Neath Port Talbot Council Rising to the Challenge to deliver on priorities

Neath Port Talbot Council has published its key priorities for the next three years in its Corporate Improvement Plan for 2015 to 2018.

The process of setting the Council’s budget for 2015 to 2016 was the most difficult to date. However, the result aims to strike the best possible balance between preserving services for children, young people and the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in the county borough, whilst reflecting difficult choices about what the Council can afford to continue delivering in other areas of its work.

The priorities set out in the Corporate Improvement Plan will be key to helping the Council achieve this balance and realise the £50 million savings it has to make over the next four years. This includes a £17 million reduction in spending over the next year.

At the heart of the Council’s plans are improving outcomes for children in need and who are looked after; raising educational standards and attainment; improving outcomes for people who receive support from adult social services; promoting economic growth; increasing recycling and composting and making better use of public money.

These six priorities make up the ‘Rising to the Challenge’ programme. Over the past few years the programme has helped to deliver a number of ambitious projects such as new residential care homes in partnership with Gwalia. Other developments which are well underway include the new Bae Baglan School, the new Leisure Centre on Aberafan Seafront and the redevelopment of Neath Town Centre.

In addition, the programme has seen more council services become available online, a huge increase in recycling throughout the county borough and vast improvements to Children and Young People Services, which resulted in the recent lifting of the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSiW) Serious Concerns protocol.

Cllr. Ali Thomas, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said:
“The real challenge is to protect services, especially those that support the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in our communities, against the backdrop of continued reductions in public funding.

“However, we remain firmly focused on our priorities and I am confident that with the continued support of local people, our workforce, trade unions and partners, we will be able to deliver on these.”

The Corporate Improvement Plan 2015-18 and supporting documents are now available on the Council’s website: www.npt.gov.uk/improvement2015-18