Posted on: Friday 11 November 2022
Torfaen Council is asking for feedback on their new county plan. The county plan sets out 9 wellbeing objectives that will help determine what services the council delivers and how it will prioritise funding between 2022 and 2027.
Cllr Anthony Hunt, said: “Our county plan has been developed out of commitments made to the public to improve our county, and key drivers on how we’ll work to improve the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of Torfaen.
“The Covid pandemic and the current cost of living crisis has provided a powerful reminder of the importance of frontline council services and our role in supporting people and communities. It also confirmed the power of working together to improve people’s lives.
“We are realistic about the scale of the current challenge - the loss of government funding, rising inflationary costs and changing demands means facing tough choices about where to focus resources. Everything we do should be driven by helping residents get on with their everyday lives and providing support when they need it most at different stages of their lives.
The council’s Chief Executive, Stephen Vickers, said: “We’ve set out our ambitions and aspirations for Torfaen for the next 5 years and our county plan is now about delivery. The plan will guide how we work to respond to the needs, challenges and opportunities for our residents and communities. The plan will be reviewed regularly to ensure our ambitions translate into the right actions.
“Similar to all homes in the borough, we are also experiencing significant inflationary costs which is creating our own ‘cost of delivery’ pressures. However, while the financial landscape is very challenging this is not a time to lessen our ambition for the county.”
The plan outlines 4 themes of Well-being, Sustainability, Connectivity and Culture and Heritage and 9 wellbeing objectives that will be used to guide the council’s policy making and service design over the next 5 years.
The 9 wellbeing objectives are:
- We will raise educational attainment, helping young people and adults to gain the qualifications and skills needed to lead positive lives
- We will encourage and champion children, young people and families so they can thrive
- We will tackle inequality by focusing on early identification and prevention activities that support people to live independent and fulfilling lives
- We will make Torfaen more sustainable by connecting people and communities, socially, digitally and physically
- We will respond to the climate and nature emergencies, recycle more and make improvements to the local environment
- We will make Torfaen a great place to do business by working with local employers, encouraging new business start-ups and entrepreneurial activities
- We will promote healthier lifestyles in Torfaen to improve mental and physical wellbeing
- We will support our local culture and heritage and make Torfaen a thriving, safe and attractive place to live and visit
- We will provide efficient customer focused services that reflect the way people live their lives and wish to access services
It includes an annual delivery plan, which will set out targets for each year and a review of the previous year’s targets.
To view the plan and to have your say visit Get Involved Torfaen.
You can also take part in our annual residents survey and tell us what your budget priorities would be.
Or visit one of our public drop in sessions and speak to our engagement team:
* Pontypool Indoor Market, Wednesday November 16, 10am to 4pm
* World Heritage Centre Blaenavon, Wednesday November 23, 10am to 4pm