Strategic Plan
2008 - 2012
Let us share our vision for Lichfield District The next four years will see challenges for Lichfield District as we strive to achieve our vision. As one of the lowest charging district councils in the country, the pressure is always intense to balance our budgets. In the coming years this will be even more acute, as we take on extra responsibilities laid down by Government, whilst receiving less and less central Government funding. Central Government’s requirement for more housing is one of the major challenges we face. It will mean finding a balance between meeting our increasing obligations, whilst ensuring the unique qualities of Lichfield District are protected and enhanced. New legislation from Government that requires public services to work closer together will bring benefits, but also presents a challenge for us. Closer joint working with organisations brings the risk of less accountability.
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So we will step up our efforts to champion the people of Lichfield District, to ensure all services, no matter which organisation provides them, meet local needs. At the heart of all we do is a determination to offer a service and to provide facilities people can be proud of. Officially assessed as one of the top performing councils in the region, with nationally acclaimed services, such as recycling and planning, we will continue to drive through efficiencies to keep our costs down.
Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
We’re proud that the coming years will see our vision become a reality, as many of the nation’s most prestigious retail and leisure brands commit to the district within two new shopping and lifestyle centres: Friarsgate in Lichfield City and the new town centre development in Burntwood. We’re committed to working together with local residents over the next four years to reinforce Lichfield District’s position as an economic, cultural and tourism centre of national significance.
Contents What you’ll find inside the Council’s Strategic Plan: Our journey • Our purpose • Our ambitions • Our focus
Our nine priorities
• Centred on people • Focused on place • Delivering through improvement
We’re proud of our achievements • Our top achievements from the past four years • An improving picture every year
So, where next
• Keeping our performance on track • Investing in the right areas • How we face our risks
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Lichfield District Council STRATEGic PLAN 2008 - 2012
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Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
Our journey Being a top performing Council is a continual journey. It’s about having a clear direction, knowing where we’re heading, being able to see and avoid obstacles, and planning well. With a clear direction and set of priorities we can tackle issues that our Councillors know are important to our residents. We don’t run everything in our district, and where we don’t, we’ll try our hardest to steer and influence what others do, championing the things that are important to local people. Our Council’s Strategic Plan 2004-2008 set out the first part of our journey with a clear purpose, ambitions, focus and priorities. Our new Council, elected in 2007, marked a major milestone in our journey, and we now need to plan the next stage. Our starting point has been the promises and pledges made to local people by the majority Party who won control of the Council in the May elections. These have then been enriched with what we know about the district – our research and evidence, the views of our partners, such as local businesses, and the results of our consultations with local people on specific issues.
We have revisited our purpose and ambitions, and found them as relevant today as they were when first devised. They still strongly reflect what our Councillors know is important to our communities. We need to reshape our focus and priorities for the next four years (2008 – 2012), taking account of the progress we’ve made, the commitments we have to fulfil from our last plan, and the challenges we face in the next stage of our journey. This plan is for our stakeholders: our partners and employees. It will be used by those who assess and inspect our performance to judge whether we’ve done what we said we would and how we did it. There will be a summary document created for our residents. Our new Strategic Plan provides the framework we need to deliver the things our Councillors and local people say are important to them, and that our district needs.
How we map our journey It is important we understand how we map out our journey, so we’re clear where we’re heading. Below you can see how our purpose flows through our ambitions, and how our focus sets our priorities.
Our purpose
Our ambitions
Our focus - people, places & improvement
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Our top nine priorities
Lichfield District Council STRATEGic PLAN 2008 - 2012
Our purpose Our Council is committed to enhancing the general quality of life of the people who live in, work in, and visit our district. We do this through the promotion and improvement of economic, social and environmental well-being. This means sustainable development must be at the heart of everything we do.
