A note from our Chair and Chief Executive
Introduction
Our Values
Context
Our Corporate Objectives
Get Involved
A note from our Chair and Chief Executive
As a Council, in common with our citizens, we face many challenges over the next four years. We will need to be increasingly efficient in the way we deliver our services and must prioritise the things we do. We must be prudent in the management of our resources, but at the same time ensure that we contribute to the growth and prosperity of our district.
We see Mid Ulster as a great place to live with low crime rates, a strong economy, excellent community spirit, outstanding cultural and heritage assets and an attractive rural environment. Many opportunities exist to develop the district further but at all times, we will remain prudent in our management of the finite finance and resources that are available to us.
Over the next four years, we intend to deliver on our environmental responsibilities, our ambitious capital investment programme and our aspirations for planning and development in Mid Ulster. We will advocate for those facing poverty and disadvantage and we will build positive, constructive relationships with our partners, bringing forward innovative responses to issues that can only be tackled in collaboration with others.
Our citizens are central to everything we do and so we will listen to what you tell us, through open and honest conversations, and we will use that information to help us deliver the services you need as best we can. We pledge to be a Council for everyone, delivering our services in a user friendly, accessible and efficient manner, continually striving to improve everything that we do.
We have consciously sought to create a Corporate Plan that can be supported, implemented and achieved by all of us; our staff, our elected representatives, our partners and you, our citizens.
I commend this Corporate Plan to you and hope that you will engage with us during the next four years, so that together, we create the best Mid Ulster we can.
Councillor Eugene McConnell
Chair, Mid Ulster District Council
Adrian McCreesh
Chief Executive, Mid Ulster District Council
Introduction
We recognise that our citizens and customers want to see a vibrant, progressive, safe and flourishing district. The next four years will continue to be a period of substantial financial constraints and we recognise the need to become ever more efficient and effective in delivering our primary services. We have very clearly defined statutory responsibilities including waste collection and disposal; registering births, deaths and marriages; planning, building control and enforcement; provision of leisure and recreational facilities; human burial; environmental health; off street car parking; administering funding on behalf of central government; and economic development, including tourism. We will seek to improve our service delivery while minimising the burden on ratepayers.
Our Corporate Plan sets out the Council’s strategic direction for the next four years. It will help us to ensure that we are all working towards the same goals. It will support us in decision-making, resource allocation and ensuring that our business operations run smoothly. Our measurement process will help us identify any challenges along the way so that we can take immediate steps to overcome them.
We will work closely with all tiers of government, statutory and non-statutory bodies and other councils to lobby for action and to support and lead on major initiatives that are for local benefit. In much of this work, we have no financial resources but we will play our part by providing our expertise, leadership, co-ordination and local knowledge to bring about change that might otherwise not happen. This includes the strategic priorities contained in the Mid Ulster Community Plan and the major infrastructure projects in the Mid South West Growth Deal.
Our Values
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Customer first – we will engage and listen to our customers to better understand what you want and need and offer excellent access to good quality services
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Respect – we will celebrate diversity and treat everyone equitably and with respect
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Excellence – we will continually improve our services and work towards the best Mid Ulster there can be
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Honest and Trustworthy – we will be open and accountable in developing our plans and delivering services
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Innovative – we will seek to make maximum use of technology and other opportunities to improve services in our district.
Context
Mid Ulster is a geographically large area, stretching from Swatragh in the north to Fivemiletown in the south-west, covering 13% of Northern Ireland. It includes the towns of Magherafelt, Cookstown, Dungannon, Coalisland and Maghera, as well as many smaller villages, settlements, and a large rural area.
Map Source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
Our Corporate Objectives
Our new Corporate Plan groups our work around three strategic themes:-
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Theme 1: Our Service Delivery
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Theme 2: Leadership for Partnership and Local Growth
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Theme 3: Being the Best Council Possible.
Monitoring and Review
We strive to continually improve our performance. The measures that we have developed for each Objective will help us assess how successful we are. We will regularly monitor how we are performing, demonstrating to our Elected Members and citizens how effective we are in providing high quality services and value for money. Monitoring helps us identify when objectives are not progressing as expected and take remedial action. It helps us gather evidence for future policies and supports us in deciding where we need to focus our efforts in the future. Every two years, we will prepare and publish a Corporate Plan Monitoring Report.
