Corporate Strategy

In 2005 the County Council was rated a ‘4 Star’ Council, the top rating, by the Audit Commission based on the cost and quality of our services and the way we are run. It is our priority to continue to deliver high quality and value for money services and improve the way the Council operates. We will examine a mix of public, private and voluntary sector options and investigate innovative solutions including exploiting the benefits of information technology to do this. We will also enter into a strategic partnership and put in place a programme of organisational change to deliver service improvements and efficiencies.

This Strategy has been drawn up alongside the Medium Term Financial Plan for the Council, which was approved by the County Council in February 2006. The intention is to ensure that adequate provision has been made for Medium Term Corporate Strategy priorities in terms of both capital investment and revenue budget. However as the Medium Term Financial Plan makes clear, delivery of the targets is dependent on continuing to make significant efficiency gains and making some difficult decisions on lower priority services. Achievement of Strategy targets is also dependent on Government funding decisions for the later years of the plan.

We are one of the lowest funded councils in England. We receive the lowest funding per pupil of any local education authority in England and one of the lowest central government funding levels per head of population for other services.  Despite low central government funding and continuing pressures on many of our services, it will continue to be our priority to minimise future increases in Council Tax.

In order to minimise council tax increases and continue to invest in priority services we will: