Corporate Plan 2006/09 Historic St Albans District... Becoming Hertfordshire’s Premier Community Towards an outstanding St Albans City and District People in St Albans city and district know what a great place it is in which to live. It is attractive and prosperous, with a well-educated population, good housing and a strong sense of community. The challenge facing St Albans City & District Council is to protect and enhance our heritage and environment while offering direction and leadership as the district develops and changes to meet new economic opportunities. The council is committed to improving the quality of life for everyone in the area through its facilities and services, while pursuing its ambition to make St Albans city and district a truly outstanding place in which to live, work and to visit. This is the first time the council has produced a three year medium term corporate plan, which sits within the overall long term vision and aims of the council. It is important that the council plans ahead so the budget can be set for the next few years to let staff and local residents know what is going to be delivered. In identifying our priorities for action over the next three years, we have relied heavily on feedback from local residents and organisations. This Corporate Plan sets out those priorities, and explains exactly what we will do to achieve them. 1 Historic St Albans District becoming Hertfordshire’s premier community Our vision To preserve and enhance the distinctive character of St Albans City and District, making it an outstanding place in which to live and work and to visit, where everyone enjoys a range of quality and efficient services in a progressive, caring and environmentally concerned community. St Albans district is a pleasant area of Hertfordshire, just 20 miles from central London, with excellent road and rail links to London and the rest of Britain. The district’s population, of about 130,000, is based mainly in St Albans, Harpenden, Wheathampstead, Colney Heath, London Colney, Redbourn, Park Street, Chiswell Green and Bricket Wood. House prices are among the highest in Britain, and rates of deprivation and crime levels are also amongst the lowest. Although the district has low levels of deprivation, there are pockets where deprivation is higher than the national average. Many of the services the council provides are helping to tackle deprivation and improve quality of life, for example, providing a decent standard of council housing, affordable and accessible leisure facilities, working with partners to improve community safety, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and working to improve the health of residents. Hertfordshire is the most densely populated county in the UK and continuing housing development is a sensitive issue, as is the lack of affordable housing. The proximity of London is important with many thousands of people commuting to work in the capital. However, there is a strong local business economy, based mostly on offices, small businesses, shopping and tourism. St Albans itself is a modern city shaped by over 2,000 years of development. In Roman times, when it was known as Verulamium, it was one of the most important towns in Britain. This has left the city with a rich archaeological heritage, much of which remains to be explored. This heritage, along with the city’s ancient cathedral, makes St Albans an increasingly popular tourist destination. A 2005 MORI report showed that around six in ten (67%) residents were satisfied with the way the council provides its services. The council intends to increase this level of satisfaction and this Corporate Plan explains some of the things we are doing to achieve this. 2 Looking to the future In planning for the future of St Albans district, the council has used several methods to establish the views of local people on how it can be improved. We have commissioned MORI to carry out regular surveys of residents and we have sought the opinions of organisations across the area. Community Strategy Many local organisations have worked in partnership to produce A Vision for St Albans and District (A Community Strategy), which sets out their ideas on how St Albans district can become an even better place. The work of this group, known as the Local Strategic Partnership, has been influential in establishing the council’s aims. We are also guided by central government and by the priorities of the controlling political group on the council. The priorities for the Local Strategic Partnership are: A district that is more business friendly, with better local transport A safer district A cleaner and greener district A healthier district A district where everyone can enjoy and have access to learning, leisure and the arts regardless of age, ability or ethnic background The Community Strategy is being reviewed in 2006/07 as the existing one will come to an end. Local Development Framework The council is responsible for producing a Local Development Framework, which comprises a series of statutory development plan documents, setting out policies and proposals for future development within St Albans City and District to 2021. This policy document will have close links with the Corporate Plan and the Community Strategy. Local Area Agreement The Corporate Plan also reflects the countywide Local Area Agreement, which was agreed in March 2006. It is a partnership agreement between St Albans City and District Council, Hertfordshire District Councils, Hertfordshire County Council and other partners including the health service and the police. The partners have signed up to meeting stretching targets to improve services in respect of four main areas of work. They are: Children and young people Economic development and enterprise Safer and stronger communities Healthier communities and older people If the targets are met, the Government will provide funding to be spent on further improvements in the county. 3 Views of our residents Information from the 2005 Residents’ survey undertaken by MORI identifies some key areas in which the council and its partners could focus attention in order to improve local residents’ quality of life, as well as helping to strengthen the council’s (and partners’) reputation: condition and maintenance of roads and pavements road congestion safeguarding the environment (linked to perceptions of new developments/ amount of new housing, etc) tackling fear of crime and anti-social behaviour ensuring continuing high standards in key environmental services, most notably, refuse collection and recycling continuing to strengthen council communications, particularly in working to tell people where money is spent and how the council is providing good value for money in its activities This Corporate Plan, which will be reviewed annually, takes account of all these influences, and sets out what we intend to do to make St Albans city and district an even better place in which to live and work, and to visit. In particular, we have identified five aims, which reflect the aspirations of local people and gives the council a clear direction as to where it should be focussing its efforts and resources. Tell me more... You can find out more details of the council’s plans and strategies by visiting its website www.stalbans.gov.uk or by phoning the council’s public relations section on 01727 819316. These documents are available in other formats and languages. 4 Our long term aims to achieve our vision Aim 1 – To build a community that is open, fair and inclusive We will build a community that is open, fair and inclusive, where people support each other and participate in the democratic processes that affect their lives. Aim 2 – To work in partnership for the health and well being of the community We will work in partnership with others to bring improvements in health, education, community safety, transport and continuing prosperity. Aim 3 – To cherish and promote our heritage, arts and culture We will conserve our heritage and enhance opportunities to experience culture and the arts. Aim 4 – To safeguard the environment We will protect and nurture the natural environment by safeguarding the greenbelt from inappropriate development and promoting sustainability and the recycling and reduction of waste. Aim 5 – To ensure the District is a desirable place in which to live and work We will promote sustainable housing and infrastructure with a cleaner, greener living environment and recreational facilities for the whole community to enjoy. We have already made considerable progress towards achieving these aims but there is more to do. On the following pages, we look at each aim, and identify the priorities that will help us to achieve that aim. We then specify what action residents can expect to see being taken over the next year and what the intended outcomes are. 5 Building a community that is open, fair and inclusive Aim 1 – To build a community that is open, fair and inclusive We will build a community that is open, fair and inclusive, where people support each other and participate in the democratic processes that affect their lives. We have already: Created a new Customer Service Centre in the Civic Centre at St Albans to make it easier for residents to access services Produced five editions of the “Community News” newspaper to keep residents more informed Increased support for the Youth Council as a forum for young people living in the district and held a speed dating event for young people to talk to councillors Worked with partners to undertake