Strategic Plan Introduction

Nottinghamshire County Council’s vision for the future is shaped by the needs of our community, local political choice, and the national policies established by Government.

Nottinghamshire’s Community Strategy sets out the aims of Nottinghamshire partners working together for the community. It is based on extensive consultation, which included a survey of 1,000 local people and a visioning conference which involved representatives from different sections of the Nottinghamshire community. From this work we identified, with our partners, five key objectives for our community:

• safer and stronger - a safer place to  live with a strong sense of community
• healthier – improved health and wellbeing for people
• learning and earning – help for everyone to reach their potential
• cleaner and greener – protection and improvement for the environment
• travel and access – help for people to travel more easily and safely and be able to access all the services they need.

Political priorities established following the May 2005 elections are:

• placing schools at the centre of our local communities
• renovating fifteen libraries
• refurbishing or rebuilding bus stations in major towns
• improving and expanding community care services
• supporting the introduction of Police community support officers and neighbourhood wardens.

The national context for local government includes:

• the need to make significant efficiency savings and minimise council tax rises whilst coping with increased demand
• the re-shaping of services around children and adults
• higher performance standards
• an expectation that public services will be more accessible, responsive and able to offer greater choice
• a need for local government to be able to respond to and empower local communities, while establishing priorities at a strategic level.