Council's unprecedented financial pressure

TOWN Hall leaders at Warrington have adopted a new three-year corporate plan – and stressed the challenges the borough council faces at a time of unprecedented financial pressure.
Council leader Ian Marks (pictured) described the plan as “very exciting and positive” and emphasised the importance of its compatibility with the Warrington Partnership’s sustainable community strategy.
This will ensure the council is focused on the same objectives as its partners in the town and a common set of five ambitions, he said.
These are to make Warrington’s communities prosperous and vibrant, environmentally responsible and attractive, safe and strong, healthy and active and ambitious and achieving.
The long term vision is that by 2030 Warrington will be recognised as one of the best places to live and work in the UK, where everyone enjoys an outstanding quality of life.
In pursuing the vision, the council will prioritise closing the gaps in the quality of life experienced by the town’s most disadvantaged communities.
But in a joint statement, Coun Marks and his deputy, Coun Keith Bland said: “All of this needs to be achieved against the background of an increasingly tough financial position for the council.
“To provide the resources available to deliver our improvement priorities we have been determined to continuously increase the value-for-money and efficiency of our services.
“We have achieved over £13 million of efficiency savings over the last three years which have been used to maintain and improve priority services. We intend to continue this work, find new ways of delivering with our partners and continue to critically challenge all that we do.”
Chief executive Diana Terris said the council had to continue to demonstrate strong strategic leadership and to extend its influence regionally, nationally and internationally.
The residents had to be at the heart of everything the council did and had to be given a voice in shaping service delivery.
The council had to ensure it was able to sustain a viable financial position at a time of unprecedented financial pressure, exacerbated by the economic downturn.
The council approved the appointment of a new executive board, with just one change in membership. Coun Bob Timmis has replaced Coun Celia Jordan.
The board is as follows: Ian Marks (Leader), Keith Bland (Deputy Leader), Bob Barr (Planning, Regeneration and Housing), Fiona Bruce (Finance and Value for Money), Alan Litton (Environment Services), Liz Smith (Neighbourhoods and Communities), Roy Smith (Health and Wellbeing), Bob Timmis (Leisure and Skills), Sharon Wilson (Service to Customers) and Sheila Woodyatt (Children’s Services)