Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 www..gov.uk

Contents

3-5 Forewords

6-10 Current position: - About Runnymede - About Runnymede Borough Council: Our Mission and current situation including our current services

12 Where we want to be: - Our Vision

13-23 How we will get there: - Our Corporate Values - Our Corporate Goals - Our Corporate Themes - Our Corporate Priorities - Key strategies/plans which will help achieve our Corporate Themes and Corporate Priorities - Resourcing the delivery - How we will monitor our performance

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 3 Forewords

Foreword from the Leader

Runnymede is a flourishing, vibrant community. It is a mixture of high tech industry and green space which makes the Borough the envy of many others. The Council’s task is to maintain the balance between employment, good quality housing of all descriptions and our open spaces.

Enjoying a vibrant economy is a privilege but we also have to manage the impact of success, whether protecting Green Belt, tackling congestion, tackling air quality and noise issues or meeting the greater demand for homes. These are not easy challenges but in this Corporate Business Plan we try to set out what your Council will try to do to meet the key challenges in the next four years.

We will continue to regenerate our town centres. You have told us through consultation exercises that this is important to you. Next year will see the completion of the One development bringing new life to Addlestone and facilities such as a cinema and new gym. Shortly, we will be appointing a preferred developer to work with us on the Runnymede Regeneration programme where a number of regeneration schemes in are planned together, including a brand new leisure centre and swimming pool. We hope to bring forward a second phase for Addlestone and continue to work towards a solution to regenerating . We also want to refurbish and provide better facilities at Runnymede Pleasure Ground.

We continue to work with partners and particularly the County Council. Within the next two years a major scheme is expected to be delivered to improve traffic circulation on the Runnymede Roundabout. We were all devastated by the floods of 2014 and the Council is working with partners to find a way to fund the Scheme which could benefit over 6,000 homes and businesses in Chertsey and Egham. We are also seeking a devolution deal to bring more resources under the control of authorities in , East Sussex and West Sussex in order to enable us to collectively bring forward infrastructure schemes to maintain the necessary balance between the economy and protection of our environment.

There are service improvements we want to make, particularly in environmental services, and we are working hard to find new resources which will enable us to invest on your behalf. Finally, it is important in a digital age, that we make our services more accessible and open up new channels to make life easy for you to interact with us.

We are always interested in hearing your views so please contact us with your thoughts about the next four years. We hope you like our plans to improve the quality of life in Runnymede.

With best wishes,

Cllr. Peter Waddell

Leader, Runnymede Borough Council.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 4 Foreword from the Chief Executive

As the face of the Borough changes, the Council must too. To improve services further, we need to raise additional income by taking a more commercial approach. Our workforce will be trained and developed to meet this challenge whilst never forgetting that we are here to serve the community.

The Council has placed great emphasis on improving its customer service and this will be a feature throughout the life of the next Corporate Business Plan. In the modern world, where time is precious, we understand residents want to access services any time of the day or night. We are therefore investing in our IT systems to give you more and easier access to our services, to enable you to find the information you need, or to pay for services quickly and easily. We hope that we can interest you in some of the services that are relatively new such as a GPS tracking service to help locate vulnerable persons, or a daily check-up call service to assist those requiring a bit of extra support, but who wish to stay in their home.

Regeneration offers a fantastic opportunity for the Borough but it is also important that we look to find the resources to keep our town centres and villages clean and safe. In addition, we need to add vibrancy and ensure our towns are interesting to all age groups. We must never forget the contribution of the business community and Runnymede’s economic prospects give cause for optimism. But growth has to be managed so we will work towards supplying a wide range of homes which meet our residents’ and business needs. Dealing with congestion and air quality are of paramount importance too so as well as supporting road improvements, we will be looking for opportunities to improve public transport and encourage cycling and walking.

In 2014, the Borough experienced significant flooding. We are working hard with partners to ensure that measures are in place to deal quickly with flood warnings and ensure the Borough is as well prepared as possible. In the longer term, we want to deliver the River Thames Scheme which will reduce the risk of flooding significantly to households in Chertsey and Egham. This scheme will cost in the region of £450m at current prices and although government will find the lion’s share, we will have to find some of the resource through our own efforts or through business contributions.