Our ambitions A sustainable, clean & safe environment
A thriving economy
A good place to live
A better quality of life
A joint effort
We want to create a clean and safe environment
We want to nurture and develop a thriving economy where businesses prosper and our residents have access to local jobs
We want our district to be a good place to live with quality housing which meets local people’s needs
We want people to experience a better quality of life, where leisure and cultural activities that enhance lifelong learning, and access to good health and healthy living opportunities are available to everyone
We believe the best way to achieve all this is through a joint effort working in partnership with local people and organisations
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Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
Our focus The promises and pledges made to local people in the May elections, the challenges we face, the issues that are important to people, national and regional priorities - these all set the course for our journey to achieve the Council’s ambitions. Mapping these to our ambitions provides our focus, and from our focus our priorities. Our district – place and people Heritage, character and rolling countryside as well as excellent road and rail links mean that people want to live in our district and thousands come to visit. Yet we face challenges. Place: Our two urban centres, where 60% of our residents live, are at the heart of our communities. Lichfield City and Burntwood have real potential which is planned to be realised over the next 4 years, delivering a step change in shopping and leisure for young and old. We need to continue to attract and grow the businesses which underpin a vibrant day and night time economy. We have one of Staffordshire’s strategic business parks at Fradley where 10,000 people will be working, and the A38 and M6 Toll will attract businesses to our District. We need to attract businesses which have the higher paid jobs, so that we don’t add to the amount of out-commuting. We need to continue our work with partners, like the Lichfield Campus of Staffordshire University and Tamworth & Lichfield College, to support the development of enterprise and businesses. With an outstanding Cathedral, the National Memorial Arboretum, and famous icons like Johnson, Garrick, and Darwin, we have the opportunity to become the premier cultural and heritage centre in our sub region. The District lies in the National Forest, is part of a community forest, has a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a sizeable Country Park at Chasewater, special heathland, protected rare species and significant urban parks. Our villages, where 40% of our residents live, help to form the distinctive tapestry of our southern Staffordshire countryside. Transport, facilities and safeguarding and enhancing their character are the challenges we face here. Our inward investment must support and enhance the character of the district, and our growing visitor economy. Safeguarding our environment has to flow through what we do as a Council. Using land and energy wisely and leading by example, by continuing to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, and delivering and promoting energy saving, are amongst our priorities for the Plan.
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People: Because people want to live here house prices are rising above the national average. We have a rapidly ageing population who will need a greater diversity of housing with support so people can stay in their homes. Some of our young people need to be helped to get on the ladder to independent living, and we don’t have enough housing with support for them. How people feel about their place is crucial – and whilst persistent partnership action means we do have relatively low levels of crime, we still need to keep on top of this and improve how safe people feel. Pride in place is vital, and this means how clean our streets are and how well we care for our environment are priorities for our new plan. Allied to this we have the challenge of pockets of deprivation amidst affluence. To make a difference we need to secure resources and the attention of partners in areas like health improvement, and access to learning new skills, to add to what we have and do. A sense of community and belonging is key to the Council’s ambitions. Building on what we’ve done so far and improving involvement and participation in what the Council does, as part and parcel of making good decisions, will set us on this stage of our journey to achieving our ambitions. Delivering through improvement: We are a high performing low cost Council, and we need to continue to choose where we want to excel. The financial outlook for the Council means that we will continue to focus on achieving more with less, working with partners in an innovative way so that we deliver the Council’s priorities. Our focus shapes our priorities Our 9 priorities are set out under the headings of our focus • Centred on people • Focused on place • Delivered through improvement For each of the priorities we set out what we will deliver and where we need to work with others to bring things about, and we list the partners we’ll be working with. To see how the detailed evidence supports our focus, please see Understanding our Focus & Priorities
Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
OUR NINE PRIORITIES
We’re centred on people Create safe, strong and proud communities. Build safe and strong communities, where people ‘love to live’ and feel proud of their community. Crucially we have to work at building a sense of community pride. What the Council will deliver
What we’ll achieve with local partners
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Community development activities focused in the areas with higher rates of deprivation. More investment in activities for young people delivered through our leisure centres and neighbourhood projects. An annual partnership plan which will set out the community safety priorities for the district. Reduction in disturbance and anti-social behaviours through using our powers under the Licensing Act and Gambling Act.
