| Bath & North East
Somerset Council
The Council comprises 65 Members:
- Liberal Democrat 29
- Labour 6
- Conservative 26
- Independent 4
The present administration has been formed
by the Liberal Democrat, Conservative and
Independent Groups. The Chair of the Council
is elected on an annual basis.
The Council has adopted the Leader and Executive
model of local government. In addition to
the Leader, the Executive comprises holders
of the following portfolios:
- Transport & Highways
- Lifelong Learning
- Social Services
- Sustainability & The Environment
- Economic Development
- Resources
- Tourism, Leisure & Culture
- Housing, Community Safety and Consumer
Services
The Council has also set up a number Overview
and Scrutiny Committees. Each is led by a
Convenor and together they comprise the Overview
& Scrutiny Management Board.
These operate in the following areas:
- Corporate Issues & Partnerships
- Education, Youth, Culture & Leisure
- Health & Social Services
- Housing & Community Safety
- Major Projects & External Bodies
- Planning, Transportation Economy &
Sustainability
- Resources
Vision
Bath & North East Somerset has a clear
vision which is set out in our clear vision
and values statement which underpins everything
we do. The same vision has been neatly summarised
for use as a ‘strapline’:
‘Making Bath and North East Somerset
a better place to live, work and visit’
Culture
Bath & North East Somerset also has a
particular way of doing things - always ‘efficient,
effective and courteous’.
- Efficient - no waste; constant challenge;
constant improvement
- Effective - services people want; tackling
the underlying issues, not the symptoms
- Courteous - open, honest, respectful
Objectives
The Council has set of formal objectives
which are expressed in the following simple
targets:
- High Educational standards for all
- Good leisure and learning facilities
- Good health and housing
- People living safely in the community
- Economic prosperity
- Good transport
- Equal opportunity
- Protecting our environment
- Planning for the future
- Encouraging local democracy and community
leadership
- Making better use of resources
The vision, objectives and culture provide
the framework for all Council policies and
plans. Increasingly, the Council is working
with partners to achieve its aims and objectives
and to promote the overall economic, social
and environmental well-being of the area.
To facilitate this it has developed a Community
Strategy - a 10 to 15 year vision setting
out the key priorities for improving quality
of life and developing the Council and other
major services. The Community Strategy co-ordinates
Council activities with those of other public,
private and voluntary sector organisations.
In 2003, our four year Corporate Plan adopted
in 2003 and setting out the Council’s
priorities for improvement. Community Strategy
Increase Availability of Affordable Housing
(Community Strategy ambitions: Be at home/Be
Inclusive/Be Sustainable)
An overall increase in the amount and range
of affordable housing is a long term goal
(10-20 years) requiring some large and far
reaching decisions for example in relation
to housing density and Section 106 planning
gain and where appropriate the green belt.
By 2007 the Council will have established
and be working on an affordable housing strategy
that will be complemented by an agreed Local
Plan. This will enable the Council to identify
suitable residential sites and work with a
range of partners to develop a variety of
housing tenures. It is envisaged that in the
lifetime of this Corporate Plan actions undertaken
will seek to minimise the growing gap between
affordable housing and demand/need.
Promoting the Independence of Older People
(Community Strategy ambitions: Be at home/Be
assured/ Be Inclusive)
Social Services is aiming jointly with the
PCT and other NHS Providers to deliver services
in an integrated and timely way that will
promote, retain or restore the maximum level
of independence possible for the individual,
with the least intervention necessary (i.e.
the right service, in the right place, at
the right time).
Reducing the fear of Crime (Community Strategy
ambitions: Be there on time/Be better Off/Be
green/Be at home/ Be Safe)
Working closely with our partners in the
Community Safety Partnership such as the Police,
we aim by 2007 to increase public confidence
and see a reduction in the fear of crime.
This will be achieved by the Partnership improving
and maintaining the public environment or
`street scene', reducing the level of vehicle
crime and burglaries and by working positively
in a preventative way with young people to
avoid their involvement in youth crime and
disorder.
Improving the Quality of Public Transport,
Roads and Pavements, and Easing Congestion
(Community Strategy ambitions: Be there on
time/Be Distinctive/Be Sustainable)
Improvements to be implemented to all modes
of transport aiming to improve road and pavement
quality, reducing maintenance liabilities
and offering real alternatives to improve
access.
Reducing landfill (Community Strategy ambitions:
Be green/ Be Sustainable)
Reduce the waste to landfill from current
58000 tonnes to no more than 52000 tonnes
per annum by a combination of domestic waste
reduction and recycling measures as part of
the Council's Zero Waste Strategy.
Improving the urban public realm (`liveability')
(Community Strategy ambitions: Be green/ Be
Distinctive/Be Safe)
To improve in a tangible way the quality
of urban public realm in a coherent and planned
manner. In the first instance through targeted
transformations of spaces and initiatives
focussed on street scene improvements such
as signage and cleanliness and the elimination
of graffiti.
Improving the environment for learning (Community
Strategy ambitions: Be inspired/Be Creative)
By 2007 we aim to have secured additional
capital to invest in improving the quality
of learning in classrooms and schools. This,
together with more effective management of
capital resources, will also enable us to
meet our Asset Management Plan targets and
ensure sufficient resources to successfully
implement changes arising from area reviews.
Improving the life chances for disadvantaged
teenagers, through improvements to their education,
training and support (Community Strategy ambitions:
Be inspired/ Be Inclusive)
By 2007 we will aim to ensure that no teenagers
are without employment, education or training
placement after the end of compulsory schooling.
We also aim to increase school attendance
rates, increase the numbers of children supported
within schools without the need for a statement
of special educational need, reduce the numbers
of pupils leaving schools with no qualification
and increase the performance at GCSE of pupils
in care.
Finance
The Council’s budgeted spending is
£280 million which, after income and
specific grants, results in a net budget of
£160 million.
The current year’s capital programme
is £33.5 million. Yet there are a number
of major projects which are at an early stage
and capital spending in future years will
exceed this.
The Council generates income of around £35
million each year (around a third of its total
income). Most of this comes from the commercial
property estate, Heritage services and car
parks.
Of the net budget requirement (£160
million) – 37.5 % will be met from Council
Tax with the remainder being funded by the
Government (i.e. Revenue Support Grant and
re-distributed Business Rates).
Capital Projects in Bath & North East Somerset:
 Click
here to find out more.
For more details about the council and its
services refer to our website www.bathnes.gov.uk
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