June 27, 2011 11.31 am This story is over 153 months old

City Council’s new priorities announced

New priorities: In a Full Council meeting, the new Labour Council will be outlining its priorities.

City of Lincoln Council leader Ric Metcalfe will be presenting the authority’s new strategic priorities at the first Full Council meeting since the May local elections.

On June 28 at the Guildhall, Metcalfe will announce the five new priorities the council will focus on in a report.

They are:

  • Reducing poverty and disadvantage: Some areas in Lincoln are in the top most income deprived areas in England, contributing towards poor educational attainments and health. The council aims to address inequalities with its partners.
  • Help increase supply of affordable housing to rent or buy: With 3,000 people on the council housing waiting list, it takes almost 6 years to be granted a house. The council will look at improving supply in various ways, such as section 106 agreements with developers and the New Homes Bonus. It will also look at possibly building new council houses for the first time in 20 years.
  • Improve the performance of the council’s housing landlord function: Although there are high satisfaction levels amongst housing tenants, the council want to make further improvements, particularly in maintenance and repairs and anti-social behaviour.
  • Reducing the city’s carbon footprint: For 2009/10, the City Council’s C02 emission was 4.850 tonnes (75% from buildings, 25% from vehicles). The authority will be finding more ways to reduce the number both in the council and the city.
  • A fit for purpose council: The council want to strengthen its accountability to locals, scrutinise both its own and partners’ activity and consult better with the public over proposals that may affect them.

Councillor Metcalfe said: “It is our contention that the council has become too inward looking, preoccupied with balancing the council’s budget as an end in itself, and lacking in the necessary drive and ambition to respond positively to opportunities that exist to improve the well being of the people of Lincoln.

“I have sought to set out the new priorities of the council and to explain the rationale for these […] I and my colleagues look forward to meeting the challenges that undoubtedly lie ahead in delivering these priorities for the benefit of the people of Lincoln.”

The Full Council meeting begins at 6.30pm, and members of the public are invited to attend the session.

Source: City of Lincoln Council