Strong and cohesive communities where people are encouraged to get involved in neighbourhood activities including intergenerational projects. A sense of pride within our communities. Opportunities for volunteering including access to accredited learning. Reduced anti-social behaviour and nuisance in our towns and villages and safer public spaces. Reduced crime and fear of crime. Reduced road traffic collisions. Reduced domestic abuse within families. Reduced incidents of arson and accidental fires. A safe night time economy with a culture of responsible drinking and low levels of disturbance and crime through education and using our enforcement powers.
Our partners: Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Fire & Rescue, the Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), Youth Offending Service, Probation Service, South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust, Youth Service, Staffordshire County Council’s Social Care & Health directorate, British Business Parks, the Lichfield & Burntwood Licensees Forum, other Staffordshire councils, community groups, the voluntary sector, local parish councils, local businesses, local people, local media, Trading Standards, Registered Social Landlords, Crime Prevention Panel, Pathway Project, Neighbourhood Watch, Victim Support.
Improve people’s health and well being. Where good public health is paramount. What the Council will deliver
What we’ll achieve with local partners
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Smokefree public places. More people, young and old, taking part in sport, exercise, play and learning in order to promote positive physical and mental health. More investment in play facilities and services. Early intervention to address child welfare better. Clean and safe food establishments (such as pubs, bars and restaurants) by regulating food safety. Improved health in the home and workplace through education and the regulatory framework. Improved local air quality through monitoring and control. Planning for sustainable communities.
Support for people trying to stop smoking. Improved and innovative approaches to listening to and addressing the needs of children and families. Local people living better lives by getting the financial benefits they are entitled to from the Council and other agencies. People living independently in their homes for longer. Support for carers so they can help people to continue to live at home. Easy access to good quality health services for our residents. More people benefiting from affordable warmth schemes.
Our partners: Sports clubs, South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust (including local hospitals and GPs), the voluntary sector, Citizen Advice Bureaux, Staffordshire County Council’s Social Care & Health directorate, local businesses, other Staffordshire councils, Health & Safety Executive, Registered Social Landlords, Food Standards Agency, local parish councils, Home Improvement Agency.
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OUR PRIORITIES: WE’RE CENTRED ON PEOPLE
Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
OUR NINE PRIORITIES
Help people realise their potential. So that people can participate and achieve their potential and ensure everyone’s contribution is valued. What the Council will deliver
What we’ll achieve with local partners
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Improved training opportunities to help prepare young people for adulthood and to enter employment, education or training. Easier access to learning for everyone, at any age. Community arts programmes developed though the Lichfield Garrick. A fully developed and implemented business engagement strategy.
Provision of friendly environments where people from all backgrounds can learn and improve their skills. Help for people returning to work. An improvement in the average income in the district by creating more employment opportunities in key sectors. Provision of options and opportunities for young people who have ‘fallen through the gap’ in the traditional education system. Improved capacity through encouraging public sector employees and local residents to volunteer in schools (e.g. through young enterprise activities) to help develop the potential of local young people, and to enrich employee development.
Our partners: Lichfield & Tamworth College, Staffordshire County Council’s Children & Lifelong Learning directorate and Social Care & Health directorate, the voluntary sector, Lichfield Foyer, Southern Staffordshire Partnership, Connexions, University for Life, Staffordshire Providers Association, local employers, developers, local parish councils.
Involve local people and partners. So we make good decisions and achieve more. What the Council will deliver
What we’ll achieve with local partners
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Provision of clear and accountable leadership to our communities through locally elected Councillors. A District Board which influences partners so that their strategies and delivery plans are aligned with the jointly agreed vision of the Sustainable Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement. Increased numbers of people, young and old, taking part in the democratic process. Local people knowing how to influence local decisions, and feeling their contribution is valued. A strategic approach to consultation including innovative ways, such as online blogs and forums, that empower local people to take part and engage in Council consultations and activities.