Our five Directorates each develop an annual Service Plan which sets out the contribution the Directorate will make towards achieving the overall objectives contained in the Corporate Plan. Service Plans include operational priorities, programmes, expected results and outcomes, along with associated timescales and resource requirements. We regularly monitor and assess how our Service Plans are progressing.
We have developed an in-built process to ensure that our Corporate Plan, Service Plans and all new and revised policies and strategies comply with our statutory duties around Equality and Rural Needs.
Theme 1: Our Service Delivery
1.1 - Achieve a 20% reduction in Council’s carbon emissions by March 2028 through implementation of our Sustainability Strategy and Climate Action Plan
1.2 - Complete a Climate Change Adaptation Plan by 2025
The impact of climate change on water availability, food production, the environment and the livelihoods of the global population is growing. We know the risks around Climate Change will continue to increase if we do not take steps to cut our carbon emissions. We must act now as what we do today will affect the lives of our children and future generations. Our Climate Change Adaptation Plan sets out how we will assess and adapt to the risks and opportunities from climate change.
1.3 - Achieve the Circular Economy Target to recycle 60% of municipal waste by March 2028
Recycling waste protects the environment and saves on, or reduces, the costs of disposal. Recycling and/or reusing waste benefits the environment by lessening the need to extract resources or source new materials. It lowers the potential for contamination and saves energy.
1.4 - Build on our place-shaping capital investment programme to develop new, and enhance our existing, physical assets
Our Capital Investment Programme helps us build a better future for our citizens. It includes a programme of works to extend, refurbish, upgrade, redevelop and revitalise our existing and new assets, all set within our budgetary constraints. Our programme seeks to benefit the environment and promotes opportunities for our citizens to access and enjoy our facilities and outdoor spaces.
1.5 - Implement a Customer Experience Platform by 2026 and have it fully operational for two customer facing services by March 2028
We want to put our citizens and customers first and to do so we need to understand what people want, need and value. Embedding a positive customer experience journey into our service delivery will ensure that we put our customers first and serve their needs. It is critical to the sustained growth of our Council.
1.6 - Support delivery of a strong business economy by fostering start-ups; creating growth and scalability opportunities; promoting jobs; and developing Mid Ulster as a vibrant tourist destination
Mid Ulster district has a strong economy, especially in the fields of agriculture, construction, engineering and manufacturing. Our economy contributes to the standard of living enjoyed by our citizens. Growth in the production of goods and services means that quality and quantity increase. Tourism generates significant income and creates training opportunities and jobs. It helps to stimulate interest in, and preserve, our local heritage, cultural history and local crafts.
1.7 - Work collaboratively with central government to align existing community development and support programmes and implement our Community Development Strategy and Action Plan by March 2028
Mid Ulster has a vibrant community and voluntary sector. We want to shape new ways of working across central and local government by aligning programme delivery and funding, exploring how things could be done differently to reflect local need. The motivation to work towards achieving improved processes is driven by our desire to ensure that the people in our communities are ultimately better off.
1.8 - Redirect wealth and public spending into communities by promoting a Community Wealth Building approach to local economic development
Community Wealth Building seeks to contribute to a more stable and equitable economy by capturing the power of public organisations to better address poverty, marginalisation and economic injustice. It supports collective community ownership of, and democratic control over, the local economy through community land and property trusts, community financial institutions, anchor institution procurement strategies, fair employment and just labour markets, local social enterprise, and public and community banking.
1.9 - Increase customer satisfaction and participation in our leisure, outdoor recreation and arts, culture and literary facilities by March 2028
1.10 - Co-design and deliver accessible community-based leisure and outdoor recreation facilities and programmes that meet our citizens’ needs
Council has a substantial offering of leisure, outdoor recreation and arts, cultural and literary provision which includes our leisure centres, parks, green spaces, play areas, theatres and cultural sites. These services are at the core of Council’s direct service delivery to our citizens. We want to hear from, listen to and act on what our citizens tell us so that our community-based leisure and outdoor recreation facilities and programmes meet their needs.
1.11 - Advance our vision to meet the strategic planning and wellbeing needs of our citizens by progressing the Local Development Plan 2030 Draft Plan Strategy to Public Inquiry Stage by March 2028
1.12 - Listen to and reflect the needs of our citizens in shaping the Planning Service
1.13 - Exceed statutory planning targets during the life of the Corporate Plan
The Council’s Local Development Plan is comprised of the Plan Strategy and Local Policies Plan. Its purpose is to inform the general public, statutory authorities, developers and other interested bodies of the policy framework and land use proposals that will implement the strategic objectives of the Regional Development Strategy and guide development decisions within Mid Ulster up to 2030. Our Planning system is about getting the right things built in the right places, about spaces around buildings and other issues such as job creation, regeneration and climate change. We want to exceed the statutory targets that have been set for our Planning Service and improve our service delivery by listening to and reflecting the needs of our citizens.
