The previous Corporate Plan ran from 2019 - 2022 and can be read in full below. The Council reported back on its progress against the 2019-2022 Corporate Plan in November 2022.
Corporate Plan 2019-2022
The Council of the Isles of Scilly’s Corporate Plan 2019-2022 sets out the direction of travel for our services and the principles within which we will operate. The Plan is rewritten every 4 years but is reviewed for essential changes on an annual basis. It sits within a suite of documents which structure the way the council works.
What’s changed in the 2021 update to the plan?
This year the main change to the plan is the recategorisation of the objectives. We felt it was important to differentiate between principles and concrete targets as this makes it much easier for everyone - councillors, officers and the community - to monitor the performance of the council.
You may also notice that we have not made specific reference to 'Smart Islands' in this year's version of the corporate plan. This is because some elements of the programme have reached completion, such as Hitachi's Smart Energy Islands initiative, and we feel the remaining projects are better captured under our new priority to embed carbon reduction in all aspects of the Council's work. We therefore have a new objective within the plan, which replaces the Smart Islands objective among the Top Priorities.
You can read more about the reasons behind the above changes in the Foreword to this plan.
How the plan is structured
The plan opens with Our Promises to our community. We recognised that certain objectives relate to Council activities about which there is very strong public feeling and we therefore felt the need to weight these more heavily within the plan. These promises relate to areas of the Council’s work which may be discretionary, but which the community values particularly highly and regularly seeks reassurance on.
Councillors have also identified certain objectives from throughout the plan that they regard as their ‘Top Priorities.’
This main section of the plan is divided into 3 parts:
- People & Community
- Place, Economy & Environment
- Our Council
Each section is further divided into the ‘Principles and Requirements’ and ‘Targets’ for that area.
The Principles and Requirements section features some of the requirements that underpin the work of our organisation, in addition to the principles we apply when undertaking our work.
The Targets section captures those objectives with a specific goal or defined outcome which is achievable within the life of the plan.
OUR PROMISES
Our promises relate to areas of the Council’s work which may be discretionary, but which councillors feel strongly about protecting due to their shared understanding of the amount of community feeling on these subjects and the wider societal values they represent.
- Ensure the long-term sustainability of St Mary’s Airport.
- That the needs of the frail elderly continue to be met by high quality island-based residential and community services prior to, during and after any integration of the estate and workforce.
- Preserve the autonomy and independence of the Council of the Isles of Scilly, so it can represent our community for generations to come.
TOP PRIORITIES
Councillors have identified certain objectives from throughout the plan that they regard as their ‘Top Priorities.’ These are:
- Embed carbon reduction principles in all aspects of Council decision-making.
- Renovate our Council housing stock and agree a forward plan of repair with our tenants.
- Facilitate the delivery of the Integration of Health and Social Care Project.
- Transfer water and wastewater operations and assets to South West Water.
- Secure funding for required infrastructure investments, including those at St Mary’s Airport.
- Support the continuation of our lifeline transport services.
PEOPLE & COMMUNITY
The Council has a vital role to play in supporting everyone to thrive and caring for those most in need. We will continue to invest in early years support and our care services for the elderly, whilst ensuring our other family support and wellbeing services continue to reflect the needs of the whole community. Ensuring our services are safeguarded and can function sustainably, and that there is access to high quality education and healthcare, is a big part of making the islands an appealing place to be at every stage of life. This effort also means we can attract families to live and work here which, in turn, helps to support our community’s essential services.
We are lucky enough to live in an environment which supports healthy lifestyles, but the isolation of our islands from mainland services does not come without challenges to wellbeing. We will continue to help bridge that gap with projects, such as the integration of health and social care services, to support people to retain their independence and enjoy their lives on Scilly.
This year we have recognised the degree of community feeling around on-island residential care by capturing it in our promises section. This is intended to give the community assurance that we treat this service with the utmost regard.
PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS
- Support and safeguard adults who are most at risk and provide care and support services for eligible residents.
- Ensure our islands’ young people are safeguarded to the highest standard possible.
- Ensure that we create a positive and inclusive culture that enables children with special educational needs to thrive, in line with statutory requirements.
- Promote and facilitate physical and mental health and wellbeing for the population as a whole through the commissioning of mental health services, wellbeing activities and substance misuse programmes.
- Provide a cost effective and resilient Fire and Rescue Service for all of our inhabited islands.
TARGETS
- Work with partners to access training to upskill residents to meet the needs of our Council and economy.
- Improve the wellbeing and life chances of the islands’ young people through ongoing investment in early help services.
- Facilitate the delivery of the Integration of Health and Social Care Project on the islands by developing a single estate, workforce and service model.
PLACE, ECONOMY & ENVIRONMENT
Our islands’ natural environment is of immense value and cannot be replicated or replaced. We are committed to preserving and enhancing the pristine quality of our islands and the waters surrounding them, along with the rich historic environment of which we are also custodians, for future generations. This responsibility must be at the heart of every decision we make. In the past 4 years, it has become ever more apparent that we need to live sustainably and to proactively address the effects of climate change, especially the threat posed by sea level rises. The Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 and is now prioritising climate change response planning in recognition of the importance of this issue and the strength of feeling within our community in relation to it.
