Corporate Plan 2024-28

Introduction 

Welcome to the third Corporate Plan for Ards and North Down Borough Council. In developing this Corporate Plan, we aligned our outcomes to the The Big Plan for Ards and North Down (also known as the Community Plan), engaged with key stakeholders, considered our strengths and resources and worked hard to decide where we could offer the best value. We have also tried to future proof our services to respond to the challenges that lie ahead.

Our Council exists to provide civic leadership, promote prosperity and deliver essential services to people who live in, work in and visit the Borough of Ards and North Down. We want to see progress towards A Sustainable Borough through innovation in our services and greater partnerships with our residents and other organisations. 

View the full Corporate Plan 2024-28 document online here Corporate Plan 2024-2028 - Digital Version (To enhance your reading experience, set view to two-page spreads). 

View an easy-read summary of the Corporate Plan 2024-28 online here Corporate Plan 2024-28 - Easy Read Summary or download the PDF version here Corporate Plan Easy Read Summary (PDF, 316 KB) (opens new window)

A Sustainable Borough

Our vision of a Sustainable Borough is the heart of the Corporate Plan. The identification of priorities, outcomes, commitments, and measures of success are based on putting in place the conditions needed for Ards and North Down to be A Sustainable Borough. A Sustainable Borough is one where economic, environmental, and social wellbeing are interdependent and decisions that are taken are well-balanced and equitable. Putting sustainability at the core of our Corporate Plan means considering the implications of a changing climate alongside shifting economic and social needs.

Three Priorities

To become A Sustainable Borough three Corporate Priorities have been identified that align with the three pillars of sustainable development. The three priorities are ambitious, and we will need to work in partnership with other organisations to achieve them.

Greater focus is needed to increase the money received from the non-domestic rate base which will then enable us to sustainably reinvest in appropriate social and environmental commitments that align with our vision of a Sustainable Borough. This will mean taking challenging, but necessary, decisions to reduce activity and expenditure in some areas while increasing it in others.

Our three priorities are:

  • Economic: Increased economic growth attracting more businesses and jobs
  • Environmental: Reduced carbon emissions as we transition to net zero
  • Social: Improved wellbeing through social inclusion and reduced inequality

You can read more about our three priorities below.  

Seven Outcomes

We have identified seven outcomes. Using an outcomes-based accountability approach will help us identify what we need to happen (the outcome) and then work backwards to determine the steps (or commitments) that are needed.  Collective progress towards all seven outcomes is what helps us become A Sustainable Borough.

An outcome is written to express the future we want to see rather than being a statement about the present situation. Outcomes are aspirations that the Council will work towards achieving over the four years of the Corporate Plan.

Our outcomes are numbered 1-7 but these are NOT in order of priority.

Each Outcome includes examples of how we will measure our success. Progress against our commitments will be monitored and reviewed regularly through the Council's individual Service Unit Plans. Overall progress on delivering the Corporate Plan will be reported on a regular basis through the Performance Improvement Plan and Self-Assessment Plan. An annual performance review will be published on the Council's website.  

You can read more about our seven outcomes below.  

17 Strategic Actions

Our 17 strategic actions break down our seven outcomes into smaller steps that will help ensure that progress is made towards our ultimate goal of becoming A Sustainable Borough. The strategic actions are important as, alongside the three priorities they provide the route to help us work towards the outcomes. In addition to the 17 strategic actions, we are also committed to delivering all our statutory functions.

You can read more about our seventeen strategic actions below. 

We have identified measures of success that will help us to evaluate the effectiveness of the Corporate Plan. By tracking progress towards our commitments, we can assess if we are on track to meet our agreed outcomes and vision of A Sustainable Borough. Measures of success are both quantitative and qualitative.

 

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