Issue - meetings

Developing Our Approach to Commercialism

Meeting: 27/06/2016 - Cabinet (Item 17)

17 Developing Our Approach to Commercialism pdf icon PDF 208 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Ann McLachlan introduced a report by the Strategic Director – Transformation and Resources, which set out the requirements for a new approach to enable the Council to become a more commercial organisation; it explained the Council’s strategic vision and the principles which would govern the Council’s commercial strategy.

 

The report also outlined key actions required to create the right environment to enable commercial success.

 

Councillor McLachlan reported on a visit Members had made to Warrington and informed that Warrington Borough Council had commercial successes which mitigated its funding gap.  This was very impressive and the Council wanted to set out some core principles before it embarked on a similar journey.

 

Councillor McLachlan made reference to the Wirral Plan and informed that its delivery required the Council to be streamlined.  There would be risks and a risk matrix would be further explored and developed.  There would be a governance model in place to ensure that stewardship and scrutiny were key drivers.  Very soon a report setting out a more detailed approach would be presented to the Cabinet.

 

Councillor Phil Davies informed that this was a very important report that set out a framework in which the Council would try to operate over the next few years.  It was essential that the Council found ways to replace Government funding with other income.  To do this the Council must be more innovative and creative in how it generated income streams.  He could not emphasise enough the cultural change the Council must make.  How the skills of the workforce were targeted to deliver this new agenda was critical to moving the organisation forward.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  the requirement for a commercial approach to support the achievement of the Pledges committed to in the Wirral Plan be acknowledged;

 

(2)  the strategic aim, vision and principles of the overarching commercial strategy as outlined in the report be agreed; and

 

(3)  Officers be authorised to develop plans and report back to the Cabinet at a future date for their approval.