We hope you are supportive of our business plan. We are always happy to hear your views, so please write to me or my colleague Sarah Walsh if you would like to comment.

Paul Turrell

Chief Executive, Runnymede Borough Council

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 5 Current position About Runnymede

Runnymede has 7,804 hectares, of which 6,078 hectares are green belt (Census, 2011) and it includes the settlements of:

• Addlestone • New Haw • Chertsey • • Egham • Row Town • • Thorpe • • • Lyne • Woodham

Key demographic statistics related to the population of Runnymede can be seen below.

SOUTH EAST RUNNYMEDE ENGLAND REGION

2011 Population: All Usual Residents 80,510 8,634,750 53,012,456 2011 Population: Males 39,148 4,239,298 26,069,148 2011 Population: Females 41,362 4,395,452 26,943,308 2011 Age Structure: 0- 17 years 19.3% 21.5% 21.4% 2011 Age Structure: 18- 44 years 38.7% 35.2% 36.9% 2011 Age Structure: 45- 64 years 25.2% 26.1% 25.4% 2011 Age Structure: 64+ years 16.8% 17.1% 16.4% Mean Age 39.7 40.0 39.3 2011 Density (number of persons per hectare) 10.3 4.5 4.1 All Households 32,714 3,555,463 22,063,368 All households who owned their accommodation outright 33.1% 32.5% 30.6% All households who owned their accommodation with a mortgage or loan 36.4% 35.1% 32.8% Very Good Health 51.3% 49% 47.2% Good Health 34.1% 34.6% 34.2% Day-- to Day Activities Limited a Lot 5.9% 6.9% 8.3% Economically Active; Employee; Full- Time 41.3% 40.4% 38.6% Economically Active; Employee; Part- Time 12.1% 13.8% 13.7% Economically Active; Self- Employed 10.7% 11% 9.8% Economically Active; Unemployed 2.7% 3.4% 4.4% People aged 16 and over with 5 or more GCSEs grade A- C, or equivalent 14.4% 15.9% 15.2% People aged 16 and over with no formal qualifications 18.3% 19.1% 22.5%

Office for National Statistics, 2011 Census. Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics. Downloaded from: http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=283572&c=chertsey&d=14&e=62&g=49134 4&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1447068577497&enc=1. This information is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government- licence/version/2.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 6 About Runnymede Borough Council Our Mission:

“To deliver services, enhance our environment, and improve the economy by working with local people and partners for the greater good of the community.”

Current situation There has been a huge amount of change in Runnymede over the past four years and just as much in Local and Central Government as a whole. Through predicting the likely changes early, the Council has sought to fill the funding gap through a Property Investment Strategy; making efficiencies (which included £5.5m of savings and a reduction of 16% in the workforce); and sharing or expanding services. As a result, we have not had to stop any of our services in totality, discretionary or statutory to date.

There is still pressure from Central Government for further self–reliance. The election of a Conservative Government in May 2015 led to further rounds of quite radical legislation and policy development, particularly in the areas of welfare, housing, planning, Revenue Support Grant, Business Rates and New Homes Bonuses.

Our main grant from Central Government, the Revenue Support Grant (RSG), is being phased out and it will not exist beyond 2018/19. Another significant source of income for the Council, the New Homes Bonus, is also being reviewed by the Government as part of its austerity measures and will reduce, but as yet we do not know by how much. Welfare Reform will impact on the disposable incomes of people who receive welfare support which will add further pressure on our resources. The Council’s Housing department has effectively responded to rising levels of homelessness by working innovatively with the private sector to secure leases. However, the implications of the Housing and Planning Bill present major problems for the Council. It is expected to give Housing Association (HA) tenants the Right to Buy with a promise to HAs that they will be reimbursed the value of a replacement home. To do this, the Government will make local authorities pay a levy related to their ‘high value’ social property. In addition to this, there will be changes in how we retain Business Rates in the future, but it is yet to be determined if this will affect the Council’s finances.

