Foreword
Business Plan 2022 to 2023
As we come to refresh our business priorities for the next financial year, I am proud to be the leader of a council that listens to its residents and is willing to adapt to deliver the services that residents value most.
Like other local authorities up and down the country, we must chart a careful and responsible path through the challenges presented by uncertainties around government funding, COVID-19 and a growing and ageing population, all of which have presented significant financial pressures in setting our budget for 2022/23.
But that doesn’t mean we should lose sight of our vision for the district – we remain an ambitious authority and will continue to find new ways to deliver services differently and more efficiently, prioritising our resources to where they will have the biggest impact.
In our recent consultation on our 2022/23 budget proposals, local people told us that healthy and resilient communities was their top priority. That means using our influence on the built environment and within the leisure sector to make it easier to lead a healthy lifestyle. It also means making the most of our links to partners in the health system and community and voluntary sectors.
We have been creating new active travel routes, supporting people to ride their bikes and enhancing our green spaces. These examples of action will not only aid our recovery from the pandemic but will secure changes that residents can enjoy well into the future, making north Oxfordshire somewhere where people can truly thrive and enjoy their lives.
Both the budget survey and our annual residents’ survey showed that supporting vibrant local centres and a dynamic economy are also top priorities. It has been a pleasure to see the first elements of our investment in Castle Quay Waterfront come to fruition over recent months.
With a much needed town centre supermarket, multi-screen cinema and restaurants coming to Banbury canal side, we’ve taken a big stride towards securing the town’s regional status for years to come and creating new jobs too.
While we have had to take some difficult decisions to ensure a balanced budget for this financial year, where the government has offered funding streams for specific purposes, we have been proactive in securing it. For example, funding to enhance the support that’s offered to help prevent homelessness and to help small and medium size businesses navigate change throughout the pandemic.
Our work to become a zero carbon council by 2030 is continuing too, with improvements to reduce emissions at leisure centres and investment to install solar panels at more of our council owned properties.
I am confident that our renewed focus on delivering residents’ priorities will help make sure Cherwell remains a great place to live and work for years to come.
Councillor Barry Wood
Leader of Cherwell District Council