14. council-plan-2024-2027.pdf

Council Plan 2024- 2027 Contents Foreword.................................................................................................................... 4 Our Plan for Darlington......................................................................................... 6 Introduction..............

Council Plan 2024- 2027 Contents Foreword.................................................................................................................... 4 Our Plan for Darlington......................................................................................... 6 Introduction................................................................................................................ 7 Core Principles......................................................................................................... 7 Our Ambitions........................................................................................................... 9 Our Priorities............................................................................................................ 10 Our Approach..........................................................................................................22 Performance Reporting........................................................................................23 Annex Our Borough: Key Data................................................................................24 Summary of Consultation Responses....................................................25 Your Cabinet...................................................................................................26 2 3 Foreword Our thanks to all who took part in the consultation on our draft plan, took the time to complete our survey and talked to myself and my Cabinet colleagues about what matters to you. We are also pleased to have had responses to our survey from every ward in Darlington. This plan sets out our long-term ambitions for Darlington and priorities for action over the next few years. Our Council is focussed on ensuring everyone has the opportunity for a good job, home and social connections - the building blocks of good health. We know Darlington is a great place to live and work. We are committed to making Darlington fairer and greener for everyone, building on opportunities and successes and facing up to the difficult challenges. Over the previous decade inequalities across our communities have worsened. The inequality in life expectancy between the best and worst areas across Darlington is 10.6 years for women and 13 years for men. The North East has seen the highest increase in child poverty over much of the previous decade which has restricted the chances for children to flourish. Children born in different areas of our borough have very different life chances. There are many more examples of inequalities that result in not everyone having the same life opportunities. We face long-term challenges which need long-term commitments. Our ambitions for Darlington are for an inclusive and sustainable economy; people living well and staying healthy; with thriving places and connected communities. This is a long-term vision and the beginning of our journey that we want to make together. At the plan’s heart is our vision to be one of the best places in the UK to live, learn, work and invest - with a strong and sustainable economy, healthy thriving communities and opportunities for all. Three core principles will shape everything we do and lead to a better quality of life in the long term. All three are important and require multi-level stakeholder and community action: Addressing inequalities - Darlington is a wonderful place to live and work and we want opportunities to be accessible to everyone. We will have a long-term focus on understanding and addressing the causes of inequality, ensuring our communities are safe and can thrive. Tackling climate change - the changing climate impacts all our lives now and we know this is particularly important to our younger residents. One of the first things we did when we came to office was bring forward by 10 years, to 2040, the Council’s commitment to being carbon neutral. Efficient and effective use of resources - we will remain focussed on the financial sustainability of the council, ensuring good governance and delivering the best services possible, with the resources we have, for our residents, communities, and businesses. 4 The Council faces unparalleled financial challenges. Reductions in public spending between 2010 and 2019 meant the Council’s budget was reduced by £46m in real terms, a 36% reduction in budget. After Covid-19, we have seen the cost of living increasing, income deprivation and poverty rising, high inflation and interest rates, along with a significant increase in demand for adult and children’s services consuming over two thirds of our budget. We face competing priorities – a need to address rising inequalities in our communities, at a time when we face an unparalleled reduction in the Council’s budget – and so this means we face challenging times. Our plan sets out six priorities for the Council for the next three years: economy, homes, living well, children and young people, communities and the local environment. We were pleased to see clear support for our ambitions, priorities and core principles in our survey; and receive support and challenge in areas important to you. These insights have informed the development of this plan. This is an ambitious plan that we cannot deliver alone, it requires collaboration, within the council, and with the voluntary and private sectors, key stakeholders and communities. These are both exciting and challenging times for Darlington, and we are looking forward to delivering for you. If you want to work with us, please get in touch. Councillor Stephen Harker Leader, Darlington Borough Council July 2024 5 Our Plan For Darlington Core Principles Addressing Efficient and effective Tackling inequalities use of resources climate change