Agenda item

ORDERED that Executive:

1.     Approves the refreshed Council Plan which set out how the Council would measure success, following previous agreement of the outcomes in December 2025 by Executive.

2.     approves further minor amendments to the outcomes agreed by executive in December 2025 to create separate outcomes for digital and transport connectivity and minor, non-material changes to sentence structure to enhance readability and did not change the nature of the agreed outcomes.

3.     Approves the cessation of the Council’s transformation programme and transition into a continuous improvement model.

4.     Approves the transition of the customer strategy and the Neighbourhoods model into business-as-usual delivery.

5.     Approves the Council’s engagement in the place leader’s partnership, its membership on that partnership.

6.     Endorses the planned development of a place strategy for the town, to be led by the place leader’s partnership.

The Mayor submitted a report for Executive consideration, the purpose of which was to seek approval of the completed refresh of the council plan. The plan was appended at appendix one of the report.

the Council Plan was the organisation’s overarching medium-term business plan and was typically refreshed annually. This refresh followed a review of performance in the previous year and introduced an outcome-driven approach to demonstrating progress and impact, as agreed by Executive in December 2025.

The Council Plan was part of the council’s policy framework and therefore required approval by full council, as set out in the Constitution. The budget and policy framework procedure rules allowed the Executive to draw up firm proposals for submission to full council where a new plan was proposed. Changes to outcomes could be approved by Executive.

The report proposed no changes to the vision or priorities; it reflected the revised outcomes agreed in December 2025 and updated the measures used to assess impact.

In 2024, the council established a time-limited transformation programme in response to significant financial pressures. The programme was reviewed in 2025 to ensure better alignment with the Council Plan. Its purpose was to stabilise the organisation, deliver agreed savings, improve outcomes for residents and maintain statutory service delivery during a period of financial constraint.

The programme had achieved many of its financial objectives, and the time was now right for the Council to move into the next phase. It was no longer proportionate or sustainable to operate transformation as a standalone initiative. The conditions that required exceptional programme governance had shifted, and improvement capability was now better embedded within day-to-day operations.

It was commented this would not be last report submitted to Executive on this matter. Executive would also be sighted on individual service plans related to the refreshed Council Plan.

It was also commented that specific references to culture would be made in future documents that referred to the Council Plan. It was discussed and, following a vote, was agreed that wording in the document would be amended to reflect how Middlesbrough works together to achieve its aims.

OPTIONS

Members could have chosen to not refresh the activity within the plan or the measures that assessed impact. This was not recommended because the Plan would not then have provided a blueprint against which the organisation could set its supporting plans, strategies and policies against with any confidence that the Plan reflects the priorities and needs of the town’s residents.  

ORDERED that Executive:

1.     Approves the refreshed Council Plan which set out how the Council would measure success, following previous agreement of the outcomes in December 2025 by Executive.

2.     approves further minor amendments to the outcomes agreed by executive in December 2025 to create separate outcomes for digital and transport connectivity and minor, non-material changes to sentence structure to enhance readability and did not change the nature of the agreed outcomes.

3.     Approves the cessation of the Council’s transformation programme and transition into a continuous improvement model.

4.     Approves the transition of the customer strategy and the Neighbourhoods model into business-as-usual delivery.

5.     Approves the Council’s engagement in the place leader’s partnership, its membership on that partnership.

6.     Endorses the planned development of a place strategy for the town, to be led by the place leader’s partnership.

REASONS

Refreshing the Council Plan enabled the Council to continue to plan over the medium term. Updating outcomes and measures of success ensured that the Council Plan reflected current progress against the council’s vision and priorities. Under the local government act 1999, local authorities must legally deliver what was termed ‘best value’ in that a Council must be able to show that it had arrangements to secure continuous improvement in how it carried out its work. The proposals in the report set out how the council is embedding continuous improvement within its strategic planning.