A thriving Local Strategic Partnership in which local stakeholders have a shared purpose and commitment to work together to deliver effective local services. An agreed Sustainable Community Strategy and targeted delivery plan which sets out shared goals with our partners. More people involved in their local community through events, consultation activities and community projects. Support to develop and sustain new and existing community and voluntary organisations. Promoting and developing innovative online solutions to empower communities and improve community engagement.
Our partners: The District Board, Lichfield District Strategic Partnership, The International Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy (ICELE), local parish councils. To see how our priorities reflect local facts and what local people are telling us, see Understanding our Focus & Priorities
OUR PRIORITIES: WE’RE CENTRED ON PEOPLE
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Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
OUR NINE PRIORITIES
We’re focused on place Help people access a home that’s right for them and to live independently. Access to home ownership is beyond the reach of many in our district and there is a need to increase the variety of housing available, including housing with support for vulnerable groups. What the Council will deliver • A range of new housing to meet the changing needs of local people. • More housing available to local people for social rent or shared ownership. • Protection of homeless people and families by improving the services we deliver. • Improvement in the standard of homes by encouraging better design through planning and other processes. • Improved standards of rented accommodation by working with local landlords.
What we’ll achieve with local partners • • • •
Help for local people, including young people, to get onto the housing ladder. A variety of housing which meets the needs of our growing elderly and disabled population. Help to prevent people from becoming homeless. More supported housing for vulnerable people including the young, disabled and the elderly on their pathway to independent living.
Our partners: Local developers, Registered Social Landlords, especially those who are part of our Development Partnership, Lichfield Foyer, Staffordshire County Council’s Social Care & Health directorate, Supporting People, Home Improvement Agency, local parish councils and voluntary sector.
Vibrant towns and villages. Develop and enhance Burntwood town and Lichfield City centres and tackle issues which are important to our rural communities.
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What the Council will deliver
What we’ll achieve with local partners
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Rejuvenation of Burntwood Town and Lichfield City centres though the Lichfield Venture Programme to provide improved cultural and retail experiences with first class shopping and leisure facilities, new residential and commercial office space, as well as enhancing the environment and the Council’s historic parks. A response to the Regional Spatial Strategy that will reflect a balanced approach to future housing and business development that safeguards the character of the district. A shared vision with local people and partners about how the district should be developed through our Local Development Framework. Enhancement of our villages through conservation programmes. Improvements in street design and environmental cleanliness. Increased on-street parking enforcement improving the traffic flow and ensuring a fairer distribution of parking spaces. Improved activity to reduce fly tipping. Enhancement of overall parking provision as a result of the Friarsgate redevelopment and other initiatives.
OUR PRIORITIES: WE’RE FOCUSED ON PLACE
Improved opportunities for people living in our villages to access key services through initiatives like community transport. Enhancement and enrichment of the character of our public spaces, urban areas and parks. Position Chasewater as a visitor, recreational and educational resource, showcasing sustainable development. Cleaner and greener public spaces. Provision of well maintained roads and pavements. Improvement in our flood defences. Protected and enhanced services and facilities within rural villages.
Our partners: Local developers, local people, local heritage sites, Staffordshire County Council, Highways Agency, local parish councils, local bus and train operators, Southern Staffordshire Partnership, Environment Agency, Registered Social Landlords, Advantage West Midlands.
Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
OUR NINE PRIORITIES
Protect and enhance our environment for future generations. Tackling the issues that will safeguard what we have. What the Council will deliver
What we’ll achieve with local partners
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An increase in the amount we recycle and a reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill. Develop local business recycling services. Promotion and support of biodiversity. Identification and sustainable reuse of any formerly used land. Promotion of energy saving through workplace and resident focused schemes. Increase the range of materials that our residents can recycle to improve our recycling rate further. Identification of opportunities to use new technology and work with partners to reduce the cost of the refuse and recycling service. Good practice in the energy management of the Council’s assets.
