This week, Crawley Council’s Cabinet will recommend approval of the Council’s refreshed Corporate Plan. It is this document that sets out the Council’s strategic direction and priorities over the next five years, running to 2016. The Corporate Plan has been adapted to reflect the changed political agenda with its associated priorities.
The document is as significant for what has been removed as for what has been added. Gone are the many hard targets and inspection regimes associated with the previous government. In their place are locally relevant measures – and ‘measures’ is a softer term indicating our own commitment to improve services without having to be told to by an over-bearing central government.
New elements include references to the Big Society and localism which are cornerstones of the new political agenda. Inevitably we also refer to the national financial situation where the country is still paying £120 million per day in debt interest. This is one of the largest single areas of national expenditure. When we think about the money committed to core services like education, transport and health, let’s remember that debt interest is right up there with them in terms of expenditure. That is a horrendous legacy of the previous government.
Our Corporate Plan takes account of this situation but thanks to sound local financial management, we will not see from Crawley Council the wholesale cuts in public services that have been apparent elsewhere in the country. Instead we retain our commitment to the improvement of our public services alongside the delivery of value for money, to be illustrated this year by a freeze in the level of Council Tax.
Just as significant as the forward look in the revised Corporate Plan is the annual report on progress for 2010/11. It was a difficult year for all of us but we achieved much as a community despite national challenges.
Our Manor Royal Business District celebrated its 60th birthday with a new Masterplan designed to maximise its future potential. The Decent Homes programme for the Council’s housing stock made strong progress and will complete this March. In Bewbush and Langley Green, we saw the delivery the major neighbourhood centre regeneration schemes. Crawley was selected as the face of the national 10:10 campaign for reducing Carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.
There are many other achievements attributable to our whole community. All of this shows that despite economic adversity,Crawleyretains the energy and spirit associated with its spectacular post-war growth.
Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of Crawley Borough Council
8th February 2011