Theme 2: Leadership and Partnership for Local Growth
2.1 - Visibly progress the Mid South West Growth Deal initiatives
Growth Deals are packages of investment provided by the NI Executive and UK Government, complemented by other sources of funding. They are drivers for innovation and growth helping to raise productivity and driving competitiveness across Northern Ireland. The Mid South West Growth Deal is a collaboration between the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Fermanagh and Omagh and Mid Ulster District Councils. Our region is fortunate to have many strengths however, there are challenges around productivity levels, an infrastructure deficit, a need to attract new workers, migration issues and a weaker outlook for population growth. We have developed a number of Growth Deal projects designed to supercharge the growth of our economy including for example, a new A29 Cookstown Bypass which will relieve traffic congestion in the town centre, reduce journey travel times, improve road safety and enhance the town centre environment.
2.2 - Actively participate with other partners to substantially progress the co-ordinated management of Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh is the biggest freshwater lake in Britain or Ireland. It supplies 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water and is a haven for wildlife. It is a globally important Ramsar site, a European Special Protection Area and a NI Area of Special Scientific Interest. However, there are problems around falling fish populations, deteriorating water quality and reduced bird life. Council will actively participate with the many other partners who have an interest in, and responsibility for, the protection and conservation of this unique and vitally important natural environment.
2.3 - Collaborate with local and regional governments and jurisdictions to improve the services we deliver to our citizens and advocate on their behalf
We are an outward looking, progressive Council. We will collaborate across local and regional governments and jurisdictions to deliver better results, seek out opportunities to identify where best practice exists and work with others on similar projects to bring about greater gains for our citizens. In our leadership capacity, we will identify and raise key issues that affect our citizens, supporting them to have their say and identifying solutions that meet their needs.
2.4 - Continue to engage and work alongside our Community Planning partners to deliver Mid Ulster Community Plan outcomes and have a new Plan in place by 2028
Community Planning happens when communities and organisations come together to improve local wellbeing and quality of life. Community Planning strives to improve partnership working, planning, processes and service delivery to achieve value for money and better outcomes for everyone. Council has a legislative duty to initiate, maintain, facilitate and participate with other partners in community planning for the district.
Theme 3: Being the Best Council Possible
3.1 - Increase staff engagement and wellbeing by 2028
3.2 - Implement a Workforce Plan to attract and retain the top talent we need to deliver our services
Investing in our employees’ wellbeing brings about many benefits including increased resilience and employee engagement, reduced sickness absence, higher performance and productivity, better work-life balance and ultimately improved service delivery for our citizens. We want to foster a workplace culture of loyalty and high morale, with staff who feel their wellbeing needs are being met. Workforce planning helps us strategically align our business goals with our people strategy. It helps us to respond to changing customer needs by developing a more skilled pool of staff. It helps reduce the cost of labour by promoting efficiency within the workforce and eliminating unproductive practices. It helps us retain our employees, develop our people and deliver best value for money through our talent.
3.3 - Remain a financially sustainable and viable Council that takes a prudent approach to spending public money
The services delivered by Council impact on many aspects of our lives and the communities we are part of. We face bigger pressures and challenges including cost of living increases, higher inflation, reduced income streams and heightened demand for services. The challenges which lie ahead mean that we must focus on ensuring that our financial position is resilient, responsible and sustainable.
3.4 - Ensure our Governance Framework is appropriately integrated within our service delivery models
Our corporate governance framework centres around decision-making and accountability. It is an essential support structure setting out our rules, procedures, practices and organisational roles that ensure accountability, fairness and transparency. It helps us build trust amongst our ratepayers and citizens. It includes processes for identifying, assessing and managing risks and helps us to avoid regulatory violations or litigation, thereby increasing our performance and long-term sustainability.
Get Involved
Our citizens are central to everything we do, so we are keen to hear your views. We will listen to what you tell us and use that information to help us deliver the services we provide to you.
If you are interested in becoming part of a Citizens Panel, please get in touch for more information by emailing Celene O’Neill, Community and Strategic Planning Officer, celene.oneill@midulstercouncil.org or by telephone on 03000 132 132.