No declarations of interest were received.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 29 June 2015 be confirmed as a correct record.

Councillor Phil Davies introduced a report by the Chief Executive.  Appended to the report was the Wirral Council Plan: A 2020 Vision for the Cabinet’s consideration and approval.  It was also proposed to refer the Plan to the meeting of the Council scheduled for 13 July 2015 for its consideration and ultimate approval.

The Council Plan articulated the ambition for Wirral and for the Council as an organisation.  It identified the priority areas and outcomes for people and place and outlined the delivery approach.

The Council Plan was the key policy document of the Council and articulated the ambition for the organisation and the borough.

The Plan set out the Council’s ambition related to following three priorities:

·  Wirral was a place where the vulnerable were safe and protected, every child got a good start in life and older residents were respected and valued;

·  Wirral was a place where employers wanted to invest and businesses thrived;

·  Wirral had an attractive and sustainable environment, where good health and an excellent quality of life was enjoyed by everyone who lived there. 

Underpinning the three priorities were twenty outcomes designed to be delivered by 2020.

The new Plan outlined how the Council would organise itself in order to deliver the stated ambitions.  It would provide Member led leadership to communities, design services with residents, work closely with partners and influence regionally, nationally and internationally.  The Council would need to organise itself appropriately to deliver the plan and drive further improvements to deliver the best outcomes for Wirral. 

Delivery of the priorities and outcomes described in the Council Plan would be underpinned through the development and implementation of a business plan and strategies.  Progress against the identified outcomes would be regularly reported and published.

In presenting the Wirral Plan to the Cabinet Councillor Phil Davies reported that the Council had come a long way over the last three years: It had inherited a £17m overspend and had been on the verge of intervention by Central Government.

In March 2015, following a period of intense partnership work with the Local Government Association (LGA) via a joint Improvement Board, the Council had been recognised as the Local Government Chronicle’s ‘Most Improved Council’.

The Council’s improvement had been hailed as the fastest turnaround of any Council in the country.  It had been championed by the LGA and was recognised as an example of best practice.  Councillor Phil Davies informed that the Council’s aim now was to move from normal to outstanding.

As a result the May Local Government Elections, the Council’s Administration now had a clear mandate from the people of Wirral of their vision for Wirral.

As a progressive Administration, with social justice and economic prosperity as part of its core values, it considered that the time was now right to set out a long term (five years) Plan.

Councillor Phil Davies set out the content of the Wirral Council Plan.  The Plan contained a long term vision for Wirral.  The Council wanted Wirral to be a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.