Making Kingston Better, Together
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The Royal Borough of Kingston Corporate Plan 2019 - 2023 MAKING KINGSTON BETTER, TOGETHER 1 MAKING KINGSTON BETTER, TOGETHER 01 THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KINGSTON CORPORATE PLAN 2019 - 2023 Introduction by the Leader of the Council 02 About the Royal Borough of Kingston 03 About ‘Making Kingston Better, Together’ - INTRODUCTION BY THE The Royal Borough of Kingston Corporate LEADER OF THE COUNCIL Plan 2019 - 2023 01 I am very proud Kingston is a great place to most. But we must also get the It sets out timescales and 04 live, work, study and visit. We universal services that everyone performance data - which will to live in Kingston be published every year - so Kingston 2023 - Our vision for have fantastic heritage and uses right, not accepting when that everyone can track how the Borough and the Council cultural assets; world class things are wrong but learning Borough and education through our schools, from mistakes and striving to we are doing. It does not I know most college and university; we’re improve. We must do all this include everything we do - it is amongst the safest boroughs within ever decreasing budgets, a framework within which we 05 residents feel the in London; we have well-loved which means making tough will operate. Underneath will sit What we want to achieve - Our strategic same. We are a parks and outdoor spaces; and but fair decisions. detailed action plans to help us outcomes and priorities to 2023 exceptional volunteers and achieve our ambitions. community and community groups. This Corporate Plan sets out together we look our priorities and is the basis on Over the next four years we 06 As a council, we always aim which we will make decisions. want to make Kingston even to maintain the best and make better, together with partners Appendix: Kingston’s financial challenge after each other. improvements where it’s It is drawn from our Liberal but - most importantly - with needed - whether that relates Democrat manifesto at the residents. to purely council services or 2018 elections and lays out a 07 where we work with partners. path for running the council Corporate Plan technical annex: Delivering our vision and and working with partners - outcomes - Priority activities and key performance indicators Our primary aim is always to public, private and voluntary CONTENTS protect and help those adults sector - over the next four years. and children that need us 2 3 MAKING KINGSTON BETTER, TOGETHER THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KINGSTON CORPORATE PLAN 2019 - 2023 GETTING THE FINANCES These are decisions we do We will focus on redesigning LOOKING AFTER ELDERLY, The council fully supports Cambridge Road is our biggest RIGHT not take lightly and we do and transforming services YOUNG AND PEOPLE WITH individuals to reach their full regeneration scheme, which all we can to create more to deliver them differently DISABILITIES potential and enhance their plans to deliver nearly 2,000 The first priority is to move opportunities to generate and efficiently, with a greater quality of life. homes including many more the council onto a secure and income by being more emphasis on self-service and Whilst the majority of Kingston’s council homes than previously sustainable financial footing. commercial in our approach community-based support, residents are able to go about Most residents are in good planned. Years of Government austerity and provide value for money. whilst not leaving behind their lives with minimal support health but mental health mean that the council is facing those who need more from the council, there are problems can affect everyone We have made a promise to significant financial challenges. DEMOCRATIC, TRANSPARENT traditional methods. other, more vulnerable residents and need to be taken more listen to those living on the AND LISTENING who need more intensive, seriously. estate and will work with them In 2010, the council received We’ll look to introduce targeted support. on how it will be developed. £66m from Government. By We want to be known as a new ways for residents We have already introduced We are committed to holding 2018 that had been cut to council that is an exemplar to participate in decision Nearly 75% of the council’s Councillor mental health a resident ballot on the zero. In addition, demand for for community engagement. making, like open democracy budget is spent helping champions on each of our regeneration plans, which is services - particularly adults We are far from that at the platforms and Citizens’ children and adults who need strategic committees and the first step in making sure and children’s social care and moment but in this new era for Assemblies. us most. It is through working we are part of the London that happens. special educational needs the council, we are focusing on with service users and carers Thrive initiative. We want and disabilities (SEND) - is strengthening the relationship that