What will you be doing in 20 years time? What will your area be like? What should the council be doing to plan for the future? These are questions which St Edmundsbury, along with its partners, is trying to look at as part of its Vision 2025 project. We are developing a vision for the future – looking ahead to 2025.
This is the first time the borough council has taken on a project that will establish a long-term vision that cuts across all of the council and partner organisations. Existing strategies such as the Community Plan and Local Plan help shape short term aims but in the longer term there will be major development issues that will have a huge impact on St Edmundsbury such as the growth of the M11-Stansted corridor, expansion of the Cambridge region and pressure for more housing and improved transport links.
What are the issues?
From April to June 2005, we talked to a whole range of partners including, schools, health organisations, the police, county council, Chambers of Commerce, West Suffolk College, and so on - to identify the main issues which we will be dealing with over the next 20 years. We held 10 meetings to talk about various issues – the economy and skills, health, housing, community safety, education, transport, leisure, culture and the environment.
The purpose of the discussions was to help us to understand the issues which we will be facing – for example, the impact of an ageing population on health services and the need for affordable housing.
Consultation
In June 2005, we held the first of two roundtable events in the Haverhill Arts Centre. The purpose of the roundtable event was to start to gather ideas about what needs to be done to improve quality of life for the future and to plan ahead to meet the key challenges. Over sixty people attended the event – including students from West Suffolk College and Haverhill Schools. Everyone had the chance to contribute their ideas about what St Edmundsbury should be like in the future and how this could be achieved.
Another event was held in Bury St Edmunds in July – around one hundred people worked together from over 50 different organisations to shape our future.
The events included a mock ballot where people could vote for the issues which they thought were most important to our future. The top issues were economic success, housing, transport and leisure and culture.
In October 2005 a six week consultation took place on a draft vision document which set out a series of vision statements of where the council would like to be, in relation to each of the key issues, by 2025.You can view a copy of the vision 2025 consultation document by clicking on one of the links below;
Vision 2025 consultation document (PDF 87Kb) small download
Vision 2025 consultation document (PDF 570Kb) large download
The consultation responses were then analysed by the council’s officers to develop action plans demonstrating how the vision statements will influence future strategies and might be delivered.
As part of the Vision 2025 project, the council has been working with students from upper schools and colleges in the borough to generate actions that will make the vision a reality. Work on the Vision was the catalyst for a new Youth Forum.
During Local Democracy Week workshops were held with the 'thirty-something' adults of 2025, the results of which were incorporated into the final document. A summary of these events form an appendix to the final document presented to Full Council on 13 December and one of the students presented his own vision for the borough to members at that meeting.
In addition to the information in the final document a short report was prepared containing detailed comments from these events, stating the council's intended action/response. The document also covered the Vision 2025 competition and time capsule which was run in conjunction with Ottakar's during the autumn. To view a copy of this report please click on the link below:
2025 consultation with young people report
To view the results of the 2025 competition please click here
What happens next?
The final document and action plans were debated, and adopted after final changes, at Full Council on 13 December 2005. The Vision was the subject of the first ‘themed debate’ at a full Council meeting, which allowed more flexibility that normal rules of debate and involved all members of the Cabinet. To view a copy of the final document and action plan please click on the links below:
Vision 2025 Final Document (PDF 1.6Mb) large download
Vision 2025 Final Document (PDF 674Kb) small download
Final document and action plans
Now the document has been approved the council will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to implement the vision and actions. The document and action plan will be subject to rolling review, involving the council’s two scrutiny committees.
Monitoring and review
Since adoption of the Vision 2025 document, officers have been monitoring progress against actions and reporting progress to Policy Development Committee. After each committee, papers and actions plans will be provided below.
April 2007
April 2007 Vision 2025 monitoring report to Policy Development Committee (PDF 42Kb)
Appendix A: Vision 2025 monitoring sustainable environment (PDF 112Kb)
Appendix B: Vision 2025 monitoring leisure and culture (PDF 115Kb)
October 2007
October 2007 Vision 2025 monitoring report to Policy Development Committee (PDF 55Kb)
Appendix A: Vision 2025 monitoring economic success and skills (PDF 84Kb)
Contact details
If you have any further queries please contact Ann-Marie Howell, lead officer for the project, on 01284 757611 or email strategy.performance@stedsbc.gov.uk
