Decision

RESOLVED

That the Executive:

a) Noted the progress that has been made on developing an area-wide vision for North Northamptonshire up to 2050.

b) Acknowledged the positive contribution made towards the development of the vision through the work of the Big50 Steering Group, the Big50 conference and all who took part in it.

c) Endorsed the co-design of a short, medium and longer-term action plan with the Steering Group.

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 work 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 the work carried out to date by all entities involved progresses in a transparent, inclusive and engaging way.

Alternative Options Considered:

i) Continue ‘as is’ without a wider area vision – In practical terms, this would mean continuing to focus on the Council’s own vision and leave 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 would however leave a gap in terms of a cross-cutting, widely adopted vision for the area. Given the clear support for a wider area vision evident at the Big50 conference, failure to pursue the opportunity would represent a suboptimal position