Agenda item

ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE FROM THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL

Minutes:

The Leader, Councillor Simon Tagg made the following statement to the Cabinet reflecting upon the past year:

“This week marks the first anniversary since I returned as Leader of the Council and I thought it would be worthwhile to first of all reflect on all of the excellent work which elected members and officers have been involved with during that time and secondly, as we approach the end of 2018, to look ahead.

As we busy ourselves in our daily work, we can sometimes lose sight of the tremendous work that goes on at this council and it is only when we pause, look back and reflect do we recognise the breadth and scale of our achievements together as we create a growing borough that is an attractive and welcoming place for all.

During the last 12 months we have:-

  • Successfully run the borough’s first all-out elections.  After the difficulties associated with the General Election in the summer of 2017 this was a major step forward in rebuilding public confidence in our democratic processes.
  • Produced a new Council Plan with an updated set of priorities which set out the path for this council and the work we will be focusing on to benefit our communities.
  • Successfully completed the transition from the old Civic Offices into Castle House.
  • Brought forward proposals with our partners for the Keele University Growth Corridor – a project which will have massive implications for the wealth and prosperity of large numbers of our residents.
  • Successfully negotiated an agreement with the community and Staffordshire County Council which will bring Kidsgrove sports centre back into public use and make a positive contribution to the health and well-being of residents in the town. 
  • Taken firm action to decide the future of the important Ryecroft site in Newcastle town centre. We need to see this site brought back into use and we are making sure steps are being taken to get us moving ahead with this. 
  • Reviewed the Council’s Car Parking Strategy and town centre CCTV provision; took back control of the borough’s historic market and finalised proposals for community use of the Guildhall.
  • Begun the process of revamping our recycling and waste collection services following one of the most extensive consultations with our residents that this council has ever undertaken.
  • Agreed a Growth Deal with Staffordshire County Council with a set of joint priorities between the two councils.

 

Obviously there are many other examples of excellent and positive work by the officers and members at our council, but those outlined above give you a flavour of some of our actions to date.

Looking forward, our new Chief Executive Martin Hamilton will be joining us on 4 February 2019.

In the meantime, acting Chief Executive John Tradewell will remain with us to provide guidance, leadership and support for both officers and elected members as we aim to keep up the momentum in key areas during this period so that we can continue to deliver for the people of the borough. 

As we welcome our new Chief Executive we bid farewell to Neale Clifton who will be leaving the Council after 29 years of service.  I would like to wish him all the best for the future.

I would like to personally thank all of our staff and also our elected members for their hard work on behalf of all of our communities during 2018.

The year ahead will certainly be a challenging one but it is also one which is full of exciting opportunities which can shape our borough for generations to come.”