Vision for the Borough Darlington is one of the best places to live, learn, work and invest in the UK, with a strong and sustainable economy, healthy thriving communities and opportunities for all Our Ambitions Inclusive and Living well and Thriving places and sustainable economy staying healthy connected communities Our Priorities Economy Homes Living Well Children Communities Local and Young Environment People A strong Affordable A healthier The best Safer, A well- sustainable and secure and better start in life, healthier, connected, economy and homes that quality of life realising and more clean and highly skilled meet the for longer, potential engaged sustainable workforce current and supporting and raising communities borough with future needs those who aspirations opportunities of residents need it most for all Our Approach Data Embed core Deliver Model our Share key Collaborate driven and principles through key core values in challenges and work in intelliegence in decision- strategies our work and and celebrate partnership led making and plans behaviours success 6 Introduction The Council Plan outlines the Council’s long-term ambitions for Darlington and its priorities over the next three years (2024-2027). It gives strategic direction to the Council and council services, defining priorities and shaping delivery; making clear what we will do and how we will do it. The plan recognises the fundamental link between health, wellbeing and the economy. It is shaped by the building blocks of good health with a focus on a good job, home and social connections. The plan has six priorities: economy, homes, living well, children and young people, communities, and the local environment. Six core themes shape our approach: data driven and intelligence led; embed core principles into decision making; deliver through key strategies and plans; model core values in our work and behaviours; collaboration and partnership working to reduce siloed working and deliver greater impact; and share key challenges and celebrate success. We will demonstrate progress against the deliverables in six-monthly reports to Cabinet which will present the impact of our work, discuss key challenges and celebrate the successes. Core Principles We will consider our three core principles in everything we do. They are a long-term commitment to enhancing the well-being of all residents and ensuring the council is able to deliver the greatest impact within available resources. The scale and complexity of the challenge means the council cannot tackle these issues alone but, being the level of government closest to communities, we have an important role to play. Addressing inequalities Darlington is a wonderful place to live and work and our economy is resilient and growing, but this is not felt by everybody. The gap between the people and places with the best and worst outcomes is unacceptably high and worsening. There are unacceptably high levels of child poverty and disadvantage, demonstrated by 25% of Darlington’s children living in low income families, with the highest ward reaching nearly 47%. We want opportunities to be accessible and to benefit everyone. We will: Develop a cross-council approach based on an in-depth understanding of inequalities and their causes, with a focus on local communities experiencing disadvantage Ensure all new strategies and plans consider inequalities, starting with the development of an inclusive growth strategy and a review of the health and wellbeing strategy Strengthen partnership working with key stakeholders and the voluntary and community sector, with a long-term focus on opportunity and addressing the causes of inequality and short-term focus on reducing the burden of the cost of living. We will work with communities to understand first-hand the challenges they face. 7  Tackling climate change This is about more than reducing carbon emissions. The climate is changing, which has an impact on our lives from the risk of flooding and more extreme weather to health impacts for our most vulnerable residents. We are also all facing increasing energy costs and potential threats to energy security. There is a role for national and local government to invest in our future. We will: Deliver the climate change action plan to make Darlington Borough Council carbon neutral by 2040 Involve all parts of the council in a cross-council approach to sustainability and climate change Work alongside our business community, collaborating with groups such as the Darlington Employers Environmental Partnership to transition to net zero Work with partners, government, public and private sectors and residents for a resilient Darlington so we are able to respond and adapt to change. Efficient and effective use of resources The council is facing unparalleled financial challenges with rising costs and a significant increase in demand for services. We have a responsibility to ensure residents get value for money for their council tax and that every pound is spent efficiently and effectively. We will remain focussed on the financial sustainability of the council, ensuring good governance and delivering the best services possible, with the resources we have, for our residents, communities, and businesses. Our people are our best asset and will lead a culture of collaboration, innovation and creativity, respect, delivery and compassion, whilst maintaining focus on continuous improvement. We will: Deliver a balanced Medium Term Financial Plan and positive Value For Money outcome Deliver high quality governance and decision making Review and refresh the Asset Management Plan and Procurement Strategy Build on the Capital Project Management process by introducing an enhanced ICT system to improve efficiency and effectiveness Review and deliver the workforce strategy Maximise income through new joint venture companies, increase levels of business rates by growing the local economy; and maximise grant opportunities Explore opportunities to exploit digital assets to create efficiencies and increase productivity, including online delivery Continue to build strong relationships with partners, residents and communities. 