Corporate Plan Refresh -  more activity for the Cotswolds as good progress is made on Council projects

Leader of the Council, Councillor Joe Harris, said: “In 2020 we committed to a plan for delivering on behalf of Cotswold residents and I am pleased to say we have made great progress, delivering some brilliant projects alongside our response to the pandemic. 

“We have been able to deliver towards all of the priorities we set as a council from responding to the climate emergency and supporting local businesses, to helping build stronger communities. Projects like our Crowdfund Cotswold scheme have revolutionised the way we do things in the Cotswolds, helping communities do more locally.

“We are an ambitious council and this refresh of our corporate strategy builds on the good work we have delivered over the past 18 months to take us even further and do more for our communities.”

Over the past 18 months, the Council has delivered many projects including:

• The launch of Crowdfund Cotswold, a new approach to community grants funding, raising over £370,000 for local projects since February 2021.
• 114 affordable homes built in 2020/21, over the target of 100 homes. 
• Launched the civic pride initiative ‘Clean and Green Cotswolds’ to tackle littering, fly-tipping and support local initiatives that care for the environment.
• A new waste and recycling service with a collection success rate of over 99%.
• Reduced the carbon footprint of the council leisure centres.
• Launch of the Cotswold Climate Initiative to fund climate change projects.
• Started the refresh of the Local Plan to introduce much more ambitious policies to tackle the climate emergency.

The updated corporate strategy builds on the delivery against the Council's priorities of delivering the highest standard of service, responding to the climate crisis, providing socially rented homes, making the local plan green to the core, supporting health and wellbeing and enabling a vibrant economy.

The updated plan includes a number of new ambitious projects on top of the ones already being delivered including:

• Improved road and street cleaning as part of the Clean and Green project.
• Better engagement with local town and parish councils.
• Reducing carbon emissions from council operations.
• Delivering carbon-neutral social housing across the district.
• Complete the update of the Local Plan to make it ‘green to the core’.
• Bringing new businesses to the Cotswolds to help grow the local economy.

Cllr Harris continued “While our fundamental aims have not changed, our plans and priorities have been altered by events that have developed since the end of February 2020 and the progress we have made over the past 18 months.

“There’s a lot to do. We won’t get everything right, but by listening to our residents – and acting on their concerns – we can address the big issues that affect their lives and I hope residents will see this is a council committed to delivering on their behalf.”