Future ambition for Southend-on-Sea to be discussed

October 30, 2018 by Southend Borough Council

An exciting resident and stakeholder led ambition for the future of the Borough will be presented at next week’s cabinet (6^th November).

The draft ambition follows the ‘Southend 2050 – be part of the conversation’ engagement programme that started in spring 2018. 

Over 35,000 people were reached through the work, with 4,000 people actively taking part and 55 events taking place.

This work has identified the sort of place residents and stakeholders want Southend-on-Sea to be, and the work needed now and over the next five years (to 2023) to help make that happen. The roadmap also identifies key milestones and projects that will be delivered up to 2023 (see separate media release).

Cabinet are being asked to approve the draft documents and refer them to all three November scrutiny committees for further comments and a special cabinet on 4^th December before consideration by Full Council on 13^th December. If approved, the 5-year roadmap will replace the council’s previous corporate plan process, and will be supported by strategic delivery plans based on five key theme areas. These are proposed as: 

·       Pride and Joy

·       Safe and Well

·       Active and Involved

·       Opportunity and Prosperity

·       Connected and Smart 

Cllr John Lamb, Leader of the Council, says: “I am delighted to present this plan for the future of our Borough. This is truly a resident and stakeholder led piece of work, and I want to thank each and every person who has got involved. 

“Our ambition for the Borough and our draft five-year plan has come directly from what local people, businesses and stakeholders have told us they want. 

“I want to be clear that this isn’t about the year 2050, but it is about planning for the future whilst also dealing with the challenges and issues we face today, tomorrow and over the next five years. 

“Planning ahead and having an ambition is an essential part of any successful business or place.

“Our draft ambition and five-year roadmap has emerged from detailed engagement with a cross section of the community and helped us to identify what we want to achieve as a place, and how we deliver that collectively with our public sector partners, local residents and businesses.

“It has told us clearly what is important to local people and it is already helping us to deal with the here and now too.

“The excellent and extensive engagement work we have done has helped us to clearly focus on what needs to be done now and into the future to ensure that we achieve our outcomes for the community.”