Aiming to be a leader for health and wellbeing

March 2026

At a time of global uncertainty, the importance of strong communities and effective partnerships is clear, as is the role local government can play in supporting them.

Rising energy, food and living costs over recent years have placed increasing pressure on households, and the current global situation is likely to exacerbate these challenges. Alongside meeting immediate needs, councils must also support long?term resilience and sustainability.

There was hope that the cost-of-living crisis was coming to an end but, currently, some indicators such as food prices are going in the wrong direction. The current conflict is pushing up energy prices too which will hit UK consumers most immediately through petrol pump costs.

District Councils cannot deliver all services alone, but they have both the responsibility and the authority to build partnerships with organisations that can. District Councillors, embedded within their communities, bring local concerns to the council, which in turn provides leadership, information and practical mechanisms to help address those issues.

The Covid?19 pandemic demonstrated the capacity of communities to deliver effective initiatives, often with limited resources, and highlighted the value of local knowledge. More recently, projects supported through the District Council Climate Change and Nature Fund grants have also shown what can be achieved when communities are empowered and supported.

While the District, (as a whole), ranks among the least deprived nationally, recent data highlights significant areas that are experiencing income, employment, health and housing deprivation. These are affecting both families with children and older residents. Recent ONS data shows that there has been an increase in the proportion of life that is spent in ill health amongst some of our residents.

Rurality presents additional challenges, particularly in access to services and public transport, whilst economic development is constrained by a shortage of affordable housing. Almost 15% of residents experienced fuel poverty last winter, and recorded incidents of domestic violence have risen to become the most prevalent crime in the District.

In setting its 2026–27 budget, Stratford?on?Avon District Council prioritised community support, cost?of?living measures, tackling rural crime and domestic abuse, improved public safety, and investments for the future. Partnership and community engagement underpin these priorities, alongside a commitment to protect essential services and empower local action.

The District Council has recently launched an updated Growing Opportunities Plan, bringing together action plans and partnerships to address district?wide needs. One key focus is health and wellbeing, where closer working with the NHS enables better integration of national health services and locally delivered council services.

Other areas of focus include the improved delivery of services, and investment into local economic development. Ongoing commitments include support for the Indigo bus service, funding for VASA volunteer drivers and continued investment in energy efficiency to reduce fuel poverty and improve energy security. Also included is targeted funding to address the cost of living, rural crime, domestic abuse and the provision of affordable rented housing.

Our aim is for the District Council to be recognised as a leader for supporting the health and wellbeing of our residents, protecting our environment, delivering sustainability and innovation, whilst also supporting the infrastructure and economy that our communities need. We need to be an ambitious, fair, inclusive and responsible Council that puts our communities at the heart of everything that we do.