To respond to the Comprehensive Spending Review and to address a number of potential growth and/or cost pressures, it is therefore important that we do not rely on one source of income, but have a portfolio of income sources. We will acquire property that can help both ‘place shape’ and provide revenue streams which can be managed through the Council’s Special Purpose Vehicle (a separate subsidiary company). The financial climate will remain very challenging and the Council cannot spend before the new income streams come to fruition.

We are also in the process of broadening the way our customers interact with us. We have introduced a new website which encourages more self- service and we will shortly be introducing new ways to make payments to us. The new Customer Services team is being trained in a multi-disciplinary way to answer simple queries on a wide range of Council services whether by telephone, email or in person. This work needs to continue and develop if we are to manage costs effectively and achieve the economies of scale that this strategy ought to bring. Some investment may be necessary as we move towards a more personalised service where we know our customers better and can assess the range of their interests. This will certainly help with marketing services in the future. As resources permit, we would like to improve consultation with residents on a qualitative and quantitative basis to ensure that Members are advised accordingly about changing needs and perceptions and we can direct our resources to the areas of greatest need and profitable demand. We must continue to innovate and be prepared to invest in both Members and Officers’ training to provide the creativity and the business skills the Council requires for the future.

The Government has also embarked upon an ambitious programme of devolution where additional powers are being passed to local authorities. Surrey authorities have been involved in discussions with East and West Sussex authorities and deals have already been struck by the Government in other areas. There is also the question of ‘double devolution’, where districts and boroughs may have new functions delegated to them. These potential changes will be very significant to the way we work in the future and so we need to ensure that we look to secure the best deal for the people of Runnymede.

Finally, we do not know what the impact of the EU Referendum Brexit result will be on local authorities, but we will need to regularly review our plans and adapt as best as we can.

All the above makes planning for the future more challenging than it normally would be. It has meant that it is more important than ever that we understand the current views of what is important to our communities in developing this plan and so undertook consultation in early 2016. The consultation took two forms; a questionnaire, which 145 people completed, and focus groups with a total of 62 adults and young people. The consultation discovered that the participants were satisfied with almost all the Council services, agree the Council provides value for money, keeps them well informed, they feel safe, are generally satisfied with their local environment, would be happy to use the online Citizen’s Account (online account to show Council Tax and Housing Rent account status plus other services in the future), would appreciate the Council providing additional leisure activities, and agree with the Council’s approach to replacing lost funding.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 7 SWOT Analysis Our current situation can be summarised through a SWOT Analysis which identifies our key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats/challenges as shown below.

Strengths • The Borough is within the top 10 per cent of least deprived areas nationally. • We have a thriving economy with high earnings and low unemployment. • The Borough is in close proximity to , Heathrow Airport and the M25, M3 and M4 motorways. • We have reasonable access to the rest of the country by rail. • The Borough has some of the best educational establishments in the country. • The Borough boasts several high profile local attractions such as , Savill Garden, Wentworth Golf Club, the Memorial, the Air Forces Memorial, , Runnymede Meadows, Runnymede Pleasure Ground and the River Thames for leisure and commercial use. • The Borough benefits from a number of historically significant sites including Grade I listed buildings and internationally important nature conservation sites. • We have sites of historic interest- Runnymede Meadows, Chertsey and Egham. • We have highly valued parks and open spaces providing a range of play and leisure opportunities. • The Council’s Safer Runnymede which includes our state of the art CCTV system in operation across all of North Surrey, has made a major contribution to a low crime rate and the general public’s perception of safety. • We have well managed, high quality Council housing stock. • The Housing department has effectively responded to rising levels of homelessness, re-providing a range of temporary accommodation options, enabling tenants to ‘downsize’ to more suitable housing provision with the private sector and registered providers. • We have a wide range of community services for older and vulnerable people. • We have articulate and well-organised community groups.

