Council Vision 2022 - 2026

Introduction

As your district council our role is to make Arun a better place to live, work and visit as well as delivering public services. This updated Vision, following the 2023 local council election, sets out how we plan to achieve this.

Our Vision is divided into four key themes covering wellbeing, housing, the environment and the economy, each of which is underpinned by several aims and statements.

The document not only sets out our goals but will also guide our decision-making up to 2026 and in many cases beyond. Working together, we will build on the good things that we already do and make improvements where things could be better.

We not only want Arun to be a great place to live and work, but we also want to create new opportunities and encourage residents and visitors alike to make the most of our natural environment.

We’ll tell you what progress we’re making and continue to listen to our community and businesses.

Cllr Matt Stanley
Leader of Arun District Council

Improving the Wellbeing of Arun

Overall aims

Our overall aims are to:

  • promote and support a multi-agency response to tackle the causes of health inequality in Arun's areas of greatest deprivation
  • champion leisure, culture and the Arts in Arun and encourage our community to embrace healthy and active lifestyles
  • work with partners to provide advice, support and activities that promote and deliver community wellbeing where it will have the greatest impact

How will we achieve this

We will do the following:

  1. Develop and implement a Wellbeing Strategy to plan services, resources, amenities, activities, and places to help our community thrive.
  2. Prepare an annual community engagement plan to promote healthy and active lifestyles and encourage participation in a wide range of wellbeing activities.
  3. Work with key partners to ensure that we deliver council wellbeing services that are complementary to their own, rather than duplicate effort.
  4. Support the NHS Clinical Commissioners to provide primary care medical and dental facilities, working through and with our partners - to meet the growing needs of our community.
  5. Support the voluntary and community sectors to provide services that help the most vulnerable in our community.
  6. Provide wider infrastructure that supports wellbeing, such as more opportunities for cycling and walking and easily accessible and safe greenspace.
  7. Support those who are homeless, street homeless or at risk of homelessness in emergency or temporary accommodation to improve health outcomes.

Delivering the right homes in the right places

Overall aims

We aim to:

  • provide a mixed housing economy within the district for all, regardless of age or circumstances, where different types of homes are available, and people can choose to rent or buy
  • maximise opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the district
  • support those in our community that most need help, providing a safety net where necessary and working with people and organisations to meet different needs

How will we achieve this

  1. Support households with complex needs to secure suitable accommodation.
  2. Maximise the delivery of affordable housing including utilising our own resources and commercial expertise to ensure that our social housing is energy efficient.
  3. Improve the energy efficiency of homes across all tenures.
  4. Use our expertise to influence the local housing market, working with the right partners from all sectors, to develop the housing and infrastructure that we need.
  5. Use the planning system to create great new places and improve our existing places, where new homes meet the needs of current and future generations.
  6. Ensure the existing housing stock in the district (private sector and council-owned) is maintained to a high standard.
  7. Continue to bring empty homes back into use for the benefit of the community.

Supporting our environment to support us

Overall aims

We will aim to do the following:

  • to reduce our adverse impact on the environment, climate change, sustainability, biodiversity and the environment in everything the council is responsible for and encourage its community and local businesses to do the same
  • protect and enhance our natural environment
  • regularly review progress toward Arun's Carbon Neutral Strategy (2022-30) as set out in the annual Climate Action and Biodiversity Work Plan
  • make low carbon transport including walking, cycling, travel by public transport and electric vehicle easy, convenient and pleasant and a fundamental part of our placemaking

How will we achieve this

  1. Develop and implement the Carbon Neutral Strategy and Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategies for the council and for the wider district through Planning Policy.
  2. Review our estate and seek to maximise the use of renewable or alternative energy generation, including the installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points.
  3. Engage and incentivise businesses to commit to working practices which minimise their impact on the environment.
  4. Support information campaigns that promote carbon reduction and funding opportunities.
  5. Working with our community to reduce waste and increase recycling.
  6. Ensure that climate change and sustainability is at the heart of all our services.
  7. Support the Sussex Bay Project to restore marine, coastal and intertidal habitats to improve the biodiversity and carbon footprints of the district.

Fulfilling Arun's economic potential

Overall aims

We will aim to:

  • increase opportunities for more high-quality, well-paid employment, encouraging more people to live, work, study and visit Arun
  • use regeneration opportunities to attract new and relocating businesses to the district
  • encourage the development of the district as a key tourist destination, supporting and enabling improvements and activities to increase visitor spend
  • make best use of our natural assets to help drive the economy

How will we achieve this

  1. Create the conditions that will support high tech businesses including the creative digital sector and green businesses, reducing the need for the workforce to commute out of the district and supporting new ways of working.
  2. Use the planning system to set aside sites for larger business growth and support and create employment space for smaller start-ups, using Arun-owned land to stimulate the market.
  3. Encourage an economy that will promote and support both active leisure activities and cultural opportunities that meet the needs of local people and visitors.
  4. Work with partners to support a district-wide skills audit, to understand what businesses need and what skills we have in the community. Work with local colleges and the University of Chichester to assist them in running courses that will match local skills needs for those at all stages in their working life.
  5. Work closely with our towns and other organisations on strategies that support vibrant and attractive town centres.
  6. Positive and focused promotion of Arun’s tourist destinations as more than a ‘day trip’.
  7. Support the delivery of more accommodation for visitors to the district.
  8. Lobby Southern Water to upgrade their sewage systems, especially in areas of large new developments to enable the increase in sewage volume to be fully accommodated.