Agenda item

Report attached.

Members considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, presenting a new Corporate Strategy for approval.

Councillor Dad provided a brief introduction to the report and outlined the consultations which had taken place.  He reported that the review process had begun with a discussion at Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January 2025.  Further feedback from Cabinet Members had then informed the rewrite, along with updates from the Council’s Service Managers.  Group leaders of other political groups on the Council had also had the opportunity to put forward any comments and suggestions.

The current Corporate Strategy had been agreed in 2023.  The key factors which had led to the proposed revision included:

• changes in the political administration of the Council, with some shifts in priorities; and
• significant announcements from Government around devolution and local government organisation within Lancashire.

While many of the priorities and actions outlined were a continuation, others were new.  In particular, a fourth priority had been added.  The four priorities and their supporting themes were as follows:

• Sustainable Growth

o    Employment and Business Growth

o    Revitalise our Townships

o    Housing Growth

• Environment and Climate Change

o    Reduce Fuel Poverty

o    Make the Council’s Activities Net Zero by 2030

o    Green Spaces and the Natural Environment

• A Thriving and Cohesive Community

o    Partnership Working

o    Health and Wellbeing

o    Culture, Heritage and Arts

• Embrace the Opportunities of Devolution

o    Local Partnerships and Shared Working

o    Workforce Planning and Organisational Readiness

o    Building a Stronger Place Identity

The strategy formed part of the Council’s Policy Framework as defined in the Constitution and as such needed to be adopted by the Council.

Councillor Zak Khan commented that the 2023 version of the Strategy had been developed under the previous political administration, however, most of its priorities remained relevant.  He was particularly pleased to see that the commitment to Sustainable Growth had been retained, as this reflected long-term thinking.  He also understood the need to include Devolution as a new priority.  He expressed the view that the document should be regularly checked to ensure that relevant actions were taking place.  He was, therefore, happy to support the latest version of the Strategy.

Councillor Sabir Fazal welcomed the priority on a Thriving and Cohesive Community.  Residents were living in a time when people were being set against one another.  The prevailing situation in Hyndburn had always been one of cohesion.  He hoped that inclusion of this as a priority would lead to meaningful action and demonstrate that Britain was not an ‘island of strangers’ (from a quote by the Prime Minister on 12 May 2025).

The Leader thanked Councillors Khan and Fazal for their contributions.  He added that the strategy was a working document and commented that it belonged to the whole Council, not just the controlling political group.  He also provided some examples of actions underway including the following:

• Place Strategy - due to be launched in the autumn 2025;
• Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan - partially completed, but currently paused;
• Dome Project - consultants appointed to develop plans by the end of the year;
• Climate Strategy - due to be launched in October 2025; and
• Digital Transformation Strategy - draft submitted to Corporate Peer Challenge Working Group.

The Leader agreed with Councillor Fazal’s view on cohesion and cited the strong cross-party response to the heightened sensitivities, following the stabbing incident in Southport in July 2024.  Hyndburn had recently received a significant grant sum from the Government to aid community cohesion and the various projects had all now been successfully delivered.  The Council was proactive in addressing its priorities.

Resolved                                 (1)   That Council agrees to adopt the draft Corporate Strategy, as appended to the report.

(2)   That the Executive Director (Legal and Democratic Services), in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be given delegated authority to make revisions to the strategy, as necessary, over its life.