This report sets out a proposed new Council Plan 2025-28, for recommendation to Council.

The Committee considered a report setting a proposed new Council Plan 2025-28 for recommendation to Council.  Attached to the report at Appendix 1 was the Draft Council Plan 2025-28 and at Appendix 2 a summary of the results of community engagement on the draft Council Plan.

The report explained that the draft Council Plan was structured around a vision, five high-level priorities, objectives (specific outcomes to be delivered for each priority), projects (activities being undertaken over the next three years to deliver the objectives) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which would show the progress made in delivering the objectives and how well day-to-day services were performing.  Each KPI had an associated target and performance against these would be reported quarterly to Policy Committee.

The report highlighted some of the key deliverables in the Council Plan including the delivery of over 300 new council homes through the Local Authority New Build programme, completing the new Central Library and Civic Reception, investments to reduce the Council’s carbon emissions in its buildings, fleet, and operations, delivering three new children’s homes and four new adult social care facilities in Reading and completing the £8 million programme to improve roads and pavements.  It was noted that the Council Plan provided the framework for prioritisation of resources and was used to inform Service Planning and the performance objectives for staff.

The Committee were asked to recommend the draft Council Plan to the full Council meeting on 25 March 2025.

Recommended –

            That Council, at its meeting on 25 March 2025, adopt the Council Plan 2025-28 as attached to the report at Appendix 1.