CORPORATE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Page no. Foreword 2 1 Setting the scene 1.1 Luton, - characteristics of the town 3 1.2 Luton Borough Council – democratic structure 4 1.3 Luton Borough Council - organisational structure 7 1.4 Luton 2011 and medium-term objectives 9 2 Pursuing our goals Introduction to the theme chapters 10 2.1 Environment 11 2.2 Transport 16 2.3 Leisure 21 2.4 Crime 26 2.5 Deprivation 33 2.6 Economic Regeneration 38 2.7 Education 44 2.8 Health and Social Care 52 3. Making it happen 3.1 The planning framework 60 3.2 Performance improvement 63 3.3 Equalities 69 4. Resourcing our goals 4.1 Medium-term financial strategy 71 4.2 Capital Programme 2004 – 2009 73 4.3 Procurement 74 4.4 Human Resources 75 4.5 Enterprise Information Strategy 76 Appendix A: Luton 2011 and the Strategic Planning Framework 79 Appendix B: LPSA targets 91 Appendix C: NRF floor targets 93 Appendix D: Contact details for associated plans and strategies 95 1 Page 1 of 97 Foreword signed by Leader and Chief Executive Stating the purpose of the plan and how it fits in with Luton 2011, and how we’ll monitor its completion. Council is intending to transform quality of life in Luton – three components, big plans afoot, such as improved environment, town centre re-development, Translink, Partnership opportunities through Luton Forum growing in confidence Coupled with growing confidence and capability as organisation – more long-term and medium-term planning, resource-matching against priorities, improved project management, risk management and contingency planning 2 Page 2 of 97 1. Setting the scene 1.1 A PROFILE OF LUTON Luton is one of the largest towns in South East England, with a population of 184,000 residents, and about 71,000 households. The population is projected to rise to 189,000 by 2010. The average age of residents is 34.9 years, compared to 38.6 in England and Wales, partly due to the students at Luton University, and also a high local birth rate. However, by 2010 there will also be a 9% increase in the number of people aged 75 and over living in Luton. Luton’s people come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Approximately 28% are of Black and Minority Ethnic origin, with significant Pakistani/Kashmiri, Bangladeshi, Indian and African Caribbean communities. In recent years the diversity of the population has been augmented by asylum seekers, and there are now small communities of Albanian, Russian and Turkish speakers. 20% of the population were born outside the UK. 44% of children in Luton schools speak a first language other than English. Luton is about 30 miles north of London and has excellent transport links. London Luton International Airport lies on the edge of the town, and more than 7 million travellers pass through there every year. The Government has proposed permitting expansion of traffic on the single runway as demand requires it, up to the maximum capacity of 30 million passengers per year by 2030. Luton is also on the M1 motorway 10 minutes from the M25. The town also enjoys a frequent 30-minute rail service to London, and rail connections north to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, and south to Gatwick Airport and Brighton. Luton is a major sub-regional employment centre with approximately 90,000 jobs. Major employers include the airport, airlines, Luton-Dunstable hospital, Luton Borough Council, Luton University and the motor industry. The service sector now provides as many jobs as manufacturing. There is a successful business park at Capability Green, which has attracted new companies such as AstraZeneca UK and BAe Systems, and another is under development at Butterfield Green. Unemployment is comparatively high for the region, with higher unemployment in the inner wards of the borough, particularly among some minority ethnic groups. There are also pockets of unemployment in some peripheral estates. Improving education and training are key priorities for the town, as residents have a comparatively low level of qualifications compared to other parts of the country (23% have the equivalent of NVQ3 or higher, and 31% have no qualifications). Luton has 12 high schools, one of which has a sixth form. At the age of 16, young people can continue their education in Luton Sixth Form College or the beacon-rated Barnfield FE College. The University of Luton in the town centre has an excellent reputation for business, media studies, marketing and PR, and attracts many overseas students. The University has twice finished top in national tables for the percentage of graduates gaining employment. Luton is densely populated. There is no more land left for development; all housing development has to take place on land previously built on and there is a shortage of brownfield sites. However, the Government has proposed that the area north of Luton, together with the neighbouring towns of Dunstable