Maintaining the character and environment of the islands is also a keystone to a sustainable economy and ensuring that Scilly remains a viable and enviable place to live in years to come. A vibrant and diverse economy which is able to safeguard vital services cannot be achieved without support from an improved housing, transport and tourism offer, so we are also prioritising objectives which will help to achieve these aims.
This year we have worked collaboratively to ensure our lifeline transport services can be sustained despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. We have also played a part in supporting local businesses to stay afloat and adapt during an extremely difficult period for our local economy. Making the most of future opportunities for inward investment and funding to support our local economy remains high on our agenda as the national picture evolves.
PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS
- Secure inward investment and funding to support the economic sustainability of the islands.
- Enable businesses to grow and attract investment that supports a year-round economy and creates rewarding and well-paid employment.
- Lead by example in delivering the objectives of, and applying the policies in, the new Local Plan.
- Conserve and enhance the special qualities of the Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, giving particular regard to biodiversity maintenance and improvement and the protection of our maritime environment. for present and future generations.
- Recognise and protect our islands’ historic environment.
- Ensure the Islands are able to meet the changes associated with climate change
- Support the continuation of our lifeline transport services.
TARGETS
- Contribute to the development of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Industrial Strategy, to unlock access to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
- Contribute to the leadership of the islands’ transport agenda via the Isles of Scilly Transport Board, and follow up on the Strategic Outline Business Case submitted to Central Government in 2019.
- Lead on the delivery of 30 new homes to support the future needs of the islands.
- Complete the transfer of water and sewerage service provision to South West Water, unlocking further investment in safe and compliant water and sewerage operations and infrastructure.
- Manage the Dune Restoration & Coastal Erosion Project, the aim of which is to protect the islands’ infrastructure and reduce the risk of flooding and loss of coastline.
- Secure funding for required infrastructure investments, including those at St Mary’s Airport.
- Recognise and protect our unique cultural heritage, and work with the community and partners to develop a delivery model for a cultural centre that meets the islands’ needs.
- Produce an action plan by March 2022 to work with residents, businesses and organisations with the aim of reducing the volume of waste across the islands: 15% by 2025 and 25% by 2030.
- Reduce the need for individuals on Scilly to own a car, encourage people to walk or cycle.
- Develop infrastructure to make it possible for people on Scilly to own an electric vehicle by installing solar canopies and charging points, helping people to transition towards electric vehicles following the Government's target of no new petrol or diesel cars to be sold from 2030.
- Review the ongoing revenue and capital requirements of the GO-EV project to inform a future operating model by summer 2021
- Invest in our housing stock to modernise, improve quality and create energy-efficient homes.
- Lead on the delivery of the Isles of Scilly AONB Management Plan 2021-2026, working with partners and the public to ensure the AONB is protected and enhanced.
OUR COUNCIL
We know that you care about how you access Council services. Like the majority of Local Authorities across the country, we cannot always do everything we would like to do – but we can promise to keep listening and making improvements to ensure that a good customer experience is built into every service we provide.
Throughout these 4 years, we have reaffirmed our commitment to evidence-based decision-making and working within our means. This is reflected by improvements in our internal governance, finance and work planning processes, in accordance with audit recommendations. We are also prioritising work which seeks to communicate our progress and overall performance. Above all, it is important to us that we continue to increase confidence in local democracy and local services.
We have heard your concerns relating to the autonomy of the Council in recent years and have captured our commitment to maintaining it in our promises section of the plan. We hope that this will allay any fears as we continue to work collaboratively with partners and other authorities. This year we have reviewed our close collaboration with Cornwall Council and put in place new measures to ensure that our contracts with them and other partners are regularly monitored, and that best value achieved. We also remain actively engaged with central government on the future of our funding arrangements. We’ve had quite a year - but for all the disruption, it has yielded a number of benefits, including an increase in workforce flexibility, closer collaboration with our partner organisations, and ultimately a welcome return to focus on the basics and what really makes a difference to the community we serve.
PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS
- Embed carbon reduction principles in all aspects of council decision-making.
- The Council embraces its role as a leader for our community, advocating on its behalf and seeking fairer funding arrangements from Government.
- Invest in our workforce through training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships and promote the Council as a career choice for our local population wherever possible.
- Ensure that clear community benefit is embedded in all our projects, and that these are well-managed, delivered on time and within budget.
- Ensure the Council’s corporate property is fit for purpose, energy efficient, is well maintained and achieves value for money.
- Monitor the Council’s contracts and agreements, including the Council’s Inter Authority Agreement with Cornwall Council, to ensure best value is maintained.
- Improve internal communication, empowering our staff to provide excellent customer service, and our Councillors to liaise effectively with the community.
- Communicate with our community in a variety of ways, to engage as many people as possible.
TARGETS
- Update the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and prepare an action plan to deliver zero carbon by 2030.
- Improve our risk management and cost control processes to deliver on our Medium Term Financial Plan and strengthen our services. Monitor and communicate our progress.
- Incorporate clear targets into our service planning process, against which we can monitor our performance.
- Review our maintenance and repair services by March 2021 and develop them to ensure this resource is used efficiently, thereby providing value for money.
- Review the leisure services provided by our authority by 2022.
Download the hardcopy version of the Corporate Plan 2019-2022