for the HAZ scheme and a number of groups had been formed, including the business group, and there had been several public meetings. There was also a stakeholder consultation group which included representatives from across the town. So, although there were a few vocal objectors to the scheme, the level of consultation and engagement should not be dismissed.

The Director for Communities said that the Council needed a consistent approach to community engagement. The strategy was about setting out the Council’s activity along project lines. There would always be differences in opinion but as long as the criteria were clearly set out, members could make informed decisions. He concluded by saying that the action plan was a living and evolving document.

It was proposed by Cllr T Adams, seconded by Cllr L Shires and

RESOLVED

To approve the Community Engagement Strategy.

To agree the content of the Action Plan.

Reason for the Recommendations:

To clearly support the Customer Focus element of the CorporatePlan andCorporate DeliveryPlan andto set ahigh-level frameworkwhich ensuresthat engagement is undertaken in a consistent and effective manner; to ensure that people feel well informed about local issues, have opportunities to get involved, influence local decision making, shape their area and allow us to continue to improve services theyreceive.

The action plan identifies activities which support the transition of the Strategy into delivery of engagement.