8 Our Ambitions What long term success looks like An inclusive and sustainable economy will have: More people of all ages in good work Increased skills levels in the local labour Key sectors and sites innovating and market growing by creating jobs, attracting Vibrant town and neighbourhood more business and investment centres providing services, retail and A healthy, productive and vibrant work for all generations business community A growing economy that supports our A business-friendly public sector environment and heritage. supporting businesses to locate and grow Living well and staying healthy will mean: Health outcomes are improved and Households are more financially secure inequalities reduced Residents live longer, healthier, more Children and young people have the productive lives best start in life People are active and involved. People are supported to be independent Homes are affordable, healthy, secure and meet needs Thriving places and connected communities will have: Climate resilience where places are Digitally connected residents who are prepared for change and can adapt, benefitting from opportunities offered with reduced CO2 emissions online Access to good services Attractive, relevant and welcoming Happy, safe and secure communities places with improved safety in public spaces Sustainable and integrated transport Cultural, heritage and community assets across the borough and beyond. Well-connected people and communities, with links to places within and outside the borough 9 Our Priorities Economy - building a strong sustainable economy and highly skilled workforce with opportunities for all We want Darlington to have a strong economic outlook, with more businesses, good jobs and inward investment; building a strong platform for our ambitions to tackle health inequalities in Darlington. We believe in a fair society where growth benefits everyone, and everyone can enjoy the high quality of life that Darlington has to offer. A good education, quality jobs and reliable income should be accessible to all. Darlington is a great place to work, run a business and invest, and there are many opportunities for the economy to grow further. Business confidence is growing, with many new developments being brought forward by the private sector. But there are people living in poverty who cannot afford the essentials; 25% of children living in Darlington are in relative poverty. We will work with partners to invest in the conditions needed for the economy to grow and be successful, providing opportunities for more people to benefit. This will include working closely with Darlington Economic Campus to fully realise the investment and confidence in Darlington. Furthermore, we will continue to develop our partnership with Teesside University, Darlington College, CPI and commercial occupiers at Darlington Science Park. Key Deliverables 1. Develop and deliver an inclusive 5. Provide more education and skills economic growth strategy to create opportunities for residents by the conditions for businesses and the delivering the Adult Skills Centre and economy to thrive and provide good collaborating with providers and TVCA work opportunities for residents 6. Work with Market Asset Management 2. Establish a place-based partnership to to deliver improvements to the historic support the continued renewal of the indoor market town centre delivering more jobs and 7. Accelerate the delivery of key sites more homes to the market to attract private sector 3. Ensure that the borough is safe, clean investment, including Darlington and maintained to levels that support Science Park, Ingenium Parc and the economy and encourage inward Faverdale Business Park investment 8. Deliver the Towns Fund projects, 4. Work with employers, national and including the refurbishment of the local employability providers, and Tees Northern Echo building, to secure Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) new business occupiers to promote good jobs and career 9. Work effectively with Darlington opportunities for all, particularly young Economic Campus to fully realise the people and those with barriers to opportunities this investment presents work, to access good employment to the town and its communities. outcomes 10 Case Study: Redeveloping the Northern Echo Building The Council acquired the former home of the Northern Echo newspaper and secured £11.4m to redevelop the iconic town centre building and meet the growing demand for quality office space in the borough. The Council appointed Adavo to design, deliver and operate the project, delivering space for commercial and public use. On the three upper floors, there will be over 3,000 square metres of flexible workspace created, for use by small to medium sized enterprises, attracting more businesses and creating more jobs. On the ground floor, a new partnership between the Council and Darlington College will expand the adult learning provision in the town centre, supporting local people to gain training to access the job market or develop skills to enhance their careers from this renowned building. 