Promotion of better design in the built environment through awards like the Southern Staffordshire Built Environment Design Awards & Staffordshire Built in Quality Awards. A better understanding of green energy schemes and alternative energy production. Development of a Staffordshire web portal to help our residents to access understandable and reliable information on climate change and energy efficiency issues. Work with Staffordshire authorities to develop alternatives to landfill. Work with local schools to engage our children in planning for a sustainable environment in the future.
Our partners: Local people and businesses, housing partners, local transport providers, Southern Staffordshire Partnership, local parish councils.
Attract even more investment into our district. Help local businesses and local people grow and prosper. What the Council will deliver
What we’ll achieve with local partners
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A boost to local businesses through building on our excellent tourism record, increasing visitor numbers and laying the foundations to increase overnight visitors. Improved prosperity of local businesses by buying locally and encouraging our businesses to do the same. Promotion of the Lichfield Garrick as a conference venue. Help businesses to access support provided at a regional and sub regional level. More local capacity within our partnerships so Lichfield District can become a delivery partner for the new Regional Economic Strategy.
Positioning Lichfield City as the premier cultural and heritage centre for our sub region. Vibrant and varied shopping in Lichfield and Burntwood More evening visitors by developing a vibrant night time economy. More high value, better paid local jobs. Creation of office, industrial and retail space that’s attractive to new companies. Help for businesses to develop, survive and grow. Increase in the benefits the Lichfield Garrick brings to the daytime and night-time economy in Lichfield City centre. Enhanced business prosperity through better focused business support and the application of the Single Business Account.
Our partners: Local people, local businesses, InStaffs, Southern Staffordshire Partnership, retailers and businesses, attractions, accommodation providers, local parish councils. To see how our priorities are built on what we know and what local people are telling us, see Understanding our Focus & Priorities
OUR PRIORITIES: WE’RE FOCUSED ON PLACE
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Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
OUR NINE PRIORITIES
We’re delivering through improvement Provide great value services centred on customers’ needs. Doing more for less, meeting expectations and providing sound governance. What the Council will deliver • • • • • • • • •
Improved efficiency in the way we deliver our services through reviewing our processes and finding ways to work smarter. Enhanced employee capacity through initiatives such as the application of a Learning and Development Strategy, which will support our accreditation for Investors in People. Improved use of our technology through applying updated tools and systems which can share data and processes with each other. Increased customer satisfaction through further development of Lichfield Connects and other front-facing activities. Improved audit and financial planning through better use of systems. Better understanding of customer needs through focused consultation. Accreditation by our auditors that demonstrates we are a high performing authority. Management of our risks through applying strong controls at all levels of our organisation. Maintenance of sound governance arrangements.
What we will achieve with local partners • • • • • • •
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Improved local public service delivery so that services are provided at a time, to a standard and in a way that meets our customers’ needs. Reduced procurement costs through joint working on key contracts for supplies and services. New ways of working that will either reduce cost or enhance customer satisfaction through joining up processes and systems. Creation of a strategic approach to exploring the options for shared services where there is clear mutual benefit for partners. Innovation in the way that we deliver services to take advantage of any external funding or other support opportunities that may be available. Ongoing development and improvement of our core systems technologies through working within Staffordshire Connects. Enhanced resilience to be able to manage through any crisis.
OUR PRIORITIES: WE’RE DELIVERING THROUGH IMPROVEMENT
Our partners: Staffordshire Connects (which includes working with all Staffordshire authorities on a range of projects), Improvement and Development Agency, West Midlands Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership, Staffordshire Civil Contingencies Unit, auditors and inspectors, private sector partners, central Government. To see how our priorities are built on what we know and what local people are telling us, see Understanding our Focus & Priorities
Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
OUR NINE PRIORITIES
OUR PRIORITIES: WE’RE DELIVERING THROUGH IMPROVEMENT
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Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
Have we delivered what we said we would over the last four years? We’ve achieved so much over the last four years that it’s hard to choose just a handful of indicators to paint a picture of our successes. To help us see if we’ve achieved what we said we would, we’ve modelled our achievements against the ten priorities we set in 2004. Within each priority, we set ourselves detailed targets. Of course, we’ve performed better on some detailed targets than on others. However, we’re thrilled that overall we have delivered what we set out to achieve. For a full picture of our achievements, and detailed performance targets, download previous annual reports on our website at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ourperformance
Four years ago our planning service was underperforming. Now we’re up competing with the best and we’re one of the top performing councils nationally.
