Purpose of Report

To agree the membership of the Authority’s Planning Working Group 2020.

Executive Summary

The Authority’s planning processes will need to commence early in 2020 to allow enough time for the Authority to draft, consult on and approve its 2021/22 plan for publication in early 2021.

This paper seeks the Authority’s decision as regards the membership of a working group to undertake the detailed work of drafting the plan for approval by the full Authority.

Recommendations

Members are asked to:

• agree that the full membership of the Authority’s Executive Panel becomes the membership of the Planning Working Group;
• consider whether to continue to include the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Audit Committee on the Planning Working Group; and
• note the dates of meetings, to be held at Headquarters, as follows:
• 20 January, 2pm
• 2 March, 2pm
• 30 March, 10am.

Observations From The Executive Panel/Audit Committee

This report has not previously been considered by Members.

Background

The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 and the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 require Welsh Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) to set themselves objectives and to involve stakeholders in that process.

The FRAs (Improvement Plans) (Wales) Order 2012 requires those authorities to publish their agreed improvement objectives as soon as reasonably practicable after the 31 December prior to the financial year to which they relate.  

Similarly, the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 requires those authorities to explain publicly the steps that they propose to take in the forthcoming financial year towards meeting their long term well-being objectives.

Since 2003 the Authority has nominated members to sit on working groups to develop plans in accordance with the planning requirements in existence at the time, and this has become an integral part of the budget setting and planning process for the Authority.

Information

The Planning Working Group undertakes detailed work associated with the Authority’s planning and budget-setting process through a series of meetings. As the Working Group is not a formally constituted committee, these meetings are not open to the public.  

The Planning Working Group submits its observations to the Executive Panel which in turn makes recommendations for improvement and well-being objectives to the full FRA.

In the past there have been various configurations of membership on the working group. Due to the importance of the budget and planning process Members may consider it prudent to again invite all members of the Executive Panel to be members of the Planning Working Group. In December 2018, Members resolved to include the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Audit Committee as members of the Planning Working Group for 2019.

It is proposed to hold meetings of the Planning Working Group over the coming months to develop draft objectives for 2021/22 with a view to consulting publicly during 2020 and publishing the Authority’s Improvement and Well-being Plan 2021/22 in March 2021.

Implications