11  Homes - affordable and secure homes that meet the current and future needs of residents Good housing should be affordable, safe, secure and of decent quality. Good housing is important for the health and wellbeing of residents and communities; it energises communities and encourages businesses to locate and create jobs. We want to enhance the quality and availability of housing for our residents, focusing on: building affordable and social homes to meet demand; improving standards of existing housing; improving the energy efficiency of existing and new housing; and meeting the needs of our population as it changes, particularly our ageing population by supporting independent living. We want to make sure that we can have a more joined up approach to homes in the borough, both within the Council and with partners in the social housing, charity, housing development and private landlord sectors. Key Deliverables 1. Review and refresh the preventing 6. Continue investment in Council homelessness and rough sleeping housing to ensure quality and greater strategy, working with partners to energy efficiency ensure the provision of the right 7. Ensure effective use of the Disabled support and services to help people Facilities Grant to enable people to avoid homelessness and support remain independent in their own those who are homes for as long as possible 2. Review our approach to empty homes 8. Introduce additional licencing for across the borough so more quality homes of multiple occupation, a homes are available voluntary landlords charter and work 3. Support the delivery of more towards the introduction of selective social houses and supported licencing in areas with a high number accommodation by building more of private rented sector homes. council homes and working with other social landlords and charities 4. Develop and deliver a new homes strategy, to address housing need, including ensuring social and affordable homes across the borough, in accordance with the Local Plan 5. Continue to improve the quality of housing through healthy home design principles and ensuring developers create greater energy efficiency in new homes 12 Case Study: Building Affordable Homes at Neasham Road The Council’s Housing Services team is delivering 150 new council homes at Neasham Road, built by the in-house Building Services team, to provide more affordable homes for Darlington residents. Neasham Road is a £31.6m scheme with £7.35m part-funding from Homes England. The first phase completes in July 2024, delivering an initial 22 affordable rentable properties. The homes will be handed over to residents following completion. The homes are built to an exceptionally high specification to ensure high quality homes for tenants. They meet lifetime standards, including wider doorways and larger bathrooms for wheelchair accessibility and are fitted with energy efficient windows, doors and insulation to ensure they achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate B rating. A further 32 properties are scheduled for completion in 2024 and the remaining 96 properties will complete in 2025. The finished development will include a mixture of rent and rent-to-buy properties offering a first step to affordable home ownership, with 64 two-bed apartments, 24 two-bed houses, 43 three-bed houses and 19 four-bed houses. 13  Living Well - a healthier and better quality of life for longer, supporting those who need it most More years in good health leads to more fulfilling lives, and a better standard of living. However, there are inequalities in Darlington across all stages of life which are influenced by broader social factors including education, employment, housing and income. We believe all residents should have the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives. We want to support residents of every age to live well. This will require significant engagement and collaboration with the NHS, local businesses and third-sector partners. Our council has committed to improving our contact with carers and working to create a network of support for better health and wellbeing outcomes. We will support those who need it most and signpost for access to other provision and support where appropriate; and improve and promote access to activity in our community leisure facilities, to keep people healthy and active. Key Deliverables 1. Continue to develop joint working with 6. Shape a sustainable and accountable the NHS and key partners to support care market which delivers support people to lead healthier lives, stay in focussed on promoting, regaining and their homes for longer and reduce maintaining people’s independence hospital stays and wellbeing 2. Health and Wellbeing Board to 7. Develop an Adult Social Care agree and deliver a new strategy to engagement strategy to ensure improve health outcomes and reduce people requiring care and support, inequalities, and lead the creation of a and their carers, are involved in health and wellbeing network service development and 3. Develop and implement a new commissioning activity. public health strategy focussed on tackling health inequalities, including developing strategies on domestic abuse, drugs, alcohol and physical activity 4. Widen participation in recreation and leisure facilities, including the Dolphin Centre and Eastbourne Sports Complex 5. Deliver the key aims of the adult social care transformation plan to prevent, reduce and/or delay the need for care by supporting people to manage their own independence and wellbeing 14 Case Study: Strength Based Practice Darlington’s Adults Social Care Services provide tailored support for residents focused on an individual’s strengths. This approach is called strength based practice and is a nationally recognised method to supporting people to identify their own skills and abilities and enabling people to co-produce their support, and own their decisions and actions. Other local authorities have reached out to our teams to replicate this approach in their communities as it is already delivering impact for Darlington residents. One of our residents in their 80s has been in extra care for 12 years and recently their physical health deteriorated leading to a request to explore residential care. Their social worker took a strength based and person-centred approach and put our resident’s wishes and feelings at the centre of the discussion about their future and support needs. This approach found that the resident wanted to stay in their own home and so with assistive technology, such as movement sensors and installing Lifeline and a change in the timings of their care and support they were able to remain at home. Our resident told us, “The Social Worker has treated me like a human and not a number... I wanted to stay as independent as I can. Staying in my home is important to me. The Social Worker helped me to get the support I needed to stay here…he is the best Social Worker I have ever had”. 