Over the last four years we’ve invested over £1.9 million in a range of housing for all sections of the community.
We’ve increased the amount of temporary accommodation and reduced the amount of time people have to stay in bed & breakfast emergency accommodation.
We opened the Lichfield Garrick to national and international acclaim. It is now widely recognised as a regional cultural hub and, whilst we’ve faced challenges, its performance is now on target, sell-out shows are commonplace, and our income levels are increasing year on year.
More and more local partners have joined our Local Strategic Partnership. Together we’re moving forward the new Local Area Agreement and District Delivery Plan, which coordinates the effort of many agencies on common and complementary local goals.
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Crime and anti-social behaviour has reduced. We’re getting money to people most in need more quickly. In 2001 it took us on average 93 days to process new benefits claims; we now do it in less than 25 days.
We’ve been a top performer (top 20 authorities nationally) and recycled some of the highest amounts of waste nationally. We continue to deliver innovative schemes to encourage more people, businesses and organisations to ‘rethink waste’, reuse and recycle more. The cleanliness of our streets has also dramatically improved, especially in 2006/2007.
We’ve refocused the way we serve our customers and now deal with many more enquiries the first time people contact us. We’ve worked to become customer focused and we’re working to become absolutely business focused. And, people tell us they love it, with 78% of customers satisfied with us. We’ve also achieved savings targets, increased the amount we can do by working with partners, and we are leading on national initiatives on eGovernment www.icele.org and business support www.wmlga.gov.uk/businessmatters
The new Birmingham Road and Burntwood town centre schemes have passed through the planning application stage and are due to open during the next four-year period.
Lichfield District Council STRATEGic PLAN 2008 - 2012
What we’re really proud of Every year we tell our residents and partners what we’ve achieved in our Annual Report. Looking back we’ve picked a few highlights from the past four years. You can see lots more on our website at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ourperformance •
Lichfield is set to become a major shopping destination when the new £100 million city centre shopping and leisure complex opens its doors. Set to feature a Debenhams department store, multi-screen cinema, quality hotel, shops and restaurants, when complete the development will bring in over £61million a year into the local economy, and over 11,000 shoppers each month. Burntwood shoppers are also set to ‘shop in style’ when a new shopping centre opens.
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Endangered heathland has been well cared for and enhanced by our teams as part of a £90,000 heathland restoration project. We’ve also welcomed Dexter cattle onto our heathland to lend a helping hoof!
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Local people now recycle nearly half of their waste (48%) and with the launch of the new trade recycling scheme, businesses are set to follow suit. Residents are also going greener with our new composting, drinks cartons and plastic bag recycling services.
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Partnership is key when it comes to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. By working with the police, local housing agencies and many more, vehicle related crime has dropped by 25% over the three years to 2007, and last year violent crime fell by over 6%, robberies by 11% and overall crime by 7.7%.
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Recent figures also show the number of times people report anti-social behaviour has plummeted – in 2007 we had 22% fewer calls than we expected. We’ve helped to install 75 new streetlights, held community clean-ups, scrubbed graffiti off walls, provided great youth activities and much more. Moving forward, even more initiatives are planned to reduce local crime and anti-social behaviour further.
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People don’t want to travel miles to work, and we know that local, well-paid jobs are a cornerstone of our local economy. Over the past four years we’ve helped to create over 6,500 new local jobs and attracted over £350 million investment into the district, in areas like Fradley Business Park, Burntwood Business Park and Lichfield South.
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Local people want clean streets and whilst we’ve faced challenges over the years, we’re really pleased that in 2007 almost 90% of our streets met cleanliness standards compared to just 70% in 2005.
