South Gloucestershire should be a fairer, greener place in 2034, and the council has set out a draft plan for the next four years that will help achieve it.
A new draft Council Plan prioritises four goals, focused on climate and nature, inequality, children and health and wellbeing, where the council, working with communities and partners, will aim to make a positive difference.
This is underpinned by the intention to build better places, in recognition of the fundamental role that housing and transport play in delivering each of the other four goals.
The draft plan also describes clear action plans that will deliver on these ambitions.
Local people, businesses and partners including town and parish councils and voluntary and community organisations are being invited to comment on the draft to help refine it, before it is adopted as the council’s guiding strategy, which will guide decision making in the years to come.
The draft plan sets out the current position, which has seen gaps in inequalities, health and educational outcomes widen, particularly since the pandemic. As extreme weather events continue to remind us, our climate and natural environment are under real stress. So the next decade will be crucial if we are to collectively take action to not only stop these factors from impacting our lives, but to reverse them.
Many of the issues facing the district are bigger than the council can influence alone, but there are things that it can do, as well as contributions individuals, communities and partners can make to ensure a brighter tomorrow for everyone. At the same time, the council will work to influence Government and other partners to play their part.
The plan doesn’t list everything the council does or will do, but sets out some of the key steps and impactful measures that it can take to change course and take the shaping of our future into our own hands.
This plan aims to put South Gloucestershire on the right path for the coming decades by:
• Driving the green transition with a focus on renewable energy, heating and green transport choices.
• Acting now to start reducing inequalities to at least pre-pandemic levels and then beyond.
• Ensuring the next generation gets the best start in life and that every child is able to thrive.
• Strengthening social infrastructure and taking action now to reduce long-term health inequalities.
• Building better places using our powers in planning, transport and housing, our strong voice in the West of England Combined Authority and our influence with national government.
South Gloucestershire Council Leader, Councillor Claire Young, said: “Since forming the new Partnership administration in May last year, it has been clear that the message from local people was that they love where they live. They want to protect what we have, make it better where we can and to share the benefits of a cleaner and greener future more equally.
“People want to live in communities that support each other, with better access to services and where it is easier to move around and enjoy life, so that we can thrive and achieve our potential, whether young or old.
“The next decade will be crucial if we are going to realise these goals, but there is little point in holding those aspirations if we sit back and wait for it to happen. That is why we are putting forward action plans to make sure we can achieve them. It is really important that we hear from local people to make sure we are setting the right priorities, because these things will only be possible if we work together.
“As our top-level corporate roadmap for the next four years, the new Council Plan will guide our focus and investments in what are likely to continue to be very challenging times in terms of finances and the ongoing pressures on services. By having a shared vision for the future we can work effectively with communities and partners to shape a better South Gloucestershire for current and future generations.”
Details of the draft Plan and how to take part in the consultation process can be found on the council website: https://sgcouncilplan.commonplace.is