15  Children and Young People - supporting the best start in life, realising potential and raising aspirations Our children and young people are the future of the borough. It is important that they are supported to be healthy, educated and confident, and live in a stable and supportive environment. We believe that all children should have the opportunity to realise their potential, and to make a positive economic, social and environmental contribution to Darlington. The council has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, ensuring their needs are met and their rights protected. We are seeing more vulnerable children with increasingly complex needs requiring help and support, with a 33% increase in children in our care since pre-pandemic levels. We want to make sure that all children and young people have good access to health, care and education provision. The following actions have been developed to meet needs and enable the best opportunities. Key Deliverables 1. Provide a safe and supportive living 5. Widen access of eligible children environment for children cared for by to the Holiday Activities and Food the Council by increasing the number Programme which focusses on health, of children placed in council foster wellbeing and raising aspirations care and, when appropriate, council- 6. Work in partnership with the early run residential homes years sector and health services to 2. Work with multi-academy trusts and promote school readiness and the schools to develop a high quality delivery of the expansion of funded and inclusive education sector in childcare entitlement Darlington 7. Refresh and deliver the Children 3. Work with the Department for and Young People’s Plan, working Education and the successful academy with services across the council, key trust sponsor to ensure the free school stakeholders, and children and young for children with Special Educational people in Darlington Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is 8. Continue the successful management developed on schedule, providing of the Safety Valve plan for the vital additional specialist capacity in education budget to improve Darlington outcomes for young people with 4. Develop more meaningful services by SEND, eliminate the historic deficit ensuring children and young people on funding and deliver a financially are involved in service development sustainable system. and commissioning activity 16 Case Study: Growing Healthy Darlington At a time when there continues to be a rising demand for specialist mental health services, the Growing Healthy 5-19 Team can offer early help and advice to support health and wellbeing. The team provides a public health service to all children and young people of school age and their families in Darlington. The service recently received a referral for a 13 year old girl who was becoming isolated, had poor emotional resilience relating to bullying and friendship difficulties, and had spells of not wanting to attend school and poor attendance. The service provided targeted work with the young person: setting goals, exploring how she felt physically when she was in fight/flight or freeze mode, discussing the circle of control and what she could or couldn’t control, fact and opinion, and challenging her thoughts with evidence. The support from the service gave her the ability to attend school, engage in positive relationships and build lifelong skills to manage her own emotional wellbeing. Her attendance improved greatly, allowing her to fully achieve her potential with a new-found ability to engage with her fellow peers and teachers. She said, of the support she received, “she made me feel more positive about myself and now more comfortable in the situations I couldn’t feel comfortable in. I have loved my lessons and they have really helped me and I’m sure it will be useful for the future”. 17  Communities - working together for safer, healthier and more engaged communities Our communities are the heart of our borough and play an important role in shaping our health and wellbeing. Safe and engaged communities are healthy places that support good health and the wellbeing of residents; attract business investment and create jobs; enable trust and collaboration; increase participation in activities that support the environment; and improve the overall quality of life for residents. Our diversity of rural and urban communities and a thriving town centre is central to making Darlington a great place to live and work, but like all places the high cost of living is affecting residents and businesses, and there is crime and anti-social behaviour. When communities feel valued, heard and connected, challenges can be more effectively tackled by working together. We will work with communities and partners to develop multi-agency strategies to deliver action on shared challenges and opportunities that secure a thriving community environment across the borough. Collective action will be focused on developing a shared understanding of the challenges, working together to bid for more funding and investment into the borough and our communities. Key Deliverables 1. Support communities to remain safe and resilient by working with key agencies and communities to address anti-social behaviour and crime issues in the community 2. Work with partners to reduce the burden of the cost of living, with a focus on food and fuel insecurity 3. Support and strengthen partnership working with voluntary and community 5. Ensuring business activity is regulated, groups, with a focus on addressing the licensed and enforced effectively to causes of inequality, financial inclusion, protect the health and wellbeing of social exclusion, and vulnerable residents, visitors and businesses families with children and young 6. Work with the voluntary and people community sector to develop a 4. Support a strong Community Safety strategy for informal volunteering Partnership to ensure the issues which empowers people to volunteer affecting the safety and security and directs volunteering to areas of our communities are addressed of greatest need, including working collectively, including addressing with Darlington Cares to deliver an hate crime enhanced volunteering programme. 