Corporate Strategy, Year 1 plan 2025/26
A High Quality Place Adapted for a Changing Climate |
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Lead Cabinet Member |
Revenue ongoing |
Revenue one-off |
Capital |
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Refresh the Integrated Transport Strategy (with citizen engagement) · Bespoke plans for Town and Rural areas |
Cllr Harwood |
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£50,000 for Integrated Transport Strategy |
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Nature Recovery through Community partnership and action - Introduce a grant scheme focussed on river and land restoration to promote landscape beauty, biodiversity, flood mitigation and support rural employment and community engagement and ownership - New local nature reserves for example Banky meadow - River restoration Beult, Len, Loose stream, Teise etc on climate change, adaptation and nature recovery |
Cllr Summersgill |
£55,000 Enhance Action Plan by delivering mitigation and adaptation projects using a dedicated project management resource |
£500,000 Establish Nature Recovery Fund using one-off resources in Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 |
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Refresh and Deliver the Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategy to focus on actions that are in our control including - open spaces, - increasing waste minimisation, re-use and recycling including our own buildings, - increasing information and advice to businesses and residents - Inform and engage residents and businesses to manage and protect green spaces |
Cllr Summersgill |
£25,000 Initiative to introduce subsidised home composting bins and water butts as part of measures to improve waste management to be funded from the extended producer responsibility (EPR) funding.
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Infrastructure Delivery Including New Green Spaces £2,500,000
Climate Change and Biodiversity Projects £2,500,000
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Biodiversity Net Gain Identify from our own sites land suitable for Biodiversity net gain |
Cllr Summersgill |
Use current resources |
Use Nature Recovery Fund if necessary to bring land up to standard |
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Help residents make their homes more energy efficient and their money go further including seeking opportunities for innovation in local energy supply
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Cllr Wales and Cllr Summersgill |
Use current resource ie £49,000 growth already included in budget to support property decarbonisation
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Take Action to improve Air Quality |
Cllr Summersgill |
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£25,000 for updated Air Quality Management Plan |
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Ensure responsible and sustainable landscape management of our own land and increase green spaces |
Cllr English |
Use current resources |
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Infrastructure Delivery Including New Green Spaces £2,500,000
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Enhanced interpretation of historic buildings and places |
Cllr Thompson |
Use current resources |
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Attain Green Flag for Brenchley Gardens |
Cllr English |
Use current resources |
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Deliver an Exemplar heritage Strategy |
Cllr Thompson |
Use current resources |
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Support bid for Kent Downs national Landscape extension onto Greensand Ridge |
Cllr Harwood/Cllr Summersgill |
Use current resources |
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Continue the delivery of a review of the local plan including - developing design and sustainability documents - innovative landscape character area assessment |
Tony Harwood |
Use current resources
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Resilient Communities |
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Action |
Lead Cabinet Member |
Revenue ongoing |
Revenue one-off |
Capital |
Introduce a voluntary and community services grant scheme to support resilient communities |
Cllr Naghi |
£60,000 ongoing grant programme |
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Deliver two pump tracks |
Cllr English |
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£200,000 (assumes use of existing MBC land) |
Develop and widely promote a directory of community facilities, spaces and events across the Borough |
Cllr Naghi |
Use current resources |
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Investigate and promote funding streams/sources to support community facilities across the Borough |
Cllr Naghi |
Use current resources |
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Initiate a study into leisure options |
Cllr Thompson |
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Use existing provision in capital programme for feasibility work on new leisure centre |
Strengthen communication with our Parish Councillors and community organisations |
Cllr Naghi |
£5,000 for annual parish conference |
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Introduce a programme of citizen engagement on key topics including violence against women and girls and transport |
Cllr Naghi |
£100,000
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Deliver a healthier borough through health in all policies |
Cllr Thompson |
Use current resources |
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Undertake Gypsy Romany Traveller community engagement and outreach |
Cllr Naghi |
Use current resources |
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Quality Homes |
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Action |
Lead Cabinet Member |
Revenue ongoing |
Revenue one-off |
Capital |
Work with private sector landlords and providers to support a quality local rental market and accommodation portfolio |
Cllr Wales |
Use current resources
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Deliver the homelessness strategy and action plan |
Cllr Wales |
Use current resources
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£30,000,000 TA property purchases.
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Improve and continue delivery of quality homes for life for local people |
Cllr Wales |
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£172,000,000 Quality Homes for Life programme |
Open the Housing Revenue Account |
Cllr Wales |
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Use Quality Homes for Life programme expand portfolio to HRA threshold of 200 homes
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Deliver a high quality, well landscaped public Gypsy, Romany, Traveller site |
Cllr Wales |
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£4,000,000 |
Deliver a HMO SPD |
Tony Harwood |
Use current resources
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Initiate a study into leisure facilities options in the borough (see also under Resilient Communities) |
Cllr Thompson |
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Use existing provision in capital programme for feasibility work on new leisure centre.
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Fairer Economy for People and Planet |
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Action |
Lead Cabinet Member |
Revenue ongoing |
Revenue one-off |
Capital |
Explore options for café and toilet facilities in or around Maidstone Museum |
Cllr Thompson |
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£100,000 |
Making use of our spaces including Coronation Square and Jubilee Square for events and markets throughout the year. |
Cllr Thompson |
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Included within £500,000 funding for Lockmeadow ongoing investment. |
Develop a strategy to champion and deliver increased access to further, higher and lifelong learning in the borough |
Cllr Thompson |
Use current resources
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Work with the local history gallery at Maidstone Museum on community outreach to celebrate and promote local heritage, history and culture |
Cllr Thompson |
Use current resources
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£480,000 Museum Development Plan will fund capital works at Museum |
Deliver a new Economic Development Strategy |
Cllr Thompson |
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Use Kent Business Rates pool funds earmarked for economic development |
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Commence work on a Town Centre vision |
Cllr Thompson |
Use current resources |
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Deliver the Arts and Culture strategy |
Cllr Thompson |
£30,000 Ongoing Creative Community grant programme To be funded by UKSPF
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Deliver the Creative Maker Space in the Town Centre |
Cllr Thompson |
£28,000 Funding to cover opportunity cost of commercial income from unit in Gabriels Hill
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Staffing costs for year one funded by UKSPF £50,000 |
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