Cabinet programme for administration 2022 2027

Our Commitments for the Remainder of our Administration

We have reviewed the actions that we said we would achieve by 2027 to ensure these are achievable and relevant.  Actions are grouped under the relevant Cabinet member portfolio.  In many cases, there is little change from the vision we set out in 2022.

 

Place, the Region, Climate Change and Rural Affairs

Mission

• We will amplify Pembrokeshire’s comparative advantage in energy to catalyse a green energy investment revolution while also supporting and developing the other foundational tenants of the local economy, agriculture and tourism.
• We will ensure Pembrokeshire remains a fantastic place to visit, live and work with vibrant urban centres, country-leading digital connectivity and a world class leisure offer.
• We will meet our 2030 target of being a net zero carbon Council, will work towards decarbonising the transport system over the longer term and will take an innovative approach to protecting and promoting our environment and our capacity to adapt to climate change.

Headlines

We will:

• Ensure Pembrokeshire plays its part in the UK’s green energy revolution and in doing so secures well-paid jobs and other community benefits for the County:
• Supporting our existing industry while also creating the right conditions for investment in the renewable energy generation of the future through delivery of the Celtic Freeport, such as hydrogen and carbon capture
• Ensuring Pembrokeshire gains the maximum benefit from the granting of Floating Offshore Wind licences in the Celtic Sea
• Continue to re-invent and invest in Pembrokeshire's town centres making them lively, vibrant and thriving places which people enjoy.
• Maximise inward investment opportunities and develop our strategic employment sites across the County to support key sectors (energy, food and agriculture, tourism and hospitality).
• Support people to improve their resilience and life chances through gaining the critical vocational skills and qualifications which enable them to progress into work and further learning.
• Work to ensure that our tourism offer is sustainable and benefits local communities and businesses through the delivery of the 2024-28 Destination Management Plan, and promote regenerative tourism.
• Produce a fully costed plan which sets the Council on a path to meet its net zero commitments.
• Invest in public transport and infrastructure to support the transition to electric/hydrogen fuelled vehicles.
• Develop a network of cycle and walking routes between 10 of our towns to reduce car usage and encourage people to be more physically active.
• Manage our land and assets to ensure the natural environment is enhanced and protected.  In particular, we will maintain and seek to enhance biodiversity and ecology across Pembrokeshire in line with our duties under the Environment Act.

 

Housing

Mission

• We will be innovative in dealing with the housing challenges we face by ensuring the people of Pembrokeshire have access to a suitable home which is of a high standard, affordable and improves their quality of life, in line with the aspirations of the Pembrokeshire Housing Strategy 2024-2029.

Headlines

We will:

• Through our housing development programme and package deals develop an additional 67 new build housing units by 2027 (on top of the 73 we have already built).
• Progress with the pipeline of housing development sites working through the construction phases that will yield a further 80 new homes, including older people’s sheltered housing and supported living provision.
• Sustain the affordable housing programme, working with partners including housing associations, private developers and community groups to increase the range of housing projects of all tenures. This will help grow Pembrokeshire's housing supply.
• Work to ensure homelessness is prevented, brief, rare and unrepeated in the delivery of our Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and Housing Support Programme Strategy.
• Work with and support landlords in the private rented sector in the face of falling supply, promoting Leasing Scheme Wales.
• Continue to use money raised from the second homes council tax premium for increasing the supply of affordable and social homes, including promotion and continuation of HomeBuy Pembrokeshire.
• Maximise and blend funding available for the redevelopment and sustainment of town centres, bringing back into use long term empty properties
• Provide a high-quality social landlord service which listens and responds to the needs of our tenants.
• Work towards the achievement of the Wales Housing Quality Standards 2023 that will also include accelerating the decarbonisation of our housing stock.
• Promote the availability of financial assistance available from the council or energy providers for improving private sector housing standards, including energy efficiency and adaptation grants.