and Houghton Regis 3 Page 3 of 97 should accommodate additional growth of 20,554 dwellings together with associated employment growth and infrastructure, by 2021. Most of this development will take place in Houghton Regis and on greenfield sites to the northwest of Luton. A shortage of affordable housing remains a problem for Luton residents, and rental prices have been inflated by the demand amongst students at the university. The Council has a housing stock of approximately 9,000 dwellings, and there are just over 7,000 applicants on the waiting list. Luton has more than 1,500 acres of recreational space and seven attractive parks, but there is a shortage of open space in some of the central wards. Sports facilities include a dedicated athletics arena, three leisure centres and six swimming pools, and the town has a reputation for hosting prestigious sporting events. Luton FC, “The Hatters”, has a devoted following. There are three museums, the Galaxy centre with its restaurants and multiplex cinema, the Hat Factory arts and media centre, the Library theatre, several nightclubs and a wide range of restaurants. Despite the lack of a large performance venue, there is a wide range of arts and cultural events. Every year the Luton Carnival attracts about 140,000 visitors, and many residents from all ethnic backgrounds participate throughout the year in carnival clubs to prepare elaborate costumes and performances. Other events, such as the Irish Fleadh and St. Patrick’s Day, a major film festival and the Mela, all add to Luton’s vibrant community spirit. 1.2 DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE Luton Borough Council exists to provide local services, to improve the quality of life in Luton, and to represent the interests of local people regionally and nationally. The council is a unitary authority, and so it is responsible for all local government services in the town, ranging from removing abandoned cars to running youth schemes. The police and the fire and rescue service both work across Bedfordshire and Luton, and Luton Borough Council has representatives on the Police Authority and the Combined Fire Authority, which direct how those services are run. The Council consists of 48 members or councillors, elected by local residents in an all-Council election once every four years. The next election will be in 2007. The 48 councillors represent the interests of 19 wards. Each ward is a neighbourhood within the town. Councillors do not receive a salary, but are paid an allowance according to their duties. The Mayor of Luton is chosen annually by the councillors from among their number. The Mayor represents the Council and the town in civic and public functions and chairs full meetings of the Council. The Leader of the Council is a councillor elected by the Council who leads policy- making. The Council Leader heads the Executive, a cabinet of nine councillors, each with a special portfolio of responsibilities. They meet fortnightly, taking most of the key decisions on running council services. Executive meetings are open to the public and reports presented to the meetings are available in advance. Only a few issues are discussed in private, usually where commercial or individual confidentiality must be maintained. Decisions are published within two days but cannot be enacted for five days. This is to allow time for any decisions to be called in for scrutiny. Any two councillors can call in Executive decisions for further examination by a scrutiny committee, and a scrutiny committee can recommend that Executive 4 Page 4 of 97 reconsider a decision. Councillors on the Executive cannot also be members of a scrutiny committee. All the scrutiny committees and the Scrutiny Board have Chairs who are not from the group forming the Executive. The Council’s five scrutiny committees meet in public to monitor the Council’s performance and take an in-depth look at the key issues affecting the town. The Scrutiny Committees each have a work programme of topics they have identified as being important and significant issues for the people of Luton, and their work is guided and monitored by the Scrutiny Board. Scrutiny Panels are used to investigate cross-cutting topics. Scrutiny councillors may also break into small groups to gather evidence or to interview witnesses, and then report back to their committee on their findings. Scrutiny also monitors the service delivery performance of the council. The Council’s programme of Best Value reviews is chosen by the Best Value Scrutiny Panel, which considers review reports before these are referred to the Executive. Area Committees comprise the ward councillors for each of the five areas within Luton. These committees, which have a small discretionary budget, meet locally in community centres or schools and discuss local issues, with members of the public and representatives from public bodies and community groups.