Corporate Plan

For those of us lucky enough to have been long-established in the county, Herefordshire is a jewel beyond price.  It's no less important to the many people who choose to move here for a better life, or who visit to refresh themselves through its unique heritage and great natural beauty.

But it's also the place where people work and strive to improve their communities and quality of life for themselves, their families and their friends and neighbours.  In a world that's changing at an unprecedented pace, the county has to respond to growing challenges.  One of the greatest is to our economy, where wage levels are already well below the national and regional averages, and where skills levels need to rise significantly if we are to compete successfully for the well-paid, high tech jobs of the future.

Of equal importance are the challenges to the fundamentals of community life.  Government policies and funding, economic pressures and changes in our population - the big increase in older people and the continuing fall in the number of children - require fresh and radical thinking if we are to sustain and improve our care services, schools, postal services and all the other things that make the difference between a good life and a raw deal.  This is especially important for those who labour under some kind of disadvantage.

This corporate plan sets out what the Council intends to do over the next three years to address these challenges.  It can't do it alone.  That's why we are deepening and extending the Herefordshire Partnership that brings together the Council and its many partners across the public, private and voluntary community sectors.  We are determined that at the centre of this drive will be a closer and more effective working relationship with town and parish councils, and a much better understanding of the needs and wishes of our customers, with effective action to meet them.  The new and dynamic public service arrangements being put in place by the Council and the Primary Care Trust, working with united leadership and purpose, provide a unique opportunity for the county to focus on delivering excellent public services.

The last year has been challenging for the Council in many ways, but the reality is that much has been achieved - from the £3.5 million efficiency savings we have ploughed back into improved services, like the growing network of village wardens helping older people to maintain their independence, to another year of even better school examination results, the nearly completed Rotherwas relief road, the bringing back into use of 145 empty dwellings and the provision of over 140 new affordable homes, and the support provided to help 15 village shops survive and prosper.

By working in innovative ways with our partner organisations and with communities and businesses across the county, we are determined to combine the best of what already makes Herefordshire special with the measures that are essential to secure a brighter and sustainable future for all.

Councillor Roger Phillips                                                                          Chris Bull
Leader of the Council                                                                               Chief Executive