Foreword by the Leader and Chief Executive

We are pleased to present our Corporate Plan for 2009-12, which sets out our objectives and priorities for the next three years, and outlines how we intend to achieve them. It is an ambitious programme of work, but one we are sure our dedicated staff and councillors will work hard to deliver.

One of the key challenges we face is the current economic climate and addressing the many ways it will impact on residents. The plan strives to ensure that the Vale remains a sustainable and vibrant place to live and work during this period, by supporting people and the local economy where possible, and ensuring that we are ready to take advantage of the upturn when it occurs.

For the coming year we want to start tackling head-on some of the issues that people in the Vale feel are important, such as market town vitality and the problems of flooding and other issues associated with climate change. We want to make sure that there are more affordable homes, and that our towns and villages are cleaner, greener and safer communities.

One of the key challenges we face is delivering high quality and good value services with increasingly limited resources. We will continue to search for new ways of getting the best value for our Council Tax payers.

We are lucky that we live in a beautiful area with vibrant towns and villages and an economy that is relatively resilient in the face of economic stress. We want to continue to do what we can to improve the quality of life for everyone living and working in the Vale.

If you want to make any comments on the Corporate Plan please feel to email David Buckle