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Corporate Strategy 2011 - 2015

(Approved by Council 28 February 2011).

Introduction

The quality of life enjoyed in Stratford-on-Avon District makes it one of the top places to live in the country. This is not to say that residents enjoy a consistently high standard of living. A significant number of people are vulnerable for a variety of reasons. The Council believes that communities are at their strongest when they work together, providing mutual support and identifying their own solutions to local issues. It therefore intends to work with the community to ensure that local challenges are addressed and risks faced by vulnerable people are reduced.

Over the lifetime of this strategy the resources directly available to the Council will significantly reduce. The same is true for other public sector agencies working in the area. We believe the outcomes we seek can only be achieved if we tap into and release the energy that exists within our local communities. Our vision for the Stratford-on-Avon District is therefore that:

By 2015 all our communities will be actively promoting and helping to deliver the actions necessary to meet the identified needs of their local area.

The way we will work

The Council's purpose is to improve quality of life in the District. We provide a range of important services that support a better quality of life. We will work with our residents and businesses, shaping what we do and how we do it to reflect what you tell us are the most important services to you. Your elected councillors will provide leadership and will facilitate an increased level of community involvement in the work of the Council. In delivering services the Council will provide:

• More responsive customer service - right first time, every time; and
• Great value for money – we will be consistently high quality and cost-effective in what we do.

The Council will produce a rolling four year financial strategy, updating it annually to reflect any change in circumstances and to capitalise on any opportunities arising that would help to deliver the priorities set out in this corporate strategy.

The Council exists to represent the interests of local residents and businesses. It is important that you feel able to influence Council decisions that impact on your local area. We will work with you on the basis that such decisions are best made locally whenever that is possible. However, we also recognise that a large number of such decisions are made by other organisations. The Council will therefore build relationships with those organisations, providing a strong voice for the people of this District and influencing the key decisions made elsewhere that impact upon them or their community.

The Council will be innovative, and as a result it will deliver improved outcomes for local people. The values that underpin everything we do are fairness; honesty; quality; and working together.

What we will do

The Council will continue to provide the services for which it has a statutory responsibility. Additionally, within the reduced level of resource available, we will seek to maintain those discretionary services that are most highly valued by our residents and businesses. These activities are not reflected in this corporate strategy, the purpose of which is to identify only the very highest priority outcomes we will deliver over the next four years.

This Strategy therefore identifies actions of critical importance to the future wellbeing of the District. Generally speaking, these involve “development" opportunities where we believe that better outcomes can be delivered as a result of doing things differently. The strategy draws on evidence available from a number of sources but most particularly from the ‘Quality of Life in Warwickshire 2010' report (Warwickshire Observatory) and from residents' surveys. The evidence shows that the priorities are:-

• The affordability of housing – people are wary about large scale housing development and concerned that it does more to encourage in-migration than it does to meet local housing need. However, too many local people are unable to find decent quality housing at a price they can afford. We must deal with this so that growth in the local economy is supported by a more balanced housing market.
• The vitality of the local economy – our cultural heritage is a huge advantage, but Stratford-upon-Avon and other market towns and larger settlements are in need of new investment. Local entrepreneurship needs to be fostered and infrastructure improved so that new businesses are established and fledgling local businesses are able to grow.
• Accessing services – this is a largely rural district with many small villages and hamlets. People without access to a car feel isolated and can struggle to access public services. More should be done to give all residents the access they need to the services that support their quality of life.
• Environmental sustainability – we enjoy a high quality local environment. The ability of future generations to do likewise depends on action being taken now to achieve carbon reduction, building on the community-based activity already evident across the District.

Over the next four years we will work to improve the outcomes in each of these areas. Our proposed activities are set out under the following four aims. The rate of progress will vary, as some actions will be achievable early whilst others will not be delivered until later in the four year period.

Aim 1 – Addressing local housing need

Outcomes sought:

More housing is available at a price local people can afford.

Residents feel they have more influence over the development that takes place in their area.

Priorities:

• We will promote investment in the existing stock of housing that enhances its affordability, seeking in particular to bring empty properties back into use and to reduce the high cost of heating experienced in many existing properties.
• We will work from the bottom up, facilitating community led locality plans that contribute to meeting the District's identified housing need. We will build on the work already done to produce parish plans where such plans exist and are up to date.
• We will require all prospective housing developers to work up their schemes with the active involvement of the local community and to provide housing of a type and tenure that will prioritise meeting the District's identified needs.
• We will require a high quality of design for all developments, consistent with our planning policies, the District Design Guide and other more local design statements where they exist.
• We will equip our councillors with the skills and support they need to play a leading role in facilitating community involvement in the development of locality plans relating to their wards.

Aim 2 - A District where Business and Enterprise can flourish

Outcomes sought:

An increased proportion of residents are able to find work in the District.

Increased economic vitality across the District.

Priorities:

• We will establish an environment in which retail and commercial businesses can flourish across the District. We will adopt a constructive approach to regulation, keep streets and public spaces clean and keep our car parking strategy under review.
• We will improve the prospects of success for rural businesses. We will champion the roll out of high speed broadband, foster digital growth and adopt approaches that support the establishment and expansion of businesses where that is consistent with the locality plan.
• We will promote the concept of “buying local". We will set the right example by ensuring that local businesses are fully aware of all opportunities to supply goods and services to the Council.
• We will encourage the development of locality plans that incorporate proposals for business development, building on the aspirations set out in parish plans where such plans exist and are up to date.
• We will ensure that the District's business development, rural economy and tourism needs are promoted at a strategic level.
• We will adopt a pro-active asset strategy that will realise opportunities to develop District Council owned land and buildings where this will enhance the commercial viability of our towns and villages.

Aim 3 – Improving access to services

Outcomes sought:

An increase in the percentage of residents who find it easy to access local services.

An increase in the number of vulnerable residents who are supported to live independently in their own homes.

An increase in the proportion of people who feel they can influence decisions in their local area

Priorities:

• We will work with public and voluntary sector partners to provide accessible and affordable community transport to improve access to services and help maintain independent living.
• We will work with our partners in the health sector to deploy new approaches such as tele-care and tele-health that will enable people to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible.
• We will make it easy to undertake as many service transactions as possible on-line, enabling customers to access services at the times most suitable to them.
• We will support wider participation in local decision making processes through the use of digital technologies, enabling people who are unable to physically attend meetings or to take part in more traditional consultation programmes to have their views heard.
• We will work with our partners to develop single points of access for all customers. This will mean that customers contacting the Council receive advice and are able to make service requests for any public service, irrespective of which individual organisation delivers that service.

Aim 4 – Minimising the impacts of climate change

Outcomes sought:

A reduction in the Council's carbon footprint

A reduction in the District's carbon footprint

A reduction in the risk of flooding

Priorities:

• We will promote renewable energy generation and improved energy efficiency for all types of buildings, using our various regulatory powers to influence the approach adopted by property owners.
• We will reduce the Council's energy consumption and realise the potential to generate energy from renewable sources.
• We will use our planning policies and support proposals by flood relief agencies to minimise the number of properties at risk of flooding.
• We will seek the highest standards of sustainable construction in all building projects.
• We will encourage our communities to incorporate into their locality plans the related actions that are proposed to address the impacts of climate change.

Downloads:
Corporate Strategy 2011 - 2015 (Colour) (62KB PDF) | Help with PDFs

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