Issue - meetings

Item OS 16/13 referred from Overview and Scrutiny Committee minutes of 14 June 2016

Item OS 16/13 referred from Overview and Scrutiny Committee minutes of 14 June 2016

RESOLVED:  That the recommendations at Minute OS 16/13 be approved.

The report of the Director of Central Services set out for consideration the Equality Policy Statement and Objectives 2016-2020.

It was reported that the three West Kent authorities, Sevenoaks District Council, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, would in future determine their own objectives to replace the West Kent Equality Aims and commitments.

The Equality Objectives would be subject to regular reviews during the next four years to ensure they remained appropriate in the context of local priorities and demographics.  The objectives for Tonbridge and Malling were set out at paragraphs 1.3.4 – 1.3.15 of the report.

Members felt that Equality Objective 1 did not accurately reflect the Borough Council’s role as a community leader for the whole borough and asked for a slight change of emphasis as follows:

‘As a community leader, we will advance equality of opportunity across the whole borough, particularly for those living within Snodland, East Malling and Trench, to achieve better outcomes in relation to health, employment and education.’

RECOMMENDED:  That the Equality Policy Statement and Objectives, as attached at Annex 1 to the report, be recommended to Council for approval; subject to the minor change to Equality Objective 1 set out above.

*Referred to Council