Annual Report 07/08: What we achieved last year

This is a sample of facts and figures relating to the corporate outcomes that we set out to achieve during the year:

People are healthier and more active

• All work places in the district are 'No Smoking'
• 11 businesses won healthy eating awards
• 2,000 people took part in one of our GP referral schemes
• 2,000 people took part in one of our extend exercise schemes
• 600 people took part in our walking for health schemes
• 400 people had a health MOT at our road shows
• 3,000 children and young people took part in our play and sports sessions
• 9,000 of our residents have access to free bus travel at any time
• we received commitment of £200,000 to invest in play thanks to the Big Lottery and a bid we made with our partners

More people have access to housing that they need

• 50% fewer residents became homeless this year compared to last year
• 97 people were kept out of homelessness thanks to our help and support
• Households who did have to go into B&B accommodation spent 40% less time there compared to the previous year
• 51 people were able to modify their own homes thanks to our Disabled Facilities Grants.
• 65% of vulnerable households live in decent homes
• we ensured a £30,000,000 investment over the next five years in the Council's housing as a result of transferring the houses to Meres and Mosses Housing Association
• 48 affordable homes were built in the district last year
• 100% of major planning applications have been determined within 13 weeks
• 5.5 hectares businesses land has been secured at Market Drayton
• 56 jobs were created with the help of our Business Grant Scheme
• 400 people took part in employment training the schemes we created with our partners

The district is cleaner, safer and greener

• North Shropshire householders generated 6% fewer Greenhouse gas emissions from housing compared to 2 years previously
• 4% of all areas inspected had unacceptable levels of litter (down from 20% in 2006)
• 50% of the waste we collected from households was recycled
• Crime is 30% lower than it was 4 years ago and 6% lower than it was a year ago
• 33 households are safer as our handyperson fitted better security
• We carried out 12 extra tests are carried out on vehicles licensed as taxis or private hire to ensure that vehicles are safe
• 79% of North Shropshire residents feel safe in their local neighbourhood when it's dark (up from 74% in the previous year)
• 98% of North Shropshire residents feel safe in their local neighbourhood during daylight hours

Satisfaction has improved and value for money has increased

• Satisfaction with the job we do has climbed by 8 percentage points in two years
• 63% of households are satisfied with how we keep land clear of litter and refuse
• 75% of householders are satisfied with our recycling service (up from 69% in 2005)
• We have saved £1,300,000 over the past three years while dramatically improving our 
  services. Our target was to save £686,000
• We scored Good in the Corporate Performance Assessment in October
• We delivered a 0% tax increase for the first time since 1995

Looking to the future

The Council is committed to:

• Ensuring that more young people become involved in organised activities which help them to become more active citizens
• Contributing to more members of the community becoming healthier and more active
• Ensuring there are more jobs and businesses in North Shropshire
• Ensuring more local people will be able to afford housing which is appropriate to their needs within North Shropshire district
• Reducing the level of greenhouse gas emitted as a result of Council actions and across the district
• Ensuring that land, streets, pavements, footpaths, verges and highways will be cleaner
• Ensuring that a greater proportion of local people will feel safe in their local neighbourhood area
• Providing increasing value for money
• Increasing satisfaction with our services

We have a Corporate Plan which lays out the actions we will take to achieve these Corporate outcomes. This is available from the Council's web site.

From April 2009  North Shropshire District Council will cease to exist and a new local authority, Shropshire Council,  will provide services to people across Shropshire.  We are working very hard to ensure that the new Council delivers the same high quality services.

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