Lancashire County Council has approved a new blueprint outlining its vision, ambitions, and priorities for the next five years. The Council Plan, discussed at the latest full council meeting, will guide future decision-making and service delivery.
The plan focuses on four key priority areas to help build a better Lancashire, where everyone can thrive through stronger communities, a growing economy, and high-quality public services:
- Better Lives for All: Ensuring children and young people have the best start in life, supporting families to be more resilient, helping adults live more independently, and promoting healthier, happier lives for everyone.
- Economic Ambition: Collaborating with the business community to equip people with the skills needed for rewarding work, attracting investment to Lancashire, improving transport and digital connectivity, and fostering economic growth.
- Stronger Communities: Making communities safer and more resilient, encouraging civic participation, celebrating Lancashire's rich heritage and culture, and protecting the environment for future generations.
- Thinking Differently: Delivering high-quality public services, providing timely assistance, embracing digital and technological innovation, and developing a skilled workforce.
This new plan builds on the successes of the previous corporate plan introduced in 2021. To create the plan, the council engaged in various activities, including a resident survey, staff events, member briefings, and a survey of strategic partners such as local councils, business groups, and representatives from the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sectors.
Set to be introduced at the start of the new year, the plan is part of the county council’s planning and performance framework and will be regularly monitored to track progress against its objectives. It will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains relevant in a fast-changing world.
Councillor Phillippa Williamson, leader of the council, said: "We are rightly ambitious for our county and want to build a better Lancashire where everyone can live their best life.
"Lancashire has some remarkable strengths, including our strong sense of community, natural environment, heritage and strong economy – the second largest in the North West.
"We are also mindful of the challenges we face. We know we need to be even more productive and create further opportunities for local people to help improve lives.
"This plan does not include every single thing we do or every service we provide but it gives a lot of detail about the actions we will take to build a better Lancashire.
"We also want to make our communities safer and we know we must respond to an increasing number of residents who need our support.
"Our services also have to be efficient, of good quality and at an affordable cost.
"We are confident that by building our strengths we can address these challenges, and by developing and innovating, as well as working with partners and communities, we can become the best council we can be."
Image credits: Lancashire County Council and iStock