Weaknesses • With reductions in Government support and low Council Tax, it is becoming more and more difficult to sustain services. • There are ‘pockets’ of need in the Borough which have health and obesity issues, lack of educational attainment, higher unemployment, and unsuitable housing. • Whilst the Borough’s proximity to the motorway network is a strength in many respects, it can have a negative impact on residents’ quality of life e.g. congestion and air quality. • There is limited land for housing and commercial development to meet the community’s needs outside the Green Belt. • Approximately 30% of the Borough is located in the floodplain (flood zones 2 and 3) which leaves approximately 1300 commercial and approximately 11,600 residential addresses at risk from fluvial flooding. • The infrastructure may not be able to accommodate the expected population growth in specific parts of the Borough. • There are high levels of dependence on the private car. • There are high levels of traffic resulting in a large carbon footprint. • There is limited bus provision.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 8 Opportunities

• To formulate a sustainable strategy for growth in the Borough through the Runnymede 2035 Local Plan. • To expand some of our current Council services such as Careline, preventative services, CCTV, community transport, green and trade waste. • To take on extra responsibilities through ‘devolution’ and ‘double devolution’ in return for extra income. • To create additional revenue streams and place shape through further property acquisition and development opportunities. • To improve service to residents through shifting transactions to on line self-service where appropriate and viable. • To bid for strategic funds such as through Local Enterprise Partnerships. • To develop the Borough’s business base around cyber security through the local Enterprise Zone at Longcross Park, which will also support economic growth. • To raise additional resources for infrastructure through the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy (financial contributions obtained from new development). • To increase/improve our partnership working to better maximise resources e.g. with the private sector and registered providers to increase affordable housing. • To provide opportunities for home ownership. • To develop shared services where this is beneficial to the Borough. • To reduce the Borough’s ecological footprint through modal shift to walking, cycling and other forms of sustainable transport if we can successfully work with partners to make infrastructure improvements. • To reduce pollution in Air Quality Management Areas. • To reduce the risk of flooding to properties through our contribution to the River Thames Scheme. • To improve areas of open space, for greater use by residents and their children for informal recreation and facilities for sport and play. • Royal Holloway has an approved masterplan which will enable the university to grow and upgrade the educational offer. • The River Thames Scheme could potentially provide new leisure facilities e.g. walking and cycling routes and/or water sports.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 9 Threats/challenges

• The Government’s plan to cut the national deficit will reduce public spending in real terms for a significant time to come. • The impacts of Brexit are yet unknown, but is likely to add additional challenges. • Radical legislation and policy development, particularly in the areas of housing and planning. • Welfare reform changes are gradually being phased in which will result in reduced disposable incomes for some people who receive benefits. The subsequent effect of this is that more people may require support from Council services which will mean a greater demand on resources. • The Housing and Planning Act presents significant challenges for the Council, especially the redefinition of affordable housing and the requirement to provide starter homes. • There is rising homelessness and a growing affordability gap in housing. • As more housing is built there will be pressure for more community facilities including public transport, school places, and leisure opportunities. • Planning law and national guidance has changed significantly in the last few years and continues to evolve. Keeping up with the pace of change continues to be a challenge and stretch resources. • There is a need for significant additional expenditure to deliver the Direct Service Organisation’s (Depot’s) services and to continue to improve recycling rates. • There will be a need for significant investment if we expand some services e.g. Community Transport. • There has been some loss of income in areas where the Council has provided discretionary services in the past e.g. Yellow Buses with the loss of Section 106 funding (contributions sought from property developers towards the costs of providing community and social infrastructure). • There are services we need to strengthen to meet pressures from Central Government e.g. air quality. • Customer Services within the Council is consuming more resource than originally anticipated. • The profile of the population will change over the next 15 to 20 years which will result in a larger number of older people and fewer workers to support them. • Climate change effects are inevitable with more extreme weather events of droughts and floods. • There is increased car dependence causing increased congestion and air pollution. • The carbon footprint continues to grow. • There is development pressure on the Green Belt due to a shortage of available sites for development in the Borough’s urban areas. • The changes made to the planning system which allow for a range of commercial buildings (including offices) to be converted to residential units without needing to apply to the Council for planning permission, threatens to diminish the Council’s stock of employment floor space to the detriment of the local economy. • Reductions to Surrey County Council’s funding could have an impact upon us as a Borough Council e.g. they may reduce their community services grant to us or reduce their grants to local voluntary services who will then suffer if alternative funding is not found.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 10 Current services and responsibilities Runnymede Borough Council forms part of a two- tier local government system with Surrey County Council. It is possible there could be some changes to the roles and responsibilities as part of evolving devolution discussions, but the current key roles and responsibilities of both ourselves and Surrey County Council are shown below.