we will be able to provide to go further by raising But growth cannot just be increasing as a consequence between the council and the best care - with quality awareness, with improved links about homes and physical of our growing population, the community - residents, prevention services, regular to arts, combating loneliness infrastructure - it includes people living longer, and the businesses, students, voluntary care package reviews and campaigns and helping A NEW APPROACH TO We are making clear to Our Local Plan, which will a focus on education, skills increasing complexity of care. and community groups. community support. schools. PLANNING AND PROVIDING anyone wishing to build new be developed over the next and jobs so that residents THE NEW HOMES AND homes in Kingston that we two to three years, will be can benefit from a growing As a council, we’re now Kingston has a vibrant and INFRASTRUCTURE WE NEED expect them to truly involve key in making these changes economy. Growth also creates reliant on locally generated engaged voluntary sector our communities in co-design permanent in Kingston. We opportunities to promote arts, revenue to pay for local which creates opportunities We have changed the way the and provide a clear focus on are also taking a different leisure, culture and heritage services - council tax, business to maximise community council approaches providing the benefits for residents. approach to providing new - activities that improve the rates, commercial income participation. new homes and development homes on the Cambridge quality of life for everyone. from property, and fees and across the borough, putting We are also robustly Road Estate, which places charges. This has meant that, We want to ‘hardwire’ effective the community at the heart challenging the Mayor of residents at the heart of the in 2019, we have had to ask engagement into our decision- of the process - whether London on the high targets plans. residents to pay a little bit making - involving residents in development happens for new housing across more through council tax for the design of local services and on council-owned sites or Kingston borough and the services they, and others the things that affect them. through private developers. ensuring that necessary in our community, receive. infrastructure is also forthcoming. 5 MAKING KINGSTON BETTER, TOGETHER THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KINGSTON CORPORATE PLAN 2019 - 2023 AIR SAFE TO BREATHE CREATING A CARING TOUGH, BUT FAIR COMMUNITY We know that residents are We know it is hard for some concerned about pollution Sometimes it is not the residents to understand and and air quality and this is a council that is best placed to accept some of the tough priority where we will take help people. We have some decisions we will have to action. wonderful voluntary and make over the next few years community organisations and that we can’t please We will invest in supporting across the borough - everyone all the time. We sustainable transport through helping our environment; need to rebuild trust in the the delivery of the £32 supporting our older residents; council services. million Go Cycle scheme to keeping young people safe; encourage more people to entertaining us all. We aim to demonstrate cycle rather than use motor openness, honesty, vehicles. We will review our approach to transparency, a listening grants and commissioning so approach and true We will work with the Greater that these organisations that engagement on the services Cllr Liz Green, London Authority and private help us meet our priorities are we provide, including Liberal Democrat providers to deliver more supported to ‘do what they admitting mistakes and electric vehicle charging do best’ rather than jumping learning from them. This is Leader of Kingston Council points across the borough; through hoops. a culture change for many plant 2,000 trees in our within the council and it will A CLEAN, GREEN To support this, we have We are also determined to streets and parks; do more We want to celebrate our not happen overnight, but we AND SAFE BOROUGH invested in more Community support residents to recycle to encourage people to stop generous volunteers and cannot change ‘what’ we do Rangers so we can respond more at home and ‘on the go’. engine idling; review our encourage more local unless we change ‘how’ we Residents rightly expect to more quickly to local issues. Our recycling rate is already parking services and consult people and businesses to do it. live in an attractive, well- one of the highest in London on introducing 20mph speed get involved. We will use our maintained borough and we We will also seek to reduce at 49% of household waste limits across the borough’s Neighbourhood Managers The council will need to make are committed to keeping the single use plastics by recycled, but working together residential roads which is to help guide organisations tough but fair decisions over streets clean and maintaining introducing public water we can get to over 50%.