Council Leader welcomes the New Year and new challenges

2012 was a very exciting year for us at Shropshire Council and for our county as a whole, and I’m sure this is only the beginning.

We have a challenging year ahead of us, and all need to be prepared for some fundamental changes in the way that councils work.  The council is evolving as it never has before, and by the end of this year, I expect to see it moving from an organisation that does everything itself, to one that finds the right people to do the right job, giving the best value for Shropshire people.

The first step toward this aim was the launch of ip&e group in 2012.  This new company has been created to deliver council-related services differently.  We have already adapted a lot of the things we do in line with what local people have told us, ensuring that you can access what you need, to the best quality, in the ways that you prefer, and this is set to continue.

Throughout this year, more of the things we do will be delivered by ip&e group, but let me assure you that this should only mean greater improvements, giving the best, value for money services that we know our residents, businesses and visitors deserve.

We have made some tough decisions around our budget over the past 12 months, and I truly believe that this will ensure we are in a stable and strong position for what lies ahead of us.  We know that there will be further cuts to local councils, and by being prudent with the money we have, we can continue to protect the services that are vital to helping our communities thrive.

Despite facing these challenging times, I believe there is a great deal from the past year to be proud of.  We were delighted to welcome the Olympic Torch to Shropshire in the summer, not just once, but twice as part of the Olympic celebrations.

The Torch was carried by some inspirational bearers on its journey and visited numerous places across the county on its 70-day, 8,000-mile journey around Britain.  For the thousands that lined the streets and the privileged few who carried the Olympic Flame, it was a day that will live long in their memory and certainly highlighted our beautiful county to the world, showing people what Shropshire has to offer.

In an unprecedented move, we kept more money in Shropshire wallets by freezing council tax levels for yet another year.  I am delighted to say that they will continue to be frozen in the next financial year as we play our part in helping residents and businesses through the economic downturn.

Another change at the council has been in the way we tell you what we do, letting people know news from the council and our partners as it happens.  This includes developments to the Shropshire Newsroom (www.shropshirenewsroom.com) and expanding the reach we have through social media using tools such as Facebook and twitter.

People are changing the way they hear the news, so we need to change with it.  To support this, we hosted to first digital conference in Shropshire, which looked at how digital and social media is changing the way we connect with our customers and residents.  Public sector organisations from across the country came to this exciting event, which showed that Shropshire is not standing still, and we’re actually leading the way with our use of social and digital media which are now an integral part of the way we all work.

We have also moved forward in improving the networks that keep our county moving.  In the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget Statement, it was confirmed that Shropshire will now receive an additional £2.2million to improve the roads across the county.  This will support our local highways maintenance, and keep Shropshire on the go.

This is just a small example of some of the great achievements of 2012 for our county, and I’m certain that the following year will bring us continued successes making Shropshire a sustainable, profitable and beautiful place to live, work and visit.

I would finally like to say thank you to everyone that has worked tirelessly in our communities throughout the year; your contributions are invaluable and I look forward to continuing to work with you throughout 2013.

Happy New Year.

Keith Barrow
Leader
Shropshire Council