Council plan listens to over 3000 voices
People power played a part in shaping South Lanarkshire Council’s new five-year plan.
The Council Plan, Connect 2022 to 2027, was approved at a full council meeting last week and was based on residents’ views.
It is the key strategic document that shapes the work of the council and sets outcomes to be delivered over five years.
The council reached out to the public for feedback on what they wanted to see in the Council Plan, Connect 2022 to 2017, and 3300 locals took part in expressing views.
The exercise outlined a number of priorities including education and learning, communities and environment, health inequalities, housing and land, children and young people, and our economy.
An in-depth analysis of this public feedback helped shape a further phase of engagement with the ‘Community Conversation’ focus group which involved more than 200 residents taking part in 27 group conversations. This was the largest public engagement exercise ever carried out by the council.
Feedback from the community responses identified three themes which were important to people, in particular the impact of poverty and inequalities, progress with a specific focus on recovery from the pandemic and planet with a focus on sustainable development.
Further analysis of public feedback helped the council draft the Council Plan and the Community Plan with six outcomes being identified: communities and environment, education and learning, health and wellbeing, children and young people, housing and good land and the economy.
Councillor Joe Fagan, the council leader, said: “The Council Plan is our key highlevel strategic document.
“It will shape all our other strategies and service delivery for the next five years, so it is absolutely vital that it genuinely reflects what our residents want.
“This plan does exactly that. The people we represent and work for have spoken, and we have listened.
“It is an ambitious plan too – ambitious in seeking better outcomes for our communities and better opportunities for all.
“This is summed up in the core vision, to ‘improve the lives and prospects of everyone in South Lanarkshire’.
“We all know that public sector finances are getting tighter and there will be some tough choices to make, but by using the Council Plan as our guide we will be sure we can do everything possible in order to follow the priorities of local residents.”
The council’s chief executive, Cleland Sneddon, said: “The council works closely with our communities and our many partners, so this plan cannot sit in splendid isolation.
“This is why it has been consulted on, developed with, and closely aligned to a draft new 10-year Community Plan, which is shared by the area’s Community Planning Partnership.
“With both those plans in place, and clearly designed to complement one another and guide the work we undertake in partnership with the NHS, police, fire and rescue service, the voluntary sector and many others – I am confident we have the right strategies to continue to improve lives and prospects of everyone in South Lanarkshire.”