We also provide the following additional services to help As a Borough Council we are responsible for: improve the lives of our residents and communities:

Abandoned vehicles Administrative support for the Runnymede Business Partnership Allotments American-style Yellow School Bus transportation scheme Building Control and dangerous buildings or structures Centres for Older People Business Rate collections Cemeteries Community Alarms Council Tax collections Community Halls Environmental Health and inspection of food premises Community Meals Homelessness Community Safety and CCTV open space surveillance Land Charges Community Transport Licensing Garden waste collection Local Elections Graffiti removal Off-street car parks and parking enforcement Leisure Development Planning applications, enforcement and Planning Policy Museum Refuse and recycling collection Managing the Council housing stock Street cleaning Parks and Open Spaces

On behalf of Surrey County Council we cut grass on highway verges, maintain highway shrubs and also carry out on - street parking enforcement.

Surrey County Council is currently responsible for/to be the following (but this may change should any double devolution deals be agreed):

• Education • Trading Standards • Fire and public safety • Transport, Traffic and Highways (including highways • Lead Local Flood Authority maintenance and improvement, street lighting, trees and shrubbery overhanging highways and • Libraries winter maintenance) • Social care

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 11 Where we want to be Our Vision:

“A vibrant Borough with a high quality environment, where we maximise opportunities with partners to provide services which are highly regarded by local people.”

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016- 2020 12 How we will get there It is recognised that we cannot achieve all the changes/developments we would like to see locally as one organisation. We therefore have a number of roles we play in different circumstances to help make a difference. These roles fall into five categories: service provider, facilitator, commissioner, influencer, and/or strategist.

• As a direct/shared service provider we deliver services with our own/shared staff. • As a facilitator we co-ordinate work with the support of other partners. • As a commissioner we pay others to deliver a service on our behalf. • As an influencer we persuade key decision makers on behalf of Runnymede. • As a strategist we set policies to achieve intended outcomes.

Our Corporate Values

We have a set of Corporate Values which form the foundation on which we perform work and conduct ourselves. We will work in such a manner that shows we are:

• Customer-focussed – we will put our customers at the heart of what we do and they will be able to interact with us easily in the way they want. • Passionate – we will empower our staff to be passionate about all we do. • Performance driven – we will strive for excellence in all we do. • Innovative – we will aim to creatively improve our services. • Promoting equality and diversity – we believe in fairness as well as creating a diverse workforce so we can draw upon a wide range of views and experiences to meet the changing needs of our customers. • Delivering excellent value for money – we will strive to be as efficient and effective as possible.

Our Corporate Goals

Our Corporate Goals are our broad guiding principles which will help us to achieve Our Vision. These principles are:

• We will deliver cost effective services. • We will have very satisfied customers. • We will train, develop and motivate our staff. • We will be financially stable. • We will have sound leadership and governance. • We will have a clear performance management system. • We will provide customers with a range of channels to interact with us. • We will be a more agile organisation responsive to changing circumstances.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 13 Our Corporate Themes We recognise that a fundamental role of the Council is to provide a voice for Runnymede to help improve the quality of local people’s lives. This can be achieved through working with others to direct support for people; improving the environment in which we live, work and play; and also helping ensure we have a vibrant economy.

Given the importance of each of the above elements in achieving a high quality of life, we have chosen to categorise our Corporate Priorities in to four themes:

Supporting Local People Improving Our Economy

This theme involves improving This theme involves maintaining the quality of people’s lives and developing more prosperous through developing healthier and vibrant communities, and safer communities, attracting infrastructure improving life chances, as well improvements, and supporting as listening to and representing and nurturing our businesses. local people.