 

Corporate Finance and Efficiencies

Mission

• We will work innovatively and prudentially to deliver the Programme for Administration within available financial resources, quality and timescale constraints.

Headlines

We will:

• Work with all stakeholders to agree and then deliver an annual affordable, balanced budget as part of a sustainable and responsive Medium Term Financial Plan.
• Work towards presenting “live” financial and resource information to stakeholders.
• Obtain views of as many residents as possible through the annual budget stakeholder consultation.
• Continually improve our business processes and productivity to deliver fit-for-purpose services at the lowest sustainable cost.
• Pursue ‘invest to save’, ‘service reconfiguration’ and additional grant and income opportunities to deliver future savings and efficiencies.
• Recommend prioritisation options to protect statutory services and those needed by the most vulnerable in our County.
• Transition from a traditional customer offer to a modern, digital multi-channel experience to support all citizens
• Support our people to reach their full potential, and launch a staff wide engagement survey, to listen to our staff and act on areas of improvement.
• Improve accessibility, choice and the experience of our customers in dealing with the council, designing services around the needs of customers and citizens.

 

Adult Social Care

Mission

• We will support people with appropriate care and support to live in their own homes and communities, focusing on prevention and ensuring vulnerable people are safe.

Headlines

We will:

• Grow our direct delivery presence and rebalance the market as set out in our Social Care Strategic Commissioning Plan.  This will mean investing in growing and/or developing council run care homes, as well as expanding the market share of our in-house domiciliary care team to 20% (and to 30% by 2035).  This will have capital funding implications.
• Continue to develop social worker traineeships, building on our ‘grow your own’ approach to increasing numbers of social workers to meet demand.
• Promote social care as a career of choice with the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives, developing a career pathway.
• Create capacity to deliver care services to vulnerable people who need them, building in resilience to respond to market failure and challenges.
• Embed the progress we have made on re-provisioning a range of meaningful day opportunities and respite services for individual families and carers, and progress the South Quay development.
• Build a diverse and vibrant market, which includes micro and social enterprise development, in line with our Social Care Strategic Commissioning Plan.
• Work with the Health Board to ensure people receive a seamless and coordinated provision and ensure no-one who needs support is left in the gaps between services.
• Continue to identify and implement effective approaches to digital inclusion and technology enabled care and support.
• Further increase the uptake of direct payments.
• Work with partners to ensure successful resettlement of people from Ukraine to Pembrokeshire.
• Deliver our commitment to safeguarding, protecting the rights of every child and adult at risk to participate in a safe society and be protected from harm. We will do this by making safeguarding everyone’s responsibility and by investing in preventative and early intervention services.

 

Young People, Community, Well-being and Future Generations

Mission

• Develop high quality services to support children and young people that are designed to prevent escalation of need, delivery through a relationship-based approach and are focused on achieving the best outcomes for young people and their families.
• Strengthen relationships with communities to help them build resilience, stay connected, and utilise all available resources
• Ensure future generations are taken into account in decision making, balancing resources needed to meet immediate pressures over the longer term.

Headlines

We will:

• Restructure how young people and families access children's services so that they are offered the most appropriate service to de-escalate need, bolstering our efforts to prevent children coming into care.
• Support a greater number of children to leave care safely
• Provide a 0-25 through age model of support so that children who will require support as young adults have a smooth transition into these services.
• Further expand Council managed residential children’s accommodation in Pembrokeshire to improve outcomes for our looked after children (we are in negotiation and cannot be specific, but our expansion plans will meet a significant proportion of current demand).
• Continue to expand our own in-house Foster Care service, building upon incentives such as discounting council tax for people who have opened up their homes to Pembrokeshire’s looked after children.
• Pilot a multi-agency, community-based approach to provision of preventative services and family support starting in Milford Haven.  If successful, this will be extended across Pembrokeshire.
• Increase take-up of the County Council Employee Volunteering Scheme to directly support local communities.
• Continue to engage with Community and Town Councils, sharing best practice and resources.
• Continue to progress our Poverty strategy, building upon targeted take up campaigns for key benefits.
• Provide leadership to improve the effectiveness and impact of the Public Services Board, bringing organisations together to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Pembrokeshire.
• Continue to develop governance arrangements that balance current and future needs and that take account of long-term trends.

