Annual Review & Corporate Plan 2016-17

& CORPORATE PLAN2016-2020

Tamworth Borough Council2

CONTENTSFOREWORD 3

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO 5

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK 5

VISION, CORPORATE PRIORITIES & OBJECTIVES 6

CORE PURPOSE 8

CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS 8

CORPORATE VALUES 9

YOU SAID, WE WILL 9

PORTFOLIO HOLDER STATEMENTS 10

LEADERSHIP AND RESOURCES 16

ORGANISATION 16

MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY 17

CELEBRATING SUCCESSES 2015/16 – A QUICK LOOK BACK 20

WHAT WE DID 2015/16 22

SUMMARY ACCOUNTS 2015/16 26

ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT & CORPORATE PLANNING PROCESS 27

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CYCLE 28

HOW WE WILL ASSURE WHAT WE DO 29

APPENDIX A 30

CONTACT US 36

WELCOME TO TAMWORTH BOROUGHCOUNCIL’S ANNUAL REVIEW FOR 2015/16AND CORPORATE PLAN FOR THE YEARS2016 - 2020. LIKE PREVIOUS YEARS, WEHAVE COMBINED THE TWO DOCUMENTS TOMAKE THE INFORMATION EASIER TO USEAND UNDERSTAND. THE DOCUMENT SETSOUT WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE IN THECOMING YEARS AND WHAT WEACCOMPLISHED LAST YEAR.

WELCOME

As a relatively small, and primarily ‘urban’ local authority,Tamworth Borough Council has planned and managed itsjourney through the recession and austerity period withconsiderable credit to date. A combination of strong politicaland executive leadership, accurate forecasting, innovation andforward planning has resulted in the organisation being able,in the main, to sustain a full suite of essential services. Thatsaid, it has not been without implications for the public, localpoliticians and the entire workforce.

Again, as with previous years, this has been as much atestament to the skills, commitment and resilience of theworkforce and the collaboration of our partners as it is to theactions and decisions of the executive management team. Intruth, what was without doubt one of the most challengingperiods for the Council was also one of its most successfulperiods of achievement in terms of customer satisfaction;measured performance; project delivery and financialmanagement. This really has been a special time and anincredibly tough act to follow… but follow it we will.

In February 2016, the Council made three major decisionsthat will pave the way for the Council’s direction of travel forthe coming years:

l Approval of the Annual Budget and Medium TermFinancial Strategy (MTFS)

l Adoption of the Vision, Priority Themes and CorporateObjectives for 2016 – 2020; and

l Adoption of the Local Plan

These documents are key to the long-term sustainability andimproved quality of life for our communities and the managedgrowth and regeneration of our place. Furthermore, they willserve to secure this organisation’s ability and capacity tosupport those most vulnerable in our society and to fulfil ourrole as “A force for good!”

Annual Review 2015/16 & Corporate Plan 2016-2020 3

Cllr Daniel CookLeader of the Council

FOREWORD FROM THE LEADER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF TAMWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL

Anthony E. GoodwinChief Executive

In doing so, and using the democratic mandate from Council,we shall focus our energy and resources on supporting our“people” and our “place” in

Living a quality life in Tamworthand

Growing stronger together in Tamworthby

Delivering quality services in Tamworth

By investing and supporting growth, regeneration,employment and skills we shall boost and improve the localeconomy and benefit from the opportunities they provide.Furthermore, we shall support those already vulnerable andthose who may become vulnerable by working hard to tacklethe causes of social, financial and health inequalities. This isthe biggest political and corporate driver of the Council.Finally, in doing so, we will improve residents’ and visitors’access to and satisfaction in our services by undertaking afundamental Review, Remodelling and Realignment of ourcustomer services.

We can guarantee that this will be as challenging as it isrewarding but, at the end of it our destination will be evercloser…


Anthony E. GoodwinChief Executive

Cllr Daniel CookLeader of the Council

“One Tamworth,Perfectly Placed”

Open for business sincethe 7th Century A.D.


WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DOTamworth Borough Council is located in the south eastcorner of Staffordshire. The district covers 11.91 squaremiles, is the smallest of the seven Staffordshire districtsand has a population of 77,100.

Our headquarters is at Marmion House in Tamworthwhere most of our staff are based.

We provide a range of services to residents, businessesand visitors. These include waste collection and recycling,collection of council tax and business rates, local counciltax discount, housing, support for the homeless, parks andopen spaces, planning and building control, street cleaning,promoting economic growth and regeneration,environmental health, leisure services, community safetyand election administration.

The Council’s relatively successful navigation of the recessionand more recently, the extended period of austerity, owesmuch to the commitment to, and delivery of, the SustainabilityStrategy through the collaboration between employees at alllevels, partners, politicians and management.

Almost five years into the strategic timeframe, the Leader ofthe Council commissioned a review of the strategic and policyframeworks. Further to this, ongoing policy reforms andlegislative changes continued to have a profound impact uponlocal government. It was the ongoing imposition of austeritymeasures that had the most acute and limiting affect uponhow this Council operates, a fact clearly reflected in the wideranging consequential remedies employed over this period.

Joint working and shared services, service reviews, staffingreductions and service standards. Efficiency models andDemand Management techniques have resulted in theCouncil becoming a multi-economy or hybrid organisation asopposed to its aspiration – An ‘outcome focused’, efficientcorporate entity where customers are key.

The revised strategic framework is designed to address thisissue through the refocusing of the public, political andprofessional perspectives based upon an evidence-basedinformed set of thematic priorities based around the broadtopics of People, Place and Performance.

Our revised strategic framework also gives us direction andfocus. It sets out our vision ‘One Tamworth, PerfectlyPlaced’ – Open for business since 7th Century A.D. andthree strategic priorities aligned under ‘Living, Growing andDelivering in Tamworth’

l Living a quality life in Tamworth,

l Growing strong together in Tamworth,

l Delivering quality services in Tamworth

These priorities are underpinned by specific objectives, ourcore purpose, customer service standards and corporatevalues.

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK


1. “Living a quality life in Tamworth”

To achieve this we will:l Support and protect individuals and communities that are or may become vulnerable,

l Enable residents to improve their health and quality of life,

l Work together with partners and residents to tackle the causes of inequality in Tamworth,

l Work together with residents to maintain and improve a safe, clean and green environment,

l Work together to improve housing quality in Tamworth.

VISION, CORPORATE PRIORITIESAND CORPORATE OBJECTIVES

Our Vision: ’One Tamworth, Perfectly Placed’– Open for business since the 7th Century A.D

Corporate Priorities and Objectives


2. “Growing strong together in Tamworth”

To achieve this we will:l Develop and support the local economy, together withlocal businesses and partners through our regionalinfluence,

l Work with businesses and developers to create avibrant and sustainable town centre,

l Work together to strengthen the connections betweenschools/FE & HE/Employment to create opportunitiesfor higher skilled and better paid jobs,

l Work together to strengthen the relationships betweenschools/FE & HE/Employers,

l Champion higher skilled and better paid jobs inTamworth,

l Use our regional influence to support an environmentwhere business and enterprise can flourish and grow,

l Adopt a commercial approach to managing Councilassets in order to enhance the viability of the BoroughCouncil,

l Work together to preserve and promote Tamworth’sheritage, leisure and natural environment,

l Work together to preserve our culture; preserve ourheritage and sustain our natural environment.

3. “Delivering quality services in Tamworth”

To achieve this we will:l Provide accurate information via a fully integratedCustomer Services Centre,

l Work with customers to improve their access to councilservices,

l Enable and support Tamworth residents and businessesusing our statutory and regulatory powers,

l Enable greater public engagement in local decisionmaking,

l Demonstrate value for money.

The actions that will be undertaken to achieve these arealigned to these priorities and are shown at Appendix A.


CORE PURPOSEFor the past few years, local government has borne the brunt of the current austerity policy and there are no indicationsthat this situation will change. What the organisation does, how it does it and what it can afford to do have had a tellingand lasting effect upon it and us.

Consequently, the functions and delivery mechanisms that the Council will employ are:

l Provide the democratic leadership and high ethical and professional standards necessary to support the communities ofTamworth,

l Work with our communities and agencies to address the priority issues facing the borough and its communities,

l Offer a range of services and advice focused upon the needs of our communities, ensuring that those in greatest needare supported and protected,

l Work together to support individuals and communities to improve their lives,

l To work hard to understand the needs of our communities and support growth, cohesion and pride,

l To ensure the values and actions of the organisation are founded on fairness, equality and honesty.

CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDSThese will represent our commitment to all our customers and the wider public who rely upon our advice and support.They will be co-designed with service users and once agreed, publicised and implemented across every service with acustomer access channel. They will form the basis for measuring customer satisfaction and incorporate the professionalstandards and behaviours offered consistently by Tamworth Borough Council.


CORPORATE VALUESThese will represent our commitment to each other and our various colleagues. They will be co-designed by employeesfrom across the organisation and reflect their views and opinions on the type of culture and environment that wouldmotivate and encourage them. They will form the basis of our working culture, our behaviours and the manner in whichall employees will go about their business.

YOU SAID, WE WILL…The outcomes from the annual budget consultation process carried out in the summer of 2015 involving residents,community groups, local businesses and voluntary organisations revealed that:

l The priorities identified as important by the public are consistent with what our data and insight reveal,

l A number of the service areas where the public feel there should be reduced spending are consistent with agreedplans for review/efficiency plans,

l The primary place-related priorities identified by the public reflect our plans and ambitions such as more qualityhousing, a revitalised town centre and improved connectivity.

The things the Council will do, influence and work with partners on to achieve these are aligned to the revised prioritiesand shown at Appendix A.


Tamworth Borough Council has had a very good year. Wehave risen to the financial challenges facing local governmentwell and again have a balanced three-year budget that protectsfrontline services for the public.

At a time when many councils across the country are cuttingfrontline services and support to vulnerable residents, thanksto our hard work over many years, we have protected ourservices for the vulnerable. We have still had to make difficultdecisions, such as selling the golf course, but essential serviceslike street cleaning, outdoor events, our historic castle andmany other services are still being protected and fully funded.

In order to ensure this continues, we will continue to reviewevery service at the council to ensure maximum efficiency.We will squeeze every penny of value we can from eachservice and back office function to ensure value for money.For example, we are trialling cashless pay and display parking,offering better flexibility for car park users and lower runningcosts. The redevelopment of our website completely in-househas been a success and saved many thousands of pounds andwe are placing more resources and making as many servicesaccessible online as possible.

Marmion House is being used as an income generation asset,with many parts rented out to other public services. Thisbrings more public services to our front reception, making lifeeasier for local residents. We have also pushed our otherassets, such as land and buildings, to help create newbusinesses and homes in Tamworth.

£6.1 million is being invested in the Creative Quarter and thereis also investment in the pedestrian routes in town. Employment is at its lowest level for decades, with 250 peopleon Jobseekers Allowance. We have a strong local economythat is growing.

Tourism has also grown in Tamworth; we have focused heavilyon attracting visitors, providing a boost to our local economy.

The Council has recently launched its Delivering QualityServices project which will transform customer service deliveryto ensure that services are unified and designed to meetcustomer needs. We will further develop digital access to allof our services so that customers can access them when theyneed to.

We have a lot to be proud of at Tamworth Borough Counciland a lot to look forward to.

PORTFOLIO HOLDER STATEMENTS

Cllr Robert Pritchard, Deputy Leader of the Council

PORTFOLIO: OPERATIONS AND ASSETS


The opportunity to re-read the previous year's Annual Reviewis, I find, a good way to recap on some of the achievementsand challenges that we have faced.

I personally, rarely look back in time, but when it comes tobeing the Portfolio Holder for Housing and WasteManagement, I find it essential to know where we have comefrom to ensure we stay on track going forward.

As we continue to finalise our 2016 plans, I am working toensure our strategic aims are at the heart of what we are tryingto do. This includes taking the time to do the best we can,striving to improve people's lives and sometimes, takingdifficult decisions which may not prove popular, but arefundamentally and morally right.

Protecting vulnerable residents and ensuring people getappropriate support remains at the heart of our strategy.

In 2015, we finalised our service offer for those withinSheltered Housing, who were impacted by the withdrawal in2014 of Supporting People funding. The outcome is one whichwill lead to an improved service for users and is cost effective.

Following significant consultation and support from ourTenant’s Consultative Committee, we announced plans tointroduce a Service Charge for those in flatted accommodation.I know this has not been universally supported, however it issomething I am passionate about for the long-term

sustainability of our housing stock. It is only right that peoplepay for what they use and therefore, this charge will covermore than £700,000 of existing spending within our HousingRevenue Account. I will make this my priority to ensure thismoney is invested back into our housing stock and continue toprovide for those who need it most.

I am delighted to see that Tamworth has seen a decrease inhomeless applications in 2015 and hope to see this continue in2016. I am concerned to see that we have received anincrease in referrals to our services, however this does meanwe are solving more problems before they become critical.We will continue to work with partners and users to givepeople the right help and advice at the most appropriate time.

The waste collection service continues to provide a qualityservice that delivers value for money and meets thechallenging recycling targets set out. Of particular note thisyear is the implementation of the first major review of theservice since it went live in 2010, which resulted in daychanges for about 12,000 of our customers. These changeshave assisted in creating additional capacity for futurecollections. Current projects include the replacement of theaged vehicle fleet with new, more environmentally-efficientvehicles, fitted with state-of-the-art electronics to ensureservice data is able to be sent to and from the crews.

PORTFOLIO: HOUSING & WASTE MANAGEMENTCllr Michelle Thurgood

Last year saw the start of some exciting projects and certainlyone of the most exciting was the opportunity to join theproposed West Midland Combined Authority (WMCA). Thephilosophy of a combined authority is quite simply that localauthorities work together to move powers and money fromWhitehall to the local combined authority area. Then, itslocally elected politicians, who know their areas best, will makedecisions and spend money for the benefit of their own region.The proposed WMCA devolution deal will see £40 millionper year over 30 years to unlock an overall investment of £8billion and could create up to half a million jobs.

Being part of the WMCA does not mean we relinquish any ofour sovereignty in Tamworth; all councils will continue todeliver their own services and retain their individual identities,but we will have the pooled resources to work together onbigger issues such as economic growth, skills, transport, mentalhealth and productivity.

Over the past few years we have seen how, by working inpartnership with both the Greater Birmingham and Solihull andthe Stoke and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnerships, ourunemployment figures drop to an all-time low, along withmillions of pounds worth of investment coming into Tamworthand the wider Local Enterprise Partnership area. The GreaterBirmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership’s initialStrategic Economic Plan (SEP) gave a commitment to create100,000 new jobs by 2020, and already this stands at morethan 85,000. The SEP is at present being updated and

refreshed to take into account the achievements so far and toset new ways forward. This updated SEP will be included aspart of a ‘family’ of plans from each of the three LocalEnterprise Partnerships areas within the new CombinedAuthority and will join with the Combined Authority’s ownoverarching super SEP.

Along with job creation also comes the requirements for skillsto fill these jobs and we continue to engage with stakeholdersto ensure we deliver enough of the required skills and at theright time. This has to be a medium to long-term investmentand commitment by all concerned. This is especiallyhighlighted around the delivery of HS2, where the recentlyapproved college will provide apprenticeship training in thebrand-new skills required to maintain and run high speed rail.

Our local economic team continues to work, support andengage with local businesses and the recent business surveythat is being carried out to enable us to benchmark howbusinesses are faring at this time revealed some quite positiveresponses;

l More than 50% saw an increase in turnover in 2015 andmore than 70% expect this to increase,

l 85% expect staffing levels to stay the same or increase inthe next 12 months,

l 92% are confident their business will survive the next 12months,


Cllr Steve Claymore

PORTFOLIO: ECONOMY & EDUCATION

l 88 % are confident they will survive the next three years,

l 25 % have formal growth plans in place, with 51 % havinginformal plans,

l Growth is primarily focused on local markets.

I am delighted to be able to say that work on Tamworth’sproposed Creative Quarter has now begun. Not only will thisprovide a business incubation centre, new restaurants and anew and attractive look to this area, it will also bring backTamworth Assembly Rooms to its former glory and provide itwith all the necessary updates to allow it to compete andprovide an even better offer for performers, patrons and visitorsin the future.

The first phase of the Gateway project over Ladybridge nownears completion, with just the Tamworth timeline stones yet tobe put in place. I am sure that this will encourage even morepeople to make that crossing backward and forwards betweenour main visitor and shopping centres. This year will also see thestart of the important next phase of this project, which is to openup the gateway from the railway station to the town centre.

Another project excellently delivered town-wide was ‘I amTamworth’. The outcome of this project saw more than 100,000people attend the many and varying events and workshops stagedand which allowed more than 7,300 people to actively take part.As a consequence, many people have gone on to form their owngroups and will continue to enjoy these new-found interests. I amsure that the success of this project will go on to inform us forsimilar events in the near future.

I was proud to be one of the representatives for Tamworth whowere invited to the ceremony for the Great British High StreetAwards at Admiralty House in London. Although weunfortunately didn't win, we came a very proud close runner-up.

We are again fortunate to have won Heritage Lottery Fundingto allow us to produce a main bid for funding to redevelop part

of the Castle for the display of the Staffordshire Hoard and ourSaxon heritage. If successful, this will certainly add to theconservation work already carried out and our subsequentvisitor offer.

The regeneration projects at Tinkers Green and Kerria estatescontinue to progress on schedule, with virtually all occupantsof Tinkers Green now being re-housed. Following this,additional surveys will take place which will accompany thetender for a demolition contractor, due to go out in March2016. The Kerria estate decant is due to start in April 2016.

We are now in the second stage of a three stage procurementprocess to appoint a developer. Five developers havesubmitted a response to our sifting brief and we are in theprocess of evaluating the responses, with a view to inviting ourpreferred developers to submit a full tender at the end ofMarch 2016.

The redevelopment of garage sites for affordable housingcontinues, with 42 being completed within the first phase, witha further 12 near completion. Work is underway to developadditional sites that will be utilised to deliver further new-buildcouncil homes.

After considerable work and consultation and, following theexamination process, we have now received confirmation fromthe planning inspector that our Local Plan has been foundsound. Now it has been adopted, it will allow us to control thenecessary growth and development required within Tamworth.This local plan covers the period from 2006 to 2031consequently, all development carried out within the last tenyears contributes to our total requirement.

We have seen many achievements over the past year and thestart of the delivery phase of other important projects and Ilook forward seeing these all through to completion and thebenefits these will bring to Tamworth.


The portfolio for Communities and Public Health continues tobe wide-ranging, covering a number of key areas.

One of the words that has come to mean a great deal throughout last year and will be increasingly important is the term‘partners’. We have been involved in a number of venturesthat have seen us work closely with the voluntary sector andwith other organisations such as the Police, StaffordshireCounty Council, the Fire and Rescue Service and SocialServices. As we move forward we will look for and find newpartners.

Throughout last year and, as we continue into this year andbeyond, we will look to support and build safer and strongercommunities, continue to focus on crime and anti-socialbehaviour reduction. We have seen great improvements butcannot stand still and for this we will need greater engagementand support from the public.

We will continue to focus on safeguarding children andvulnerable adults; recently we embarked on educating taxidrivers and raising their awareness by providing the sametraining and information which Councillors and Councilemployees are given. More than 70 taxi drivers are taking partas part of a wider education programme that will see themattaining NVQs.

The Tamworth Community Safety Partnership, which is madeup of Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service,Tamworth Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council andthe Clinical Commissioning Group, has been a great exampleof partnership working. Recent initiatives included theChristmas Crackdown and the ‘It’s Never OK’ campaigntargeting domestic abuse with a pop-up safety event in thetown centre to raise awareness of domestic abuse and thehelp which is available to both victims and perpetrators.

The Community Wardens and CCTV service have played animportant role in the partnership and they continue tocontribute their own ideas such as educating the youngermembers of the community on internet safety in striving for asafer environment and community.

We continue to support the Staffordshire Police and CrimeCommissioner as a member of the Scrutiny panel and haveseen the introduction of Police Cadets in Tamworth, providingnew opportunities for our younger residents.

The Licensing and Environmental Health team continue towork hard and protect us, also sharing their experience andknowledge with other Councils; they are a very dedicated andhardworking team.


Cllr Steven Doyle

PORTFOLIO: COMMUNITIES AND PUBLIC HEALTH


The Street Scene team continues to provide a valuable serviceand work in a proactive manner, supporting and carrying outmany of the day-to-day functions across the town, delivering ahighly efficient service that is flexible and customer-focused.

All the teams within the Portfolio continue to be a primeexample of what is possible through co-operation andimagination and instil the pride of Tamworth Borough Council.They work hard to meet the demands of a busy community.

Not forgetting the Tamworth Borough Council VoluntaryCommunity Sector which co-ordinates the LocalityCommissioning of and funding of contracts providing the focuson improving the lifestyles of residents through initiatives andfunding to promote healthier lifestyles and, in turn, healthierresidents.

It has been a busy time and as we move forward, we will needto change to meet the demands of the future with thestrengths that exist within the team.

16

Political ArrangementsThe council currently has 30 members (18 Conservative, 10Labour, 1 UKIP and 1 Independent) representing its ten wards.

The Council’s Cabinet is made up of:

l The Leader of the Council

l Portfolio Holders for:l Operations & Assetsl Economy & Educationl Housing & Waste Managementl Communities & Public Health

There are two scrutiny committees, a number of regulatorycommittees and some ancillary committees.

Mercian

Castle Bolehall

BelgraveGlascote

Stonydelph

Wilnecote

Trinity

Spital

Amington

Solicitor tothe CouncilJane Hackett

Director(Housing & Health)

Rob Barnes

Director(Assets &

Environment)

Andrew Barratt

Director(Finance)

Stefan Garner

Director(Technology & Corporate

Programmes)Nicki Burton

Director(Transformation

& CorporatePerformance)

Anica Goodwin

ExecutiveDirector

(Corporate Services)John Wheatley

Chief ExecutiveTony Goodwin

LEADERSHIP & RESOURCES

ORGANISATION - Corporate Management Team


The 2016/17 budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy(MTFS) ensures that appropriate resources are focused on the Vision Statement, Priority Themes, Corporate Priorities andOutcomes.

The Council has been proactive in the design andimplementation of innovative and effective measures for drivingefficiency and reducing cost within the MTFS.

As a relatively small and primarily urban local authority,Tamworth Borough Council has planned and managed itsjourney through the recession and austerity period withconsiderable credit to date.

The budget setting process has faced significant constraints inGovernment funding in recent years - more than 40% in realterms since 2010 - and the last 12 months have been aschallenging as previous years, if not more so. The recentannouncements in the Summer Budget and Autumn Statementconfirm that austerity measures are to continue and wouldsuggest that the key challenges that the Council is currentlyaddressing are likely to become greater.

There also remains a high degree of uncertainty arising from themost significant changes in Local Government funding for ageneration arising from the Business Rates Retention Scheme,changes in support for Council Tax and technical reforms toCouncil Tax - as well as other changes arising from theGovernment’s Welfare Reform agenda.

Accurate forecasting, strong leadership and an innovative, riskaware approach have resulted in the organisation being able, inthe main, to sustain a full suite of essential services, albeit notwithout implications for the public, local politicians and theentire workforce.

Significantly, this is as much a testament to the skills andcommitment of our workforce and our partners’ collaborationas it is to the actions and decisions of the Joint ExecutiveManagement Team. This period, considered one of the mostchallenging in post war times, coincided with the Councilrecording one of its most successful periods of achievement interms of customer satisfaction; measured performance; projectdelivery and financial management.

What makes these achievements ‘special’ is that they weredelivered in parallel with the largest and most complexTransformation programme, which in itself resulted in multi-million pound efficiencies.

John Wheatley, Executive Director (Corporate Services)THE MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY


Efficiency Statement - Sustainability Strategy

In an attempt to provide a clear ‘route map’ for the transitionfrom surviving to thriving, the Council has designed andadopted a series of strategic plans, policies and processes.Cabinet, in August 2013, endorsed the overarching document‘Planning for a Sustainable Future’ as the strategy for meetingthe challenges forecast for the Council’s Medium TermFinancial Strategy (MTFS) which, through the achievement oftargets and outcomes associated with the work streams,enabled the organisation to generate significant efficiencieswithout there being any large scale impact upon the delivery ofessential services.

The Sustainability Strategy delivered more than just ‘big ticket’efficiencies detailed below, it brought about changes to workingmodels, cultures and processes – Agile Working; DemandManagement; Joint Working; Shared Services; LocalityDelivery/Commissioning all contributed to our journey.

This was achieved through: “strong and clear leadership,political support, financial planning and the resilience,passion and professionalism of staff” (Statement drawn fromthe 2014 LGA Peer review).

The Council’s external auditors (Grant Thornton) also identifiedwithin their Annual Audit Letter for 2014/15, dated October2015:

“On the basis of our work, and having regard to the guidanceon the specified criteria published by the Audit Commission,we are satisfied that in all significant respects the Council put inplace proper arrangements to secure economy, efficiency andeffectiveness in its use of resources for the year ending 31March 2015.”

Last year’s budget report detailed a proactive approach to thechallenge of ever-increasing demand. By adopting the guidingprinciples, tools, techniques and transformational approaches,

the Council can set about managing demand and thereby havegreater control and the ability to align or target “supply” tomanaged ‘demand’.

The primary change is a shift away from trying to sustain a fullsuite of services at high standards with 40%+ budgetreductions to understanding the needs of our customers andworking with them to co-design how we meet those demands.

The adoption of a Demand Management operating model forthe Council was approved by Cabinet in February 2015.Through its implementation, the Council will have far greatercontrol upon the alignment of services or ‘supply’ to theincreased needs and expectations of the public or ‘demand’.

Council, on 23rd February 2016, approved a three-year MediumTerm Financial Strategy for the General Fund with Council Taxincreases lower than the Government referendum limits – inorder to continue to deliver those services essential to thelocal community. Challenging savings targets have beenincluded which need to be achieved over the next three years.However, in the longer term, the Council faces on-going grantreductions and income uncertainties which mean thatsubstantial additional savings will need to be made into thefuture to deliver a balanced budget in the longer term.

Capital spending for the General Fund is extremely limited byresource constraints – each project is robustly challengedthrough a business case, return on investment assessment.

With regard to the Housing Revenue Account, a five-year MTFSwas approved by Council, despite significant funding reductionsover the next four years from the Government requirement forCouncils to reduce social housing rents by 1% per annum,including significant investment in regeneration projects to meetfuture housing needs and sustain the HRA in the longer term.Following HRA self financing, the majority of the capital fundingis made through revenue contributions.

There are a number of key challenges affecting the mediumterm financial planning process (as detailed within the report),which add a high level of uncertainty to budget projections.

The delivery of a balanced Medium Term Financial Strategy(three years for the General Fund and five years for the HRA)is a major achievement and shows we are in a good position –better than most.

Like many others, our budget planning process had to becarried out in light of ongoing unprecedented adverseeconomic conditions. This included a great deal of uncertaintyover future investment and income levels. It is also facingincreased financial demands from central government forservice improvements in areas such as local democracy andtransparency – as well as substantial reductions in Governmentgrant support in the future.

An important part of our budget process is identifying areas ofour work where we can make savings by reviewing the way wedeliver services to make them more efficient.

In addition, the future economic prosperity of the Borough willalso rely on increased housing provision, as in the future underthe current funding arrangements, financial resilience is stronglylinked to future growth in council tax and business ratesincome. Opportunities for identifying, promoting andsupporting economic growth are actively being pursued.


The headline figures for 2016/17 are:

l A General Fund total cost of services of£8,459,820 a reduction of £3,820 compared to2015/16;

l A transfer of £1,724,806 from General Fundbalances;

l A Band D Council Tax set at £161.75, an increase of£3.15 (1.99% - £0.06 per week) on the level from2015/16 of £158.60;

l A General Fund Capital Programme of £8.014m forthree years;

l A Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Expenditurelevel of £14,884,180 for 2016/17 (excluding interest& similar charges);

l A transfer of £368,100 from HRA balances;

l An average rent of £87.38 (based on a 1% reductionin average rent for General Accommodation, asannounced in the Summer Budget 2015, in line withthe Government’s requirement to reduce rents by1% p.a. for the next four years), which represents areduction of £0.88 (1% on the current average rentof £88.26) and equates to £80.69 on an annualised52 week basis;

l Rents for Council House Tenants in SupportedAccommodation for 2016/17 frozen at 2015/16levels;

l A Housing Capital Programme of £52.734m(including c.£33.7m relating to the RegenerationProjects) for five years.

APRIL-JUNE

St George’s Day celebrations in theCastle Grounds,

Broadmeadow received Local NatureReserve status,

JULY-SEPTEMBER

Almost £4m funding awarded from SingleLocal Growth and Heritage Lottery funds

towards cost of regenerating the Creative Quarter,

Ladybridge enhancement completed,

Gold award for the sixth year running in the Heart of England in Bloom competition,

Plans approved for housing development at TinkersGreen, Kerria and former Golf Course,

‘We Love Tamworth’ event and third outdoor cinema in the Castle Grounds,

The Council joined the proposed West Midlands Combined Authority,


CELEBRATING SUCCESSES 2015/16 – A

OCTOBER-DECEMBER

Tamworth and Lichfield for Business held its first ‘’Your Business, Your Voice’ event,

Third Tamworth Listens Question Time Event,

Castle Grounds Fireworks Event,

Christmas lights switch-on in StEditha’s Square,


QUICK LOOK BACK

JANUARY-MARCH

Awards for Tamworth Castle andTamworth Information Centre,

Local Plan adopted by the Council

“To Aspire and Prosper in Tamworth”

WHAT WE DID IN 2015/16Shown below, against our objectives, are some of our achievements in 2015/16. All that has been achieved is notincluded but we have identified those achievements which we feel will be of most community interest due to theirimpact and benefits.

Create opportunities for business growththrough developing and using skills andtalent and promote private sector growthand create quality employment locally

l The Council opted to join the proposed WestMidlands Combined Authority, the creation of whichwill allow for integration and collaboration acrossmember authorities working together on growth in keyareas including employment and skills, health, housingand transport.

l The Council and Town Team ‘Destination Tamworth’won the Best All Round Small Business Friendlinesscategory at an event run by the Federation of SmallBusinesses Staffordshire and West Midlands Region, inrecognition of its ongoing support for the town centre,

l More than 100 delegates attended the first Tamworthand Lichfield for Business ‘Your Business, Your Voice’event designed to inspire and develop business growthin Tamworth and Lichfield,

l In support of the Small Business Initiative, free carparking was made available in all of Tamworth BoroughCouncil’s car parks on two Saturdays leading up toChristmas,


Brand and market “Tamworth” as a greatplace to “live life to the full”

l £55k Heritage Lottery Funding awarded for the creationof a new gallery devoted to Tamworth’s Saxon historyand the Staffordshire Hoard at Tamworth Castle,

l The varied outdoor events programme proved to besuccessful again this year; The We Love Tamworthevent attracted 10,000 visitors, hundreds attended theOutdoor Cinema, Heritage Open Day attracted6,000 visitors, around 8,000 people attended the StGeorge’s Day Celebrations at the Castle and CastleGrounds, more than 25,000 visitors were attracted tothe Castle Grounds Firework Display and around8,000 people attended the Christmas lights switch-on in St Editha’s Square,

l Tamworth Information Centre was awarded gold forthe third year running in the visitor informationcategory at the Enjoy Staffordshire in Tourism Awardand Tamworth Castle was highly commended in thebest Small Visitor Attraction category,

l Tamworth achieved a gold award for the sixth yearrunning in the Heart of England in Bloomcompetition,

l Tamworth finished a runner-up in the campaign to becrowned Britain’s best town centre in the 2015 GreatBritish High Street awards,

Create the physical and technologicalinfrastructure necessary to support theachievement of this primary outcome

l The Local Plan was adopted by the Council, whichforms the blueprint for housing and employmentdevelopment in the borough up to 2031,

l Plans to redevelop the Kerria Centre in Amington bybuilding 44 new homes, Tinkers Green by building108 new homes and the outline planning applicationfor up to 1,100 new homes on the former GolfCourse were approved by Tamworth BoroughCouncil’s Planning Committee,

l The next phase of the disused garage sitesredevelopment project was agreed. 19 homes forrent will be built across various sites in the Borough,representing the first new council housingdevelopment since the 1970’s,

l The first phase of the £500k project to enhanceLadybridge between Tamworth Town Centre andVentura Park was completed with footpath andcycleway resurfacing, installation of new benches, bins,signposts, interpretation boards and lighting,

l £2.95m was awarded by Central Government fromthe Single Local Growth Fund and £900k from theHeritage Lottery Fund towards the cost ofregenerating the Creative Quarter,

l Broadmeadow received Local Nature Reserve Status,becoming Tamworth’s sixth Local Nature Reserve,


Raise the aspiration and attainment levelsof young people

l More than 7,300 people took part in the I amTamworth 12-month art project. This encouragedpeople of all ages to attend arts events and take part increative activities such as dance, drama, visual arts,music and writing,

l Through the Education and Skills Board forTamworth, we continued to develop a culture ofcollaboration and co-operation with our educationproviders,

l Worked with the Prince’s Trust at BelgraveCommunity Allotment & Garden, providingopportunities for young people to gain new skills andbuild relationships with local residents,

l Facilitated Tamworth Employment Action Group,connecting partners to develop linked activitiesconcerned with personal development, learning newskills and training; improving the chances ofemployment for young people,

l Under the Improving Wellbeing in TamworthCommissioning Prospectus, contracts were awardedfor the provision of therapeutic interventions tosupport young people with their emotional wellbeingand to support vulnerable families by establishingroutines for children including attendance at school,

l The Tamworth Homeless Education Programme(THEP) continued to be delivered in schools with theaim of preventing homelessness through raisingawareness.

“To be Healthier and Safer in Tamworth”Improve the health and wellbeing of olderpeople by supporting them to live active,independent lives

l The Healthy Cooking on a budget course, run byTamworth CIC in partnership with Tamworth BoroughCouncil, gave tips to people of all ages on how to cookand eat healthily,

l Under the Improving Wellbeing in TamworthCommissioning Prospectus a contract was awarded tothe Alzheimer’s Society to provide a dementia supportservice,

l The Council’s Healthier and Safer Scrutiny Committeegave its support to working towards making Tamwortha ‘dementia friendly community’,

Create an integral approach to protectingthose most vulnerable in our localcommunities

l Under the Voluntary and Community Grants, Artsand Sports Grants schemes more than £22,000 wasawarded to 28 organisations who carry out projects tomake Tamworth a better place, to help them developand provide services for the residents of Tamworth,

l The Housing Management Plus service was approvedto protect tenants in sheltered housing schemes,

l Under a pilot of the Council’s new acquisitionpolicy, nine homes for rent to people on the housingregister were bought by Tamworth Borough Council,

l Under the Improving Wellbeing in TamworthCommissioning Prospectus contracts were awarded toCruse for the delivery of bereavement support,Brighter Futures to provide a ‘Safe and Well Service’to support people with complex needs, StaffordshireCare Farming to encourage participants on theWELLIES 4 Work programme to get closer to beingable to work, Support Staffordshire to provide avolunteering service, Communities Together CIC forthe ‘Positive Steps for Change’ project to takeindividuals through a whole life assessment and HomeStart for the provision of a home visit support tofamilies with wide ranging issues.


Reduce the harm and wider consequencesof alcohol abuse on individuals, familiesand society

l Operation Safer Nights Plus saw staff fromorganisations - including Tamworth Borough Council,police, fire service, domestic abuse groups and drug &alcohol counselling services - patrolling the streets ofTamworth town centre to inform and educate revellersabout how to stay safe, while at the same timesupporting the town’s night-time economy by makingTamworth a much safer place to be at night,

l The Brighter Futures support scheme provides a ‘Safeand Well Service’ to support people with complexneeds,

Address the causes of poor health inchildren and young people

l The Sports Development Team worked with sportsclubs and other organisations to offer a variedprogramme of events over the summer holiday underPlayscheme 2015. More than 3,000 children took partin 111 free activities,

l Under the Improving Wellbeing in TamworthCommissioning Prospectus, a contract was awarded to‘Sport @ ur door’ to provide children and youngpeople a range of sport and physical activity options intheir local communities,

l A healthy growing, cooking and eating project, which issupported by Tamworth Borough Council, won anational award. The WELLIES Grow it, Cook it, Eat itis run by Staffordshire Care Farming Development CICto teach people how to grow their own food at homeand then cook it. The sessions teach families abouthealthy eating and the importance of physical activitythorough practical, fun activities.

Implement ‘Total Place’ solutions to tacklingcrime and ASB in designated localities anddevelop innovative early interventions totackle youth crime and ASB

The Tamworth Community Safety Partnership, of whichTamworth Borough Council is a partner, undertook thefollowing:

l a pop-up safety event in the town centre to raiseawareness of domestic abuse and the help which isavailable to both victims and perpetrators,

l the Christmas Crackdown campaign to reduce crimeand disorder during the festive period by tacklingpriority issues like shoplifting, drink driving, personalsafety, burglary and purse snatching,

l launched Operation Motocrush to target hotspotareas where nuisance motorbikes are being illegallyridden on roads, footpaths and public spaces



Due to the earlier publication of this combined document thedraft summary accounts for 2015/16 are not yet available. Assoon as they are (approximately end of June 2016) they will beposted on the Council’s website..

SUMMARY ACCOUNTS 2015/16

“Approachable, Accountable and Visible”Value for money and accountability underpinned the delivery of all corporate priorities. Working with others, the Councilwill deliver services that are well-governed, ethical, effective, efficient and economically viable.

l As part of the Tamworth Listens initiative, a thirdQuestion Time event was held at the Assembly Roomsattracting 100 residents,

l The Annual State of Tamworth Debate was held,

l The My Staffs App was launched, providing people withanother way to access council services on the move andat a time to suit them,

l A new Webchat service was launched. Anyone with anenquiry about a Tamworth Borough Council service canget in touch with the Council through the new ‘Chat’window on our website,

l Six processes are available on our website for customersto self serve,

l External auditors gave an unqualified audit opinion on theCouncil’s accounts,

l Combined Local and General Elections were held withturnouts of 63% and 65% respectively.


The corporate planning process forms a fundamental part ofthe successful management of the Council. Our corporateplanning framework sits within a wider planning hierarchy thathas the shared vision and priorities at the top. The Council’scorporate plan and medium-term financial strategy focuses onhow the Council will deliver its contribution to these while theservice delivery plans show how the services will alsocontribute. Below this are the personal developments plansfor each employee. The links between the plans form the“golden thread” that ensures everyone in the organisation isworking towards the same goals and that the priorities will beachieved.

CORPORATE PLANNING PROCESS

Vision and Priorities

Corporate Planand

Medium TermFinancial Plan

Service Delivery Plans

Personal Development Reviews

CORPORATE PLANNINGPYRAMID

ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENTThe Annual Governance Statement is a statutory documentpublished following a review of the effectiveness of theAuthority’s system of internal control. It explains thegovernance framework (systems and processes, culture andvalues) that the Authority has in place, and includes anaction plan to address any significant governance issuesidentified.

Due to the earlier publication of this combined document,the annual governance statement for 2015/16 is not yetavailable. The Annual Governance Statement is publishedwith the Annual Statement of Accounts and will be availablelater in the year.

Performance managementis a process not an event.It operates as a continuouscycle. All elements ofTamworth BoroughCouncil’s performancemanagement frameworkare built around the annualperformance cycle asshown in this diagram.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CYCLE

Performance Reporting Cycle

Financial Planning Cycle

Corporate Reporting Cycle

Service Development Planning & Demand Management Cycle

Consultation Cycle

KEY

Performance Management Cycle

NOVE

MBER

JUNE

MAY

APRILDE

CEMBE

R

JULYSEPTEMBER

AUGUST

OCTOBER

JANU

ARY

MARCH

FEBR

UARY

at Cab

inet

• Tech. Adjs. Cttee decisions

• Revenue Budget preparation

Plan

com

men

ces

• Q4 Performance Report

• Financial Health Check at CMT

• Financial Healthcheck at CMT

• Q3

Per

form

ance

Rep

ort a

t CM

T


• Q2 Perform

ance

Repo

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t CM

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• Fin

anci

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k at

CM

T

• Q1 Performance Report at CMT

• Q1 Performance Report at Cabinet

• Q3

Perfo

rman

ce Rep

ort at

Cabinet • Q4 Performance Report at CMT

at Cabinet

• Ann

ual R

eview

- write

up

• Ca

bine

t inp

ut in

to A

nnua

l Rev

iew

• Annual Review approved by Cabinet


• Annual Review published

• Q2 Perfo

rm

ance

Rep

ort

• Public Budget Consultation

• Draft R

SG re

ceive

d

• Jo

int S

crut

iny

• Budget Consultation process agreed• Dr

aft B

udge

t rec

omm

enda

tions

• Fin

al Bu

dget

Appro

ved at

Council

• Budget Consultation feedback,• Capital Programme/Policy • Capital Bids considered & Policy

• Review/Revise & agree

• Base Budget & Policy

an

d i

nclud

ed

to S

crut

iny

Com

mitt

ees

changes & targets issued for

Com

mitt

ee (B

udge

t) fe

edba

ck

Budget process

Changes responses received Changes included

Managers input• State of Ta

mworth D

ebat

e•

Draf

t Cor

pora

te P

lan

• CM

T in

put i

nto

Corp

orat

e Pla

n

• Review/Revise Vision &

• Corporate Plan approved

by Cabinet

Objectives at CMT/Cabinet

• AGM

upda

ted

at C

abin

et ie

Hig

h Le

vel P

riorit

y Act

ions,

Proj

ects

& In

itiat

ives

• Corporate Plan published

Away Day

• PDRs commence• Business Plans signed

• PDRs conclude• Dem

and managem

ent

• De

taile

d de

pts

budg

et

plan

ning

from

bud

get

activity ongoing

off, available on internet

throughout the year

and on Covalental

loca

tions

and

Cor

p.

• Tamworth Listens

• Ongoing

Question Time

throughoutthe year

event

• Co

rpor

ate Pl

an - w

rite up


Performance ScorecardTamworth Borough Council balances its attention across itspriorities. Summary performance of service activities andprojects is indicated by the status of business and service planactions, indicators and identified risks.

Performance Monitoring & ReportingArrangementsThe Performance Scorecard is monitored by:l Individual officers and members assigned to or with aparticular interest in an action, indicator or risk,

l Corporate and Directorate Management Teams,

l Cabinet,

l Scrutiny Committees.

A link to our current and past performance is available on thecouncil’s website: www.tamworth.gov.uk/performance

HOW WE WILL ASSURE WHAT WE DO


WHAT WE WILL DO 2016-2020


“Living a quality life in Tamworth”

Appendix A

CORPORATEPRIORITY

CORPORATE OBJECTIVE ORPLANNED ACTIONS

INTENDED OUTCOME OR SUCCESSFACTOR

SUPPORT ANDPROTECT

INDIVIDUALS,COMMUNITIES THAT

ARE OR MAYBECOME

VULNERABLE

Adoption of the Tamworth Prevent Strategy. Successful implementation of the Prevent Strategyevidenced by completed awareness training of staff,members and partners.

Implement changes to Sheltered Housing Servicesfollowing withdrawal of supporting people funding.

Housing Management Plus services embedded andoutcomes achieved.

Develop and deliver Homelessness Preventionservices in line with – DCLG gold standard.

Achievement of DCLG Gold Standard.

Provision/Development of multi-agency DigitalSharepoint.

Improved communication, ensure robust and consistentdelivery.

ENABLE RESIDENTSTO IMPROVE THEIRHEALTH ANDQUALITY OF LIFE

Enable access to high-quality leisure facilitiesthrough our partners.

Mechanisms for the provision of sports-related activitiesare robust and meet the needs of the community.

Enable the provision of leisure activities targetedat identified sectors of the community.

Services/facilities provided match the demand within theindoor/outdoor Sports Strategy.

Support the provision of health interventions forvulnerable people.

Deliver currently commissioned services and developproposals for future third sector provision.

Secure and develop the scope of LocalityCommissioning opportunities and mechanismswith strategic partners.

The development of pooled budgets and integratedsystems of working.Opportunities for Double Devolution explored.The agreement of shared priorities and objectives withpartners.


CORPORATEPRIORITY



WORK TOGETHERWITH PARTNERSAND RESIDENTS TOTACKLE THE CAUSESOF INEQUALITY INTAMWORTH

Explore options and mechanisms for developingself-help opportunities at a neighbourhood level.

Managed transition from current scale of state support toself-help at a neighbourhood level.

Engage collaboratively in the review of VCSEsupport and Development Models.

Skilled VCSE ‘provider’ organisations forming a local‘offer’ to the market.

Facilitate review of strategic purpose andprocesses of the TSP.

Aligned locality-based multi-agency collaboration.

WORK TOGETHERWITH RESIDENTS TOMAINTAIN ANDIMPROVE A SAFE,CLEAN AND GREENENVIRONMENT

Ensure all green spaces and nature reserves areaccessible by residents and are maintained to astandard that is conducive for use.

Continued use of the Wild About Tamworth project toprovide support and guidance to both the volunteergroups and the Council.

Continued commitment to a Community SafetyPartnership that is responsive to locality andreflects the needs of the community and partners.

Public feedback on how safe the community feels inTamworth.

Review and implement options for Councilhousing repairs and investment services.

Strategic decisions regarding the future of repairs andinvestment services and implementation planning complete.

Develop a unified neighbourhood offer.

WORK TOGETHER TOIMPROVE HOUSING

QUALITY INTAMWORTH

Explore and develop proposals for an asset-backed vehicle for the delivery of newhousing/deliver of services.

Options understood and decisions regarding the futureinformed.

Develop and deliver a programme of housingdevelopment on Council-owned sites includingexploration of asset-backed vehicles to deliverprivate rented sector.

New Council homes and neighbourhood regeneration.

Deliver regeneration at Tinkers Green and Kerria. New Council homes and neighbourhood regeneration.

Review and update the Council’s HRA BusinessPlan.

HRA Plan updated to inform strategic investmentdecisions.

Review of Council’s Private Sector housing offer. Review informs strategic investment decision and servicedevelopment.

Complete the review of the Healthy HousingStrategy and action plan.

Updated strategic approach and action plan.


“Growing Strong Together in Tamworth”

CORPORATEPRIORITY



DEVELOP ANDSUPPORT THE LOCALECONOMY, TOGETHER

WITH LOCALBUSINESSES AND

PARTNERS THROUGHOUR REGIONALINFLUENCE

Actively engage in the WMCA work stream forInnovation and Inward Investment.

Fair and equitable access to Inward Investment.

Sustain support for GBSLEP Growth Hub. Proactive stance on managing referrals.

WORK WITHBUSINESSES ANDDEVELOPERS TOCREATE A VIBRANTAND SUSTAINABLETOWN CENTRE

To support local businesses with their submissionfor B.I.D. status.

The formation of a Tamworth B.I.D.

Use our regulatory powers within Licensing,Planning, and Environmental Health to beproactive with support and advice to enablebusiness development.

An increase in early intervention with a correspondingreduction in sanction.

The provision of accurate and timely advice,support, guidance and signpost town centrebusiness to relevant information, business supportprogrammes, training and funding opportunities.

Increase in businesses staying for longer in the towncentre. Increased footfall and dwell time in the towncentre.

Collection of the levy arising from the plannedBusiness Improvement District.

Maximise the collection level for investment in localinfrastructure.

WORK TOGETHER TOSTRENGTHEN THERELATIONSHIPS

BETWEEN SCHOOLS/FE& HE/EMPLOYERS

Actively engage with the GBSLEP & SSoTLEP intheir respective programmes targeting youngpeople.

Increased opportunities for young people in jobmarket.

Engage as appropriate in Area Review processes. Skilled and employment ready workforceEconomic growth through prosperity.

CHAMPION HIGHERSKILLED AND BETTER

PAID JOBS INTAMWORTH

Actively engage in and influence key strategicwork streams namely: WMCA Skills & Productivity Commission & SSoTLEP Employment& Skills work streams.

Impact upon causes of deprivation and reducedreliance on State support.

CORPORATE PRIORITY CORPORATE OBJECTIVE ORPLANNED ACTIONS


USE OUR REGIONAL INFLUENCETO SUPPORT AN ENVIRONMENT

WHERE BUSINESS ANDENTERPRISE CAN FLOURISH AND

GROW

Working with GBSLEP Finance Directors tomaximise retention of business rates toimprove the economy and infrastructure of theregion.

Maximise collection of business rates within theGBS rate retention pool.Use of insight data to identify additional businessrate collection opportunities in order to maximiselocal business rate collection levels.

Working with GBSLEP Legal Directors toensure Scrutiny and governance compliance.

Probity of decision making.Robust scrutiny of proposals and decisions.

Engage as necessary in order to benefit fromNon-Constituent Membership of WMCA.

Seek opportunities to enhance key growth, skillsregeneration outcomes.

Maintain ongoing commitment to GBSLEP viaBoard and Executive membership.

Influence major decisions that impact uponeconomic growth.

Maintain ongoing commitment to SSoTLEP andcountywide collaborations.

Further enhance growth opportunities.

WORK TOGETHER TOSTRENGTHEN THE CONNECTIONS

BETWEEN SCHOOLS/FE &HE/EMPLOYMENT TO CREATEOPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGHERSKILLED & BETTER PAID JOBS

Engage in the WMCA and SSoTLEP Skills andProductivity work streams.

Improved links between main education providersand businesses.

ADOPT A COMMERCIALAPPROACH TO MANAGINGCOUNCIL ASSETS IN ORDER TOENHANCE THE VIABILITY OF THE

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Commission a review of the Town CentreMaster plan.

Refreshed masterplan giving a focused view.

To facilitate progress by developers/landownersof sites identified in the local plan for housingand / or commercial activity.

Additional homes and floor space.

To facilitate progress by developers/landownersof the regeneration of the Gungate site.

Robust and proactive approach to facilitatingdevelopment of land.

Explore opportunities that will ensure allCouncil investment assets produce a revenuestream to support corporate priorities.

The production of a planned sustainable incomestream based upon investment assets.

WORK TOGETHER TO PRESERVEAND PROMOTE TAMWORTH’SHERITAGE, LEISURE ANDNATURAL ENVIRONMENT

To ensure consideration of commercialopportunities in business decision-making.

A risk/reward based return on investmentrequirement within planned projects.Producing options appraisals, business cases andreview opportunities for setting up Local AuthorityTrading Companies as well as other business modelsfor service to maximise return on Council assets andincrease economic benefit for the Council.Increase income through adopted commercialapproach.

WORK TOGETHER TO PRESERVEOUR CULTURE; PRESERVE OURHERITAGE AND SUSTAIN OURNATURAL ENVIRONMENT

To project manage the delivery of the CreativeQuarter regeneration.

Project completed on time and within budget.

33


“Delivering quality services in Tamworth”

CORPORATEPRIORITY



PROVIDE ACCURATEINFORMATION VIA AFULLY INTEGRATEDCUSTOMER SERVICES

CENTRE

Undertake fundamental review of customerservices functions across every service.

Enhanced, consistent and accessible customerservices.

Remodel service functions, standards and systemshaving regard for:l Demand Managementl Current inconsistencies of service delivery/standards

l Customer feedback/demandl Digital & technologyl Efficiency & added value

Improved customer experience and satisfaction ratings.Increased efficiency and capacity.Reduced demand and waste.Agreed, measureable standards.Availability of data and customer insight to aid futureplanning.

Co-design Customer Service standards with usergroups.

Streamlined, efficient corporate services.

To provide support for the integrated CustomerServices Centre.

To enable first time resolution and reduction in waste.Promotion of digital channels to reduce demand.Technical support from back office includingappropriately-trained staff.

Full and robust implementation of CorporateChange Programme.

Provision of digital data and information, enablement ofautomation and self-service, consistent and robustservice provision.

WORK WITHCUSTOMERS TOIMPROVE THEIR

ACCESS TO COUNCILSERVICES

Seek customer feedback consistently across allservice areas.

Explore and develop new channels of access.

Deliver services that are digital by default.

24/7 access for a full range of council services.New technology exploited.Improved efficiency of access channels.Improved customer satisfaction with access to Councilservices.Increased number of services available online.Cost of delivery/transaction costs reduced.

ENABLE AND SUPPORTTAMWORTH RESIDENTSAND BUSINESSESUSING OUR

STATUTORY ANDREGULATORY POWERS

Implementation of the ASB Crime and Police Act2014.

Appropriate use of the new legislation to ensurepublic concerns over ASB are dealt with swiftly.

Delivery of a Community Safety Partnership thatis responsive to locality, and reflects the needs ofthe community and partners.

Positive public feedback on how safe the communityfeels in Tamworth.

Proactive business continuity information sharingwith businesses.

Enablement of a full business and communityresponse in the event of an incident.

CORPORATEPRIORITY



ENABLING GREATERPUBLIC

ENGAGEMENT INLOCAL DECISION

MAKING

Explore new methods of ways in which thecommunity can engage with the delivery ofcouncil services using data and intelligence.

Services shaped by users.

Continue to develop democratic communityleadership.

Inspirational informed community leaders.Increased number of people who feel they can influencedecisions in their locality.

Local ownership and delivery of servicesmeasured by percentage of local public assets &facilities run by voluntary bodies, S.M.E.s, etc

Increase customer capability/capacity to self-manage.

Budget consultation. Carry out annual consultation process to inform localpriorities for the MTFS.

Local Council Tax Reduction Schemeconsultation.

Consultation on scheme proposals needed to balancecost of scheme to council taxpayers against needs of thevulnerable.

State of Tamworth Debate Encourage through media sources public involvement inthe democratic process to add and facilitate the shape ofTamworth the place.

Registration of electors/Individual electorregistration/Elections.

Council, Cabinet, Planning Committee. Provision of information to citizens through digital channels.

DEMONSTRATEVALUE FOR MONEY

Review, remodel and realign services andresources by aligning them to our vision, purposeand priorities.

Unified back office functions.

Services aligned to customer needs.

Implement organisational transformation to ensurethe Council’s workforce is equipped andpositioned for change.

Creation of an environment that enables people to be thebest they can be.Reviewed senior management structure to ensurepositive, transformational and courageous leadership.

Challenge statutory need and reduce demand forservices.

Deliver a training plan that focuses on behaviours,culture and leadership.

Delivery of facilitated leadership development programmeto create consistent leadership culture.Organisation fit for 21st century.

Proper governance advice for officers andMembers.

Development of e-learning modules to enhancegovernance awareness.A risk/reward based return on investment requirementwith planned projects.Provision of financial, legal, ICT and procurement supportfor the decision making process

Business case approach to investment decisions.

To provide appropriate professional supportConsideration of commercial opportunities inbusiness decision making.

Producing options appraisals, businesses cases and reviewopportunities for setting up Local Authority TradingCompanies as well as other business models for serviceto maximise return on Council assets and increaseeconomic benefit for the Council. 35

To provide feedback specifically on the form andcontent of this Annual Review and Corporate Plan,email [email protected]

For more information about Tamworth BoroughCouncil, visit our website at www.tamworth.gov.uk

Tamworth Borough CouncilMarmion HouseLichfield StreetTamworthB79 7BZ

Email: [email protected]: 01827 709709

Designed and produced by Tamworth Borough Council

CONTACT US

If you would like this document in an alternative format or language please contact us 01827 709709 or email [email protected]

Annual Review & Corporate Plan 2016-17

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