Enhancing Our Environment Organisational Development

This theme involves developing a This theme involves developing more sustainable environment, our organisation internally in preserving our built and natural order to help support the environment, and revitalising achievement of all the areas in need of physical Corporate Priorities as improvement. effectively as possible.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 14 Our Corporate Priorities In devising the Corporate Priorities for the next four years, it is recognised that a high quality of life is partly achieved through the delivery of statutory services (the services we must deliver), but enhanced further through our discretionary services (the services we additionally choose to deliver). We are therefore aiming to deliver the best mixture of the two. In considering our Corporate Priorities we have taken the time to consider how the strengths of the Borough can help maximise the opportunities and minimise the threats, as well as understand which weaknesses could be minimised or eliminated. This section presents our broad priorities over the next four years and the annual Corporate Action Plan provides the more specific objectives for the forthcoming year.

Supporting Local People As explained earlier in this document, it is recognised that we need to support local people (residents, workers, and other types of visitors), in order to help improve the quality of their lives. However, people have varying and conflicting needs and desires and so decisions will be made after considering the level of resource available as well as the outcome that is expected to serve the greater good and/or help tackle inequalities.

Taking the above into consideration, the broad key priorities which we intend to achieve over the next four years against the Supporting Local People theme are:

• To develop governance arrangements and effectively represent Runnymede’s interests with any evolving ‘devolution’ and ‘double devolution’ discussions. • To continue managing and developing the Council’s housing stock effectively in light of government policy and legislative reform. • To continue working with the private sector to provide improved and additional housing, including affordable and key worker. • To expand our care/prevention services in order to help relieve pressures on the NHS as well as create additional income streams for the Council e.g. Community Transport, Carecall, Telecare, GPS, and Community Meals services. • To continue to support the improvement of exciting local leisure activities. • To continue to develop our community facilities where resources permit e.g. Forest Estate Community Hub. • To take opportunities for expanding our consultation programme with local people as resources allow. • To continue developing our website for communicating and transacting with residents, businesses and other stakeholders. • To continue developing our customer service across the Council. • To take opportunities for improving the safety of our residents and visitors. • To continue supporting and improving the quality of lives of our vulnerable/deprived individuals. • To develop joint working with the voluntary sector and provide more funding as resources allow. • To continue in our endeavours to support the ambitions of residents and businesses where it serves the greater good of the community.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 15 Enhancing Our Environment

The environment plays a considerable role in the quality of people’s lives. Therefore, in partnership with Surrey County Council, Local Enterprise Partnerships, property developers, other local authorities, plus a range of other partners, we believe it is important to help improve the environment in which we live, work, and play. This should be achieved in a sustainable manner which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs too.

Our broad key priorities which we which we intend to achieve over the next four years against the Enhancing Our Environment theme are: • To take opportunities to make the local environment more sustainable. • To proactively seek opportunities for regeneration in the Borough to assist with place shaping and the enhancement of the built environment e.g. Runnymede Regeneration package which includes Egham town centre, Egham Leisure Centre and Runnymede Pleasure Ground. • To continue maintaining our assets. • To continue developing our community resilience to effectively assist in an emergency. • To lobby for funding for the River Thames Scheme to assist in flood alleviation. • To review and support the delivery of the county and regional infrastructure strategies. • To review and enhance our enforcement work, and manage planning breaches, fly tipping and other environmental crimes robustly and proactively. • To undertake a comprehensive review of the future delivery options of Depot Services. • To optimise income for our services associated with waste e.g. Trade Refuse. • To continue maintaining the services in our well regarded open spaces.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 16 Improving Our Economy

There is a clear correlation between supporting local people, enhancing our environment, and improving our economy. By supporting local people and enhancing our environment we can help make the area more prosperous. Likewise, a more prosperous area can also consequently help to improve the environment as well as support local people.

As a Council we therefore understand that we have an important contribution to make towards this theme. The broad key priorities which we intend to achieve over the next four years against the Improving Our Economy theme are:

To take opportunities to make the local environment more sustainable. • To collaboratively work with Local Enterprise Partnerships, Chambers of Commerce, Runnymede Business Partnership, and other local authorities to maximise resources. • To facilitate additional business support for local businesses. • To support projects which improve the integration of road and rail to reduce congestion as well as improve air quality. • To continue supporting the Surrey Growth Narrative project in promoting the area to attract new businesses as well as retain existing businesses. • To reduce the retail and leisure expenditure leakage from Runnymede into the surrounding area through the provision of regeneration schemes in the Borough’s main centres which enhance their retail and leisure offer. • To encourage enjoyment of the historic environment as part of the Council’s leisure and tourism offer. • To support the development of the Borough’s Enterprise Zone at Longcross Park. • To take opportunities for additional apprenticeships in the Borough. • To continue lobbying for Runnymede’s economic interests, particularly in negotiating the best deal for retaining Business Rates, New Homes Bonuses, infrastructure improvements, skills support, and the outcome regarding a possible additional runway at Heathrow.