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We’re passionate about our green and open spaces and we’ve helped to safeguard them by encouraging over 50% of new homes to be built on previously developed land over the last four years.
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From arts festivals, to citizen advice, to Bower celebrations, local groups, services and events are the lifeblood of our community. Between 2005 and 2007 we invested over £661,000 to help them continue and thrive.
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When we enter awards we aim high. It paid off in 2006 when we won, not one, but two Beacon Awards! We were congratulated by the IDEA on our achievements in ‘waste & recycling’, and for ‘transforming the delivery of services through partnerships’, as part of the Staffordshire Connects Partnership. Judges told us they were impressed with the way we helped to put recycling on the national map, and for how well we work and lead partnerships that deliver.
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Living in a village or rural hamlet can be isolating, particularly if you can’t drive or if you are elderly. To help, we launched our Community Transport Scheme, which takes people out and about, shopping and sight seeing and the service has grown from strength to strength over the last four years.
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Local companies support local jobs, bring in tourism and feed our economy. Over 3,000 local businesses are registered with our ‘Think Local’ scheme, which encourages people and businesses to buy locally.
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Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
Keeping our performance on track It’s easy to set a strategy at a high-level, but we have to do much more than that to really deliver. It is essential our teams ‘on the ground’ understand what we are trying to achieve, and that they are supported and guided to make a positive contribution towards our goals, and on behalf of local people. We achieve this through our Performance Management Framework, coupled with a strong internal communications strategy. Together these make sure that no matter who you are, from strategic director to swimming pool attendant, we all understand what we are working together to achieve. Within each of the priority areas, this Strategic Plan identifies a range of actions that will contribute to the achievement of each priority. In order to deliver these, the actions are broken down into tangible milestones, each of which is recorded on the Council’s online performance management system. These actions and milestones are developed by the Leadership Team in consultation with Cabinet Members, and form the Council’s Strategic Action Plan, which is considered and agreed by the Executive at the start of each year.
The Strategic Action Plan provides the framework for the production of annual Service and Financial Plans. Managers show in their service plans how they will resource and deliver their contributions to the Strategic Action Plan. These service plans are scrutinised by members of the appropriate Overview and Scrutiny Committees, who will wish to verify that each Service Plan is fit to deliver the priorities in the Strategic Plan.
Responsibility for every action is clearly assigned to a single director and manager, who may be supported in each case by a number of other managers and officers. The Council’s performance management system provides these managers with readily accessible information as to the progress against each action, and alerts them when milestones become due.
The Strategic Action Plan also forms the template for part of the annual Performance and Development Review meetings with individual managers and officers. These sessions are used to identify each individual’s contribution to the achievement of the strategic priorities, and to assess whether the appropriate skills and resources are in place. Through this process, it is intended that all staff should understand their personal involvement in the Council’s priorities.
Each milestone within the Strategic Action Plan has a target date, allowing managers and Members to easily see whether actions are on target at any point in the year. Progress against the Strategic Action Plan is reported formally to the Executive twice a year, at the half-year and end-of-year points. These reports use a simple ‘traffic light’ format to show which actions are on target, behind target, or overdue, thereby allowing the appropriate action, such as the reallocation of resources, to be focused on areas of concern. Summary reports are also provided to Directors on demand, and routinely on a quarterly basis.
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The Action Plan is reviewed and refreshed at the start of each new financial year. This involves the setting of new or revised milestones as needed, taking into account the progress made to date, and signing off actions that are complete. This ensures that the Council maintains its momentum and focus on the achievement of the priorities within the Strategic Plan.
Action planning is managed using the Performance Management Framework to ensure links are maintained with performance data, risk analysis, financial controls, partnership management and general corporate governance including the update of plans and policies. This ensures we bring a strategic approach to the performance management of the Strategic Plan that views things in the round, ensures all concerned know their responsibilities and can contribute to its evolution and successful delivery.