 

Residents' Services 

Mission

• We will focus our resources on delivering ‘brilliant basics’ – core services such as highways, waste and recycling, public protection and leisure and culture – that contribute to the quality of life for communities, ensuring residents live in neighbourhoods that are clean, green, safe and active.

Headlines

We will:

• Maximise the potential of our assets (land and buildings) to enhance community well-being and place-making through, for example, the use of community asset transfers.
• Maintain our performance as one of the best recycling authorities in the UK by, for example, completing the last phases of the Eco Park project and supporting circular economy projects (e.g. installing re-use facilities at Waste and Recycling Centres across Pembrokeshire).
• Maintain and seek to improve local environmental quality (on streets, public realm, parks, countryside and beaches) through, for example, a focus on reducing enviro-crime.
• Maintain our highways in a good condition, improve road safety and seek to enhance and extend the public rights of way network.
• Continue to support active travel through investment in accessible facilities, shared routes and public transport, in line with the Healthy Travel Wales Charter. Promote direct rail links from Milford Haven to London Paddington.
• Continue to provide a comprehensive range of good quality leisure, library and cultural facilities and programmes that support the health and well-being of our residents.
• Work with partners to address anti-social behaviour and maintain public safety.
• Continue to support major events that generate economic and community benefits, and raise the profile of the county.
• Strive to become a performance – oriented organisation delivering modern, effective and efficient services by implementing our Transformation and Innovation programme.

 

Planning and Regulatory Services

Mission

• We will shape and enhance the environment of Pembrokeshire, and play a critical role in delivering housing, sustaining and attracting businesses, balancing the impacts of developments on communities and contributing to the Council’s response to the climate and nature emergencies. 

Headlines

We will:

• Finalise the new Development Plan for Pembrokeshire (LDP2) which supports and enables significant housing growth and links seamlessly with those of our partners across the region and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
• Support developers in addressing nutrient neutrality requirements within affected catchments to enable the continued delivery of development within Pembrokeshire.
• Progress the delivery of the Strategic Development Plan for South West Wales through the Corporate Joint Committees.  
• Maintain the current excellent level of service within the planning department.
• Continue to progress enforcement cases, further reducing the backlog of cases.  Whilst a last resort, we will seek prosecution and ensure that successful cases are communicated to the public, with a view to raise awareness of the potential consequences of unauthorised development.
• Implement a new planning system to increase transparency of the planning service and improve the process for planning officers, applicants and the community.
• Strengthen our contribution to the nature recovery agenda, working in partnership to maximise funding opportunities and deliver biodiversity enhancements at scale.
• Provide a high-quality Building Control service and raise the profile of the team’s work.
• Support a safe living and working environment through the efficient and effective delivery of public protection services.

 

Education and Welsh Language

Mission

• We will make Pembrokeshire a great place to learn, live and grow.

Headlines

We will:

• Enable every learner, regardless of their background, to become the best they can be.
• Create a nurturing environment and inspire every learner to be ambitious, capable, confident, responsible and resilient.
• Support schools to create high quality learner pathways and curricula to create sustainable improvement which enables our schools to be high performing.
• Continue to deliver our Sustainable Communities for Learning programme focusing on English and Welsh medium provision for Milford Haven.
• Deliver whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing for your learners.
• Continue to invest in our workforce to achieve excellence.
• Deliver our Welsh in Education Strategic Plan.
• Create excellent partnerships with businesses to develop the skills and economy of the future.
• Develop child friendly approaches and deliver our obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in full.
• Deliver our early years pathfinder project and improve services for our families and their youngest children.
• Deliver community youth work and school holiday programmes across the County.