Decision details

That the Executive:

a)      Noted and commented on the work undertaken to date on the development of the North Northamptonshire Vision (attached as Appendix A)

b)      Agreed that the Leader and Chief Executive lead on the development of the Big 50 Conference, to be held late Spring 2023.

c)      Noted that the outcomes of the Conference and the final vision document will be further considered by the Executive along with a proposed commitment to deliver the Council’s role within the action plan.

Reason for Recommendations – Local councils are ideally placed to act as place shapers and enablers of change in their area.  North Northamptonshire Council, in its Corporate Plan adopted in December 2021, made a clear commitment to working in partnership with a wide range of organisations from public, private and voluntary sectors to help improve the quality of life in North Northamptonshire.  The work on setting out a broader, longer-term vision for North Northamptonshire represents the next natural step in the achievement of this aim.  A shared vision for the future of North Northamptonshire will help focus the efforts of organisations working locally on achieving a common set of priorities and goals for the area. The recommendations ensure that progress to date on setting out a wider vision is understood and that the future activities required to manage a transparent, inclusive and engaging process are in place.

Alternative Options Considered:

i)        Continue ‘as is’. In practical terms, this would mean continuing to focus on the Council’s own vision and leaving partner agencies to focus on theirs.  There is nothing wrong with this approach.  Indeed, there is already a lot of activity focused on aligning approaches and target outcomes which are embedded in the current ways of working. It does however still leave a gap in terms of a common and widely accepted vision for the area that cuts across all sectors and partners.

ii)      Develop a future vision without facilitating wider partner engagement this is not considered a viable option.  For the future vision to be effective, it needs to be jointly developed and jointly owned. In writing a future vision in isolation the Council would do little to engage partners and encourage ownership and would not be utilising its unique position as an enabler and shaper of future place.