Our Strategic Plan 2022-27

The Strategic Plan 2022-2027

Councillor Richard Wenham - Leader of the Council

Leader's introduction - Councillor Richard Wenham

I am proud to have been part of Central Bedfordshire Council for over ten years. Our promise to local people has always been to be the best council we could be, delivering excellent services and giving our customers the best possible value for money. We’ve worked hard to deliver on that commitment and to ensure Central Bedfordshire continues to be a great place to live and work.

A lot has changed over the last few years.

The needs of our residents are changing; with growing communities, an increasingly older population, and greater demands for support from those who face disadvantage and poverty.

Economic pressures on all public services have increased, requiring us to constantly strive for more efficient ways of working and different approaches to providing services, whilst limiting the financial burden on local people.

Customer expectations have also changed, with technology playing an increasingly vital part in all our lives, as evidenced so clearly through the pandemic.

These changes can be viewed as challenges and as opportunities. What is obvious is that these demand that we refresh our thinking about the next ten years and beyond. This is why we have been working with residents, businesses and other organisations to understand what matters most to them.

Through this work, we’ve reached a vision for our shared future, for Central Bedfordshire to be great place for everyone, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.

Central Bedfordshire will continue to be a great place to live and work because of everything it has to offer in terms of a beautiful environment, great housing, schools, and services. It means that this will be an increasingly prosperous place where people can fulfil their potential to be successful and happy.

Delivering on these goals will require the involvement of many organisations and people, at a local, regional, and national level. They are goals worth striving for and this strategic plan sets out how the Council will play its part in achieving them.