Agenda item

To approve the Community Strategy 2025-2028

Members received a verbal update on the Communications Strategy The strategy outlines the role of communications, the audiences, channels, and structure of the department. It also outlines the progress made at transforming the department and its strategy since 2019, and what the next steps are for continuing what has been establish as a dramatic departure from the processes and approach that came before.

Some Members raised concerns about the political bias of the Councils Press Releases towards the administration and would welcome non administration groups being featured by the Council more frequently in particular group leaders. A Member highlighted that each other council in the County had under 3 Press releases featuring the Leader of the Council whereas the Council had released 8 Press releases featuring the Leader.

Councillor Cooper raised an amendment to the strategy to be added under ‘Vision’ on page three:

"For the sake of clarity, this Council will abide by the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Government Publicity and any other codes of practice issued under section 4 of the Local Government Act 1986 in full, whether or not this Council has been subject to a ministerial direction."

Some members felt that the Council should abide by the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Government Publicity without the requirement of ministerial direction to ensure impartiality and fairness and bring the Council in line with other councils within the county.

Councillor Cooper called for a recorded vote with Councillor Edwards and Fraser in favour.

For: Councillors Cooper, Edwards, Reed, Fraser, King, Mitchell (6)

Against: Councillors Rainbow, Price, Lloyd, Drury, Khiroya, Nelmes (6)

As the vote was tied, the Vice Chair had the casting vote and voted against causing the amendment to fall.

Councillor Cooper raised a second amendment to add under Actions regarding Objective 1 on pages 7-8

"Reduce the number of press releases issued to the median across Hertfordshire districts and boroughs, and reduce quotes attributed to the Leader and Lead Member, including quoting officers when officers' recommendations are adopted."

Some members felt that due the Council being criticised in the past for not updating the public at frequent enough level that press releases had become an important way to communicate with residents.

The amendment moved to a vote; with 4 votes in favour and 6 against with 2 abstentions, the amendment fell.

Councillor Edwards raised an amendment to add under Actions regarding Objective 1 on pages 7-8

"To expand and improve the council's website including but not limited to:

• adding a Freedom of Information disclosure log to the council's website, so that all Freedom of Information requests and responses to them are published, with information anonymised;
• expanding the number of policies and documents available and accessible on the council' website, so that all policies and frameworks can be easily found online; and
• using the Modern.gov architecture to upload decisions and the forward plan to the council's website, so councillor and the public know what is due to be proposed when."

Officers informed the committee that, with regard to Freedom of Information (FOI), the Councils Scheme of Delegation is currently available on the website. However, producing a full disclosure log would require a significant amount of officer time. It was noted that most policies and documents are available on the website with internal policies available on the intranet.

Some members noted that it is common practice for FOI responses to be published on the Council website. While compiling a disclosure log may take officer time, it could ultimately save time by reducing individual FOI requests if the public can access previously requested information online. It was also noted that the Council website only contains records going back two or three years, and that some historic policies and agendas are no longer accessible.

The amendment moved to a vote; with 4 votes in favour and 5 against with 3 abstentions, the amendment fell.

A member raised a concern over the use of “Council Language” and requested plain English be used in press releases and communicating with the public.

The Vice Chair called for a vote on the substantive motion and with 8 votes in favour and 4 against, the motion was carried.