N.B. The Runnymede 2035 Local Plan is currently being developed and will contain a spatial vision for the Borough, a strategy, and a range of policies up to 2035, that will help the Council achieve a number of its Corporate Priorities across all the above three themes. It is anticipated that the Local Plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State for consideration in Spring 2017.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 17 Organisational Development

We need to develop our organisation internally in order to achieve against our ambitious Corporate Goals.

The broad key priorities which we intend to achieve over the next four years to develop our organisation are:

• To create and embed a new programme/project management monitoring system. • To create and deliver a new Learning and Development Programme with associated competencies framework, which supports a more agile workforce with commercial skills and maximises digital self-serve opportunities. • To continue developing our systems and processes to assist our channel shift strategy. • To continue seeking efficiency and increased effectiveness opportunities. • To proactively plan and promote good news stories. • To complete the Business Continuity planning process.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 18 Key strategies/plans which will help achieve our Corporate Themes and Corporate Priorities

Supporting Local People Enhancing Our Environment Improving Our Economy Organisational Development Business Centre Plans Medium Term Financial Strategy Capital Strategy Communications Strategy (to follow) IT Strategy (to follow) Business Continuity Corporate Operational Plan (to follow) Workforce Strategy and Learning and Development Plan (to follow) Customer Services Plan (to follow) Property Investment Strategy Local Plan Economic Development Strategy (to follow) Housing Development Strategy Housing Sector Private Renewals Strategy Emergency Plan Homelessness Strategy Housing Revenue Account Asset Management Plan Leisure Strategy (to follow) Community Safety Surrey’ s Climate Change Strategy Strategy Older People’ s Integrated The Contaminated Land Strategy/Prevention Strategy Strategy Air Quality Action Plan

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 19 Resourcing the delivery Runnymede Borough Council levies one of the lowest Council Tax rates in England. Council Tax rises have been limited both by Government policy and the elected Members’ desire to minimise any increase in tax due from residents.

The Government’s agenda since 2014, as a part of rebalancing the national economy, has been to significantly reduce Central Government grants to zero by 2018. The Council has been planning for a significant reduction for a number of years, however in February 2016 the final settlement showed that while we anticipated £442k of grant in 2018/19, it is likely that effectively no grant will be received.

REVENUE SUPPORT GRANTS (RSG) - COUNCIL’S FINANCIAL PLAN FEBRUARY 2016 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 Expected RSG 1,279 816 442 442 0 Actual settlement 750 290 1 0

Reduction -66 -152 -441 0 Cumulative reduction -218 -659 -659

With limited prospects of significant increases in either fee income or Council Tax, the elected Members seek to produce a balanced budget by making additional savings wherever possible, with the General Fund working balance being used to fund one off costs. Savings in the last few years have been achieved through general efficiencies and restructures.

The Councils financial strategy since 2012/13 has been to:

• Reduce overhead and administration costs through establishing new ways of residents dealing with the Council, the “Transformation agenda”. A restructure commenced in 2013/14 and was completed in 2014/15 significantly reducing administrative posts in the Council. New posts were created to strengthen the capacity to generate new commercial income and assist in regeneration projects. In March 2016 a further management restructure deleted a senior management post making further savings. • Introduce regeneration schemes. A significant sum has been included in the capital programme (over £70 m) to develop the Addlestone town centre. Other assets have been acquired to develop the Runnymede Regeneration package for Egham and progress the masterplan for Chertsey. Underutilised assets in the HRA are being redeveloped to improve local neighbourhoods and to generate a long term income stream to the Council. • Maintain a General Fund working balance higher than the minimum level of £2m to handle day to day cash flow needs and fund unforeseen events. The Council then has the resources it may need to pump prime initiatives or to fund the acquisition of assets. Between April 2016 and 2019 the General Fund working balance should remain above £6m as shown in the table below.

