Priority five - A sustainable Council

We will ensure our council is financially sustainable and manages our assets effectively to enhance their local impact. We will be a well-run council across areas of our business and continue to improve outcomes for communities.

Key Moves

External auditors have recognised us as a well-managed council that consistently delivers a balanced budget, a position we will maintain.

Our bold and ambitious Transformation Mission, delivered as part of the Powering Our Future programme, is key to achieve this. A focus on early intervention and prevention will see us create the conditions for people in the Borough to be healthy and maximise their potential, by providing support for them in the right place and at the right time. Our approach will prevent, reduce and delay demand for services. In doing so, we will move away from reactive and fragmented support, whilst enhancing joined up working between public services, communities and individuals. Over time, we will shift the balance of Council resources upstream towards activities that tackle the root causes of more complex issues for individuals and families.

Alongside new ways of working and configuration of services, our transformation programme will maximise Council income through fees and charges. This will enable a balanced budget, whilst also being more sustainable for communities.

The Council's land and property portfolio will be optimised for community benefit and income generation, recognising the increasing need for financial and environmental sustainability. We will ensure that all Council assets are suitable for delivering the services that communities need or contribute to the financial stability of the Council. A corporate property review will strategically assess assets to optimise their use, deliver financial savings and generate new income streams.

As an anchor institution in the Borough, the Council has a significant impact through our role as an employer, commissioner and purchaser of goods and services. In keeping with our commitments set out in the A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees Framework (PDF) [1MB] , Inclusive Growth Strategy (PDF) [3MB] and Carbon Reduction Strategy (PDF) [1MB] , we will ensure that we continue to operate in ways that are fair, equitable and promote a positive local impact. This will include reducing our energy demand and accelerating a shift towards sustainable energy, whilst reducing harmful emissions and working towards a cleaner environment. An example of this is maximising the use of solar power at the Council's new offices in Dunedin House and looking at alternative fuels to power the council fleet.

We will continue to lead by example, encouraging other organisations in the Borough to maximise their local impact.

We all have a part to play - how can you help us to be a sustainable council that has a positive impact across all parts of the Borough?

While the onus is on us to deliver this priority, there are also things communities can do to help us.

Here are some of the things you might want to consider:

volunteer with community schemes that interest you - the more people we have involved means the more of us that have an active stake in the development of services and the future of our Borough
think about contacting us online if you can - this costs the Council less money and frees up our resources to help more vulnerable residents who need face to face contact most
use our online reporting platform to make us aware of issues at an early stage, so we can address any issues before they get worse
look at ways to reduce our energy demand and support a positive natural environment when using council buildings and public spaces - this will help reduce harmful emissions whilst supporting a more sustainable environment
you know your communities and your place best, so please share your ideas for doing things differently in your area - thinking about opportunities for community action or ownership