Corporate Strategy, Year 1 plan 2025/26

 

A High Quality Place Adapted for a Changing Climate

Action

Lead Cabinet Member

Revenue ongoing

Revenue one-off

Capital

Refresh the Integrated Transport Strategy (with citizen engagement)

·         Bespoke plans for Town and Rural areas

Cllr Harwood

 

£50,000 for Integrated Transport Strategy

 

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

 

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.

 

 

Infrastructure Delivery Including New Green Spaces

£2,500,000

 

Climate Change and Biodiversity Projects

 £2,500,000

 

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

 

Help residents make their homes more energy efficient and their money go further including seeking opportunities for innovation in local energy supply

 

Cllr Wales and Cllr Summersgill

Use current resource ie £49,000 growth already included in budget to support property decarbonisation

 

 

 

Take Action to improve Air Quality

Cllr Summersgill

 

£25,000 for updated Air Quality Management Plan

 

Ensure responsible and sustainable landscape management of our own land and increase green spaces

Cllr English

Use current resources

 

Infrastructure Delivery Including New Green Spaces £2,500,000

 

Enhanced interpretation of historic buildings and places

Cllr Thompson

Use current resources

 

 

Attain Green Flag for Brenchley Gardens

Cllr English

Use current resources

 

 

Deliver an Exemplar heritage Strategy

Cllr Thompson

Use current resources

 

 

Support bid for Kent Downs national Landscape extension onto Greensand Ridge

Cllr Harwood/Cllr Summersgill

Use current resources

 

 

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

 

 

 

Resilient Communities

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

 

 

Deliver two pump tracks

Cllr English

 

 

£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

 

 

Investigate and promote funding streams/sources to support community facilities across the Borough

Cllr Naghi

Use current resources

 

 

Initiate a study into leisure options

Cllr Thompson

 

 

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

 

 

Introduce a programme of citizen engagement on key topics including violence against women and girls and transport

Cllr Naghi

£100,000

 

 

 

Deliver a healthier borough through health in all policies

Cllr Thompson

Use current resources

 

 

Undertake Gypsy Romany Traveller community engagement and outreach

Cllr Naghi

Use current resources

 

 

Quality Homes

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

 

 

 

Deliver the homelessness strategy and action plan

Cllr Wales

Use current resources

 

 

£30,000,000 TA property purchases.

 

Improve and continue delivery of quality homes for life for local people

Cllr Wales

 

 

£172,000,000

Quality Homes for Life programme

Open the Housing Revenue Account

Cllr Wales

 

 

Use Quality Homes for Life programme expand portfolio to HRA threshold of 200 homes

 

Deliver a high quality, well landscaped public Gypsy, Romany, Traveller site

Cllr Wales

 

 

£4,000,000

Deliver a HMO SPD

Tony Harwood

Use current resources

 

 

 

Initiate a study into leisure facilities options in the borough (see also under Resilient Communities)

Cllr Thompson

 

 

Use existing provision in capital programme for feasibility work on new leisure centre.

 

Fairer Economy for People and Planet

Action

Lead Cabinet Member

Revenue ongoing

Revenue one-off

Capital

Explore options for café and toilet facilities in or around Maidstone Museum

Cllr Thompson

 

 

£100,000