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 Opening balance April 9,421 7,981 6,629 6,482 General fund surplus / (deficit) (1,440) (1,352) (147) 1,050 Closing balance 7,981 6,629 6,482 7,352

• Look to fund short life assets (e.g. refuse collection vehicles, plant and equipment) from the revenue income rather than scarce capital receipts. The Council has short life assets with an original cost of over £10.5m.

The impact of the recession and the need to repair national public finances is likely to remain with the Council for some time. Government grants have been reduced and we expect significant changes to the Business Rates system and New Homes Bonus regime in November 2016. To improve the income received from Business Rates and to reduce risk, the Council pooled business rate income with a number of Surrey districts, Surrey County Council and the London Borough of Croydon in April 2016. This means a levy on growth will not be paid to the Government, but shared between the pool members. The Council has the financial capacity to respond to those changes with its reserves and balances while continuing to fund its regeneration plans and maintain front line services which residents enjoy. The Council will remain one of the lowest Council Tax rate authorities in the country.

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 20 Our spending

Our spending is classified into revenue and capital. In general terms, our revenue spending pays for day-to-day services and operations, and our capital spending pays for the acquisition/creation of a new asset or the enhancement of an existing asset.

Revenue spending 2016/17

Due to there being so many unknowns outside our control, but particularly with the Government’s future intention for New Homes Bonus and Business Rates, it is not currently possible to forecast our revenue income and expenditure beyond this year with great certainty. The revenue information below is therefore only based on our 2016/17 budget and will be reviewed regularly for each annual Action Plan.

HRA GF Total £’000 £’000 £’000 Housing Revenue Account 13,007 13,007 Other housing services 1,753 1,753 Community Services 4,324 4,324 Environmental Services 3,015 3,015 Corporate Management 613 613 Planning 1,361 1,361 Licensing 50 50 Capital financing adjustments (481) (481) Actuals Book Totals 13,007 10,635 23,642 (net of Recharges)

The above expenditure is expected to be financed as follows:

HRA GF Total £’000 £’000 £’000 Council Tax 5,148 5,148 Business Rates 1,347 1,347 Housing Rents 16,402 16,402 General Government Grant 2,788 2,788 Fees & Charges 0 Rents & Leases 161 161 Grants and Contributions 0 Other 124 124 16,687 9,283 25,970 Use of / (contribution to) reserves (3,680) 1,352 (2,328)

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 21 Capital spending 2016-2020

A significant part of the Capital Strategy up to 2020 is the regeneration and development of commercial assets in Addlestone and Egham. Capital spending on improvements to the homes for rent provided by the Council is entirely funded from the rent income. A summary of the Capital Programme for the next four years is shown below.

GENERAL FUND 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 TOTAL £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 Capital spending plans Housing services 4,897 2,217 2,234 2,252 11,600 Community services 200 268 120 120 708 Environment & Sustainability services 450 300 300 300 1,350 Corporate services 48,860 27,660 34,536 32,785 143,841 54,407 30,445 37,190 35,457 157,499

Method of financing Housing rent income 2,948 910 910 910 5,678 General Fund revenue 185 185 185 185 740 Government grants 0 0 0 0 0 Other grants / contributions 140 0 0 0 0 Capital receipts useable 11,357 18,970 2,590 305 33,222 Capital receipts - housing 909 390 390 390 2,079 Prudential borrowing 28,300 7,651 32,500 32,500 100,951 Internal borrowing 10,568 2,339 615 1,167 14,689 54,407 30,445 37,190 35,457 157,499

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 22 How we will monitor our performance The Council has a Performance Management Framework which we use to monitor performance as shown below.

OUTPUTS ACCOUNTABILITY

Annual Reports

Quarterly Monitoring • Corporate Projects Committees • Key Performance Indicators • Budget Monitoring

Individual Appraisals Service Managers

Runnymede Borough Council Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 23

Runnymede Borough Council Station Road Addlestone Surrey KT15 2AH www.runnymede.gov.uk