Planning the future of Council Services

We deliver local services to around 148,000 people living in the rural and urban areas of the region and our Council Plan sets out the vision and approach we're taking to ensure our services and activities deliver our ambitions over the next few years.

Members of Dumfries and Galloway Full Council previously agreed to establish an inclusive leadership arrangement and indicated that an inclusive approach to the development of a new Council Plan would be an important demonstration of the shared endeavour and commitment to work together. Following a programme of engagement, and involvement of all Elected Members in its development, a draft Council Plan will be presented to Full Council on 15 December.

Providing the draft plan is agreed by Members, public, stakeholder and staff consultations will then take place to seek views on the Plan. The timeline for consultation will be from 20 December 2022 until 31 January 2023. There will be an opportunity to get your views heard and shape the final Plan through various platforms, including questionnaires, which will be available online and in various Council buildings, and through citizen representative group events, which will be publicised nearer the time. For further details on the consultation, go to: https://dumgal.gov.uk/consultations

Clarity from Elected Members on those outcomes that should be prioritised and achieved over the term of this Council is critical for the direction of the organisation and of significant importance for the communities and residents which the Council serves. The consensus from Members was that there should be four themes given the highest priority for the new Plan, namely:

• Economy
• Travel, Connectivity and Infrastructure
• Education and Learning
• Health and Wellbeing

Under each priority, there are proposed strategic outcomes, which are discussed more fully in the draft Plan. To read the draft plan go to: Item 7, appendix 1:

https://dumfriesgalloway.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=137&MId=5584

Once the consultation has been completed, the final draft Council Plan will be presented to members of Full Council on 28 February 2023. This will be reviewed annually to ensure delivery of the agreed outcomes.

Convener of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Stephen Thompson said: “Our Council Plan is our most important document. It guides us and keeps us on track to ensure that we are delivering what we promised. Elected Members have worked together to form an inclusive plan with a combined focus which gives clear direction on Council services and outcomes for the next 5 years.”

Depute Convener, Linda Dorward said: “Our key themes have been agreed across all political parties within our Council, and these will guide our decision and how we deliver services as we operate in line with a core set of principles. This is an important demonstration from this Council of the shared endeavour and commitment to work together. With a new vision, our plan looks forward after the challenges of the pandemic, where local communities came together to support each other through the pandemic. We will build on this new cohesive strength to ensure Council services are designed to meet the needs of all our local communities.”