Posted on: Thursday 31 July 2025
The majority of targets set out in Torfaen Council's County Plan have been achieved over the past financial year, helping the Council make good progress on its journey towards improving health equity.
The 'Marmot' principles on health equity provide the long-term aims for the Council. These are then turned into annual County Plan delivery plans which set out the activities that will be taken each financial year to achieve the Council's targets.
Last week, a report to full council showed that nearly three quarters of the delivery plan targets for 2024 to 2025 are either on target or have been completed.
One project, informed by last year’s Play Sufficiency Assessment, has seen the council launch new sensory rooms across the borough.
The sensory rooms have welcomed over 50 children, providing spaces that support their communication, motor skills, play, and emotional development—helping build confidence and lifelong learning foundations.
Delivered by Torfaen Play Service, the new initiative reflects the council’s commitment to give all children the best possible start in life, and represents an important step in giving children with disabilities equal access to inclusive community facilities.
The report also highlighted the completion of a new school for Maendy Primary pupils, a 50-place extension at Crownbridge School and 3G pitch at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw. A new specialist residential home for young people in care has also opened, with plans for two more.
Council teams have also dealt with nearly three thousand enquiries for employability and skills support, provided £24m in housing benefit support, and awarded more than £500,000 for the production and supply local sustainable food.
Just over a fifth of the delivery plan actions were categorised as amber, which means there have been delays, including the development of a food strategy for the borough and installation of three rather than four heat pumps to tackle carbon emissions.
Around three per cent of the targets were identified as red and having more significant delays, these included plans to increase the number of library visitors and a Read to Me voluntary programme. Two activities were categorised as cancelled.
David Leech, Torfaen Council’s Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Director for Adults & Communities, said: "Our ambition remains to be to be an outstanding and aspirational council. For the third consecutive year, our services have met the majority of the targets set.
"We have rigorous project management to ensure any targets that weren't met within the time frame continue to progress, and I’m proud of what this council and its staff have achieved."
Torfaen Council became one of the first Marmot Council in Wales in October 2022, committing to reducing health inequalities through evidence-based action.
The County Plan is a five-year strategy setting out the council’s long-term service goals, supported by annual delivery plans which are monitored quarterly to track progress.
You can track the progress of this year's and previous Delivery Plans on the council's website.