Borough’s New Corporate Plan Adopted In ‘Financially Challenging Time’

Published on: 9 Oct, 2015
Updated on: 12 Oct, 2015

Guildford borough councillors have adopted a new corporate plan, which aims to “balance the needs of the town, villages and countryside”, within what its managing director says is a financially challenging time.

In a council statement that announced the news following a meeting on Wednesday (October 7), the leader of the council, Stephen Mansbridge (Con, Ash South and Tongham), said: “This is an ambitious evolution of our last corporate plan, where 86% of actions were completed or on track for completion.

“It is based on a strong political vision and direction for the council and will guide the overall priorities and other strategies for the next five years and beyond.

“The five major themes [listed below] bring together the key needs of our communities in the town, surrounding villages and countryside. Although at times they may have differing demands, they fit together and our aim is for everyone to flourish wherever they live or work in our borough.

The leader of Guildford Borough Council, Stephen Mansbridge.

“If we want a high-quality town balanced with a vibrant economic and rural environment we must pick up the pace and continue to set bold targets. Whether it’s increasing the range of affordable housing by building our own, or encouraging innovative businesses to drive our economic success, we will continue to strengthen Guildford’s position and prosperity now and for future generations.”

GBC’s managing director Sue Sturgeon added: “Our new corporate plan builds on past achievements and ensures that our resources and activities are directed towards the issues that matter most to local people.

“Our job is to bring the actions in the plan to life and respond to changes and future need as the plan develops and grows. Improving people’s lives across the borough and developing the ways we work are central to our commitment to deliver the programme up to 2020.

Sue Sturgeon, managing director at Guildford Borough Council.

“It remains a financially challenging time for the council, with more reductions in government funding and continuing austerity. On top of the £1.8 million we’ve already saved since 2013, we have identified that further savings of £5.5 million are needed in the new plan period. We will also look at increasing income, over and above the additional £3.3 million achieved in the past two years.”

The five major themes the plan focuses on:

• Our borough – ensuring that proportional and managed growth for future generations meets our community and economic needs.

• Our economy – improving prosperity for all by enabling a dynamic, productive and sustainable economy that provides jobs and homes for local people.

• Our infrastructure – working with partners to help deliver the massive improvements needed in the next 20 years to tackle some of the congestion issues.

• Our environment – improving sustainability and protecting our countryside, balancing this with the needs of the rural and wider economy.

• Our society – believing that every person matters and concentrating on the needs of the less advantaged.

• Your council – ensuring a sustainable financial future to deliver improved and innovative services.

Responses to Borough’s New Corporate Plan Adopted In ‘Financially Challenging Time’

Jenny Procter Reply

October 12, 2015 at 8:51 pm

This all sounds excellent if we can believe this is the real state of affairs and is a true statement of intent. Experience however would suggest otherwise.

If this is merely a platitudinous hedge against the current and ongoing determination to shore up ill conceived and faulty plans drawn up by a succession of consultants it will ultimately be impossible to realise. There are ways to create a vibrant and commercially viable outcome for Guildford going forward.

Outdated, backward looking solutions for town centres will not do this. Successful centres begin with providing sufficient housing, drawing people into the centre, thereby minimising travel and circulation problems and creating an environment where commercial and retail enterprise thrive on local accessibility.

The ‘easy’ solution is to build where it is easy and immediately lucrative. In this situation that is expensive housing in the green belt. It is no solution. The resulting loss of desirable countryside, traffic gridlock and the fact that retail generally in the traditional sense is in decline can only result ultimately in a much reduced and less desirable environment for all.