Lichfield District Council STRATEGic PLAN 2008 - 2012
Investing in the right areas Sound financial management is our watch-word. It means we invest money in the right areas, know where we need to attract more funding, know how to achieve value for money, get even more efficient, and ultimately do more for less. Our Annual Efficiency Statements and Auditor judgements (2007) tell us we are delivering quality services and achieving value for money in all that we do. We’re really proud of this and we know we’ve delivered it through the sound Financial Management, and effective internal controls we’ve put in place. Our Financial Strategy, Medium Term Financial Forecast and Capital Strategy underpin our ambitions. By planning well, our revenue and capital resources are targeted in the right areas and support our ambitions for the next four year period, as described in this plan.
Our funding Council tax Specific Grants General Grants Other Income
12% 44% 14% 30%
Our aim is to produce a balanced budget that means we can deliver on our key priorities and provide the quality services our customers are asking us for, whilst at the same time keeping Council Tax as low as possible. Each year managers plan their service in detail together with local Councillors and their teams. We use this process to adjust our budgets and make sure we are ready to face challenges head on and make the most of every opportunity available to us. The services we provide are not just paid for by Council Tax, we also get money from the Government, General Grant and Specific Grants such as Housing Benefits. Other income includes income from property, interest on investments, money from fees and charges and our revenue reserves. In December 2007, the Government told us how much money we would receive from them for the next three years, known as The Financial Settlement. The Financial Settlement for district councils has been tough; we will only get on average an extra 1.2% over the next three years. This means we will have to continue to deliver more for less, generate more income and strive to be as efficient as possible.
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Lichfield District Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2008 - 2012
How we face our risks The Strategic Plan 2008-12 sets out clear objectives in terms of risk management as part of the focus on ‘Delivering through Improvement’. The benefits of this approach are to ensure that potential risks are monitored, managed and where necessary mitigated. The approach also takes account of risks associated with the potential loss of beneficial opportunities. Risk management is an integral part of corporate governance. Our Financial Regulations place responsibility with directors for risk management and maintaining sound systems of internal control within their area of service delivery. The Executive provides strategic direction with regards to risk management and considers risk management within service provision in the directorates as per their portfolios. The Executive considers the Corporate Risk Register and overall Risk Management on an annual basis. The Executive approved the Council’s Risk Management Strategy in December 2006 and this is updated annually. This defines the Council’s approach to risk management and ensures that it is embedded in its operation. The Strategy emphasises the role of employees during day-to-day activities as well as the responsibility of Members who have a role via Executive, Audit Committee, as Cabinet Members and through the Overview and Scrutiny process. The Audit Committee monitors the effectiveness of the Council’s risk management arrangements, including the actions taken to manage risks. The Committee examines progress on implementing the Risk Management Strategy and the arrangements for managing the most significant risks on a quarterly basis. The Director of Organisational Development is the ‘Officer Champion’ for risk management activities. The Cabinet Member for Organisational Development is the ‘Member Champion’. The Council has dedicated officer ‘risk champions’ within all directorates.
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The Council’s Risk and Resilience Unit leads risk management activities and provides advice at all levels of the authority. Much of this is carried out through the Council’s Risk Management Group, bringing together relevant managers and risk champions from across the authority. All managers within the authority attend risk management training. The Leadership Team reviews the Corporate Risk Register annually, by assessing the risk factors that could impact on its ability to deliver the priorities in the Strategic Action Plan. Each risk in the Corporate Risk Register is clearly linked to one or more actions in the Strategic Action Plan and is assigned to named officers, ensuring that we have measures in place to control these risks. Managers are required to update Service Risk Registers quarterly and to conduct more formal reviews as part of the annual Service and Financial Planning process. This includes an element of scrutiny by members of the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Risk information is held and updated on the Council’s Performance Management system. Risks are assessed according to their likelihood of occurrence and their potential impact. This helps us to identify and focus on the most significant risks to the Council.
Lichfield District Council, Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire. WS13 6ZB
Tel: 01543 308000 www.lichfielddc.gov.uk