18 Case Study: Reducing the Sale of Illegal and Harmful Vapes Darlington Trading Standards, Durham Police, Border Force, Immigration and HMRC partnered as Operation Nightstar to reduce the illegal sale of vapes and cigarettes to children as young as twelve. A series of targeted operations over the last two years has resulted in six commercial premises closed by the Courts; and 5,066 illegal vapes, 19,095 packs of illegal cigarettes and 58.6 kg of hand-rolling tobacco seized and removed from the streets of Darlington, with an estimated value of £319k. A sample of vapes were sent to a laboratory for examination which found many contained heavy metals, and non-nicotine vapes contained nicotine and other ingredients. The Public Health team also supported schools by sharing up to date information and health messages about vapes and illegal vapes. 19  Local Environment - a well-connected, clean and sustainable borough Darlington is a thriving borough known for our railway heritage and our mix of urban and rural communities. We are the transport gateway into the region, with a vibrant family friendly town centre and growing economy. Our town centre is a destination for events and experiences alongside a growing independent retail offer. Our access to nature, parks and green spaces is often recognised as a big contributor to making Darlington a great place to live and work. Working with TVCA, service operators and residents, the council will deliver good and affordable transport, infrastructure and digital connectivity that enables safe travel, exercise and access to employment and education. Investing in our heritage and culture is important in preserving the identity of our communities, delivering regeneration and economic impact. Updating our planning documents will ensure that future developments are sustainable and positively impact our local environment. We will also continue to work with residents and other partners to protect and enhance our borough’s parks and open spaces. The following key actions are focussed on delivering these core foundations. Key Deliverables 1. Enable improvements in transport 4. Celebrate the opening of Hopetown systems by working in partnership with and deliver a successful 2025 festival TVCA and public transport operators programme that helps to promote to deliver the City Region Sustainable Darlington as a destination for visitors Transport Settlement programme and and investment the improvement of bus facilities and 5. Work with statutory bodies to progress reliability of services studies of flood risk in Darlington and 2. Work with local stakeholders and access funding to mitigate the impact businesses to promote a diverse and of climate change. accessible programme of events that 6. Deliver revised supplementary maximises footfall in the town centre planning documents that guide better and has a positive impact on the local design in new developments and economy contribute to a sense of pride in place. 3. Introduce food waste collections and support residents to increase overall recycling rates to move towards the national average 20 Case Study: Hopetown Darlington Hopetown Darlington opened in July 2024. It is a £37 million project investing in the borough’s rail heritage to create a national visitor destination in Darlington. The name takes inspiration from the old Hopetown foundry works. This year has seen the redevelopment of the 7.5 acre site and completion of the redeveloped Goods Shed, North Road Station Museum, 1853 Carriage Works; and the newly built Darlington Locomotive Works (home of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust) and Wagon Woods railway themed adventure play park. The Hopetown team is supporting local businesses and working with local suppliers to stock the café and gift shop. They have also delivered community outreach programmes and created 50 new jobs. 21 Our Approach Collaborate and Embed core principles work in partnership in decision making Working in partnership is a fundamental Our long-term strategic commitment to principle of how we intend to deliver the address inequalities, tackle climate change Council Plan; we will collaborate across and ensure efficient and effective use of services and externally to maximise the impact resources will be embedded in our work of our work. We will nurture and enhance across the council, from decision-making our long-term relationships with businesses, to delivery. It will help staff understand how voluntary organisations, our communities their objectives link with those of the council and other public sector agencies based on plan. Key areas of focus will include: requiring trust and mutual respect. We will use existing Cabinet and Council papers to explain how partnership arrangements such as the health the relevant core principles are being met and wellbeing board, public sector executive and the intended impact; and service plans group and the voluntary and community articulating how core principles relate to the sector engagement group and, where delivery of priority actions. needed, we will establish new partnership arrangements, for example, for the new Long-Term Plan for Towns. Model our core values Deliver through in our work and behaviours key strategies and plans Council employees have worked together to The vision and ambitions of the council plan agree four core values that they model: will be delivered through the council’s key Respect: be respectful towards the strategies and plans which will clearly set out council, each other as colleagues as the actions they will take to deliver, how they well as our community, residents, service will embed the core principles, and the impact users, stakeholders and wider partners they expect to make on Darlington’s residents, Innovation: be innovative in everything we economy and communities and how this will do and voice improvements to ensure we be measured. Their development will take offer quality services a collaborative approach with key services in the Council working together and, where Collaboration: act collaboratively and appropriate, working in partnership with key ensure collaborations help us to maximise stakeholders and residents. opportunities and achieve success Deliver: deliver quality services to everyone and strive to always deliver the best we can with the resources available. 22 Data driven and Share key challenges intelligence led and celebrate success We will base our strategies, plans and key We will communicate our challenges decisions on key data, intelligence and and celebrate success across our wide insights, particularly from engagement with range of services. We will be open in our the public and our stakeholders. This will communication with residents, businesses help us meet the needs of our residents, and stakeholders to ensure they feel informed address current issues, target interventions, about the decisions we make and understand make timely decisions and plan ahead for why we make them. This will help residents, future challenges and opportunities. We will businesses and stakeholders stay informed develop a comprehensive update of key data and become advocates for Darlington whilst and publish the analysis in the Darlington building pride in our collective achievements Profile 2025. We will share key data and and building confidence in the future. intelligence with stakeholders and partners to help develop a shared understanding of opportunities and challenges. Performance Reporting Progress with the Council Plan will be reported every six months to Cabinet. Both the mid-year and end of year reports will provide a summary of progress against the agreed performance indicators, with the end of year report also including analysis of how the plan is delivering against the key principles and priorities. Using the well- established arrangements, individual scrutiny committees will identify the performance measures most important to them and continue to receive regular reports. 23 Annex 1 - Our Borough: Key Data General Economy Population £530.50 £ Median weekly full time earnings for residents 109,469 85.9% 55,842 53,627 Workers earning Population growth the living wage (2012-2022) +4.0% Economically active 81.6% 86.4% residents Number of Household growth households (2014-2024) 53,426 4.1% 46.3 Unemployed New businesses per +9.2% claimant count 10,000 residents People Place Life expectancy (at birth) 81.5 77.5 32 villages and hamlets 16 Parks years years surrounding a historic town centre 10 Nature Inequality in 10.6 13.0 Reserves Life expectancy (at birth) years years 2 Rivers Child Inequality in child poverty 42.6% poverty in 25.2% across 4 train stations Teesside Darlington Darlington wards Darlington, North Road, International Dinsdale and Teesside Airport Airport 60.6 59.5 years years Healthy life expectancy (at birth) 24 Annex 2 - Summary of Consultation Responses The Council Plan 2024-27 public consultation took place between 6th March and 25th April 2024. Residents were given the opportunity to have their say on the Council Plan through a survey that was available online and on paper in the Dolphin Centre, Darlington Library and Cockerton Library. The consultation was promoted in the One Darlington magazine, by the Council social media channels (reaching over 20k people), Cabinet members through their social media, emails to key stakeholders and meetings with residents, agenda items at meetings of key stakeholders and all Councillors were briefed and asked to raise with their residents and networks. A publicly available email address was also provided for both residents and stakeholders to contact the Policy and Strategy team. The survey had 315 responses with 100% of those online. Every age category aged 84 or younger was represented. Of those that answered the question about their sex, 45.5% were male and 54.5% were female; and there were responses from every ward in Darlington. Key headlines (the % are the proportion of people answering that question): All participants answered the core principles question, with clear support for all three. The most supported core principle was efficient and effective use of resources The majority of people agreed with every ambition. Living well and staying healthy had the highest support at 75% There was clear support for all 6 priorities with 5 priorities receiving 77-81% support. Economy was the priority with the most agreement at 81%. Key themes from the comments: Green spaces and the impact of new housing Road infrastructure, maintenance and potholes Valuing nature and biodiversity More good jobs and skills Town centre – good jobs, empty/variety of shops Unaffordability of new homes Safe places Opportunities for children and young people. Overall satisfaction towards the Council Plan was positive with 79% of those answering the question being satisfied or neither satisfied/unsatisfied with the plan and 21% dissatisfied. 25 Annex 3 - Your Cabinet Each member of Cabinet has a portfolio of work that they are responsible for. Details can be found on the democracy section of the Council website. Cabinet members will work together to take collective responsibility for the delivery of this plan, working across portfolios to deliver shared priorities. Councillor Councillor Stephen Harker Chris McEwan Leader of the Deputy Leader Council and Cabinet Member for Economy Councillor Councillor Anne-Marie Curry Nick Wallis Cabinet Member Cabinet Member for Adults for Children and Young People Councillor Councillor Matthew Roche Libby McCollom Cabinet Member Cabinet Member for Health and for Local Services Housing Councillor Councillor Mandy Porter Doctor Cabinet Member Amanda Riley for Resources Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities 26 24 27