Agenda item

To consider the statement of the Leader of the Council setting out the Council’s report and programme for the current municipal year.

Councillor R H Siddall, Leader of the council (the Leader) made a statement (attached at APPENDIX 1 to these Minutes) setting out the Council’s report and programme for the remainder of the municipal year. The statement referred to a number of areas, including:

·                How the Council needed to continue to engage with and support its residents and businesses in a direct and visible way. Focusing on those partners that were the most in need.

·                The need for the Council to raise with Central Government the additional powers required to enable District Council to fully realise their potential and deliver outstanding outcomes for residents.

·                The changes that the Council had made over the last year including work with the Local Government Association and more recently the planned appointment of a new Chief Executive.

·                The Council continued to distribute funding through its Rural England Prosperity Fund and deliver all UK Shared Prosperity funded projects to provide direct benefit to community groups and local businesses.

·                The significant improvement in the Council’s financial sustainability over the last year, including how the Council had set a balanced budget and was projecting healthy levels of reserves in future years.

·                The Council needed to continue to look outwards and build on its strategic partnerships.

·                The Leader thanked Councillor Stamp for asking a question to Essex County Council around the District’s deficit on infrastructure which enabled the creation of a Maldon Board.

·                The ‘Beat the Street programme’ had seen over 5,000 residents taking part, achieving a total of 38.650 miles.

The Leader thanked Members and Officers of the Council for the continued hard work and dedication they had put into the delivery of the Council’s public services over the last year. He was keen that the Council continued to build on the positive steps taken to allow the Maldon District to grow and prosper and hoped Members would share his vision for this.

The Chairman advised that there were currently three Leaders of the Opposition and in accordance with Procedure Rule 1(12) he would allow them each five minutes to respond to the statement made by the Leader of the Council.

Councillor S J N Morgan, Leader of the Conservative Group, referred to the cross-party cooperation that had taken place during the last year and how the Conservative Group would continue to play its part, being team players. He referred to the new Central Government and some of the potential changes that might be seen as a result of the change. The Conservative Group was united and looking forward with confidence to greater prosperity.

Councillor J Driver, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, agreed with the Leader that there had been positive change to the way that the Council functioned which had been endorsed in a review by the Local Government Association. He referred to how the Council and Members had worked together to achieve a balanced budget and he looked forward to this continuing. He raised concern regarding the deliverability of the corporate plan and was pleased that the Council was starting a prioritisation process for the plan. Councillor Driver referred to the change in Government and the need to lobby for improvements such as local health provision. The Liberal Democrat Group had worked together with the other Groups, and he believed this had been positive for the continueCouncil and hoped it would continue.[1]

Councillor J C Stilts, Leader of the Maldon District Support Group, acknowledged the Leaders’ reference to the hard work of Members in working together for the good of the Maldon District. She advised her Group welcomed the changes being brought forward with the new structure and management of the Council. The Group was pleased that the Leader was making a case to the new Government for a fair funding settlement and flexibility for health services. She hoped the Leader would also address the increase to the housing waiting list and the number of people in emergency accommodation. Councillor Stilts also referred to the Council working closer with businesses in the District, increasing tourism and valuing assets across the whole of the District. Congratulating those officers involved in ‘Beat the Street’ and the District’s walking festival, she advised that her Group was looking forward to the year ahead and making improvements.

In response, the Leader of the Council advised that he agreed with all the comments raised and highlighted the opportunity the Council now had in terms of having input into the Corporate Plan. It was important to ensure that for this and future years the corporate plan and finances worked together to ensure it was realistic and affordable. The Leader looked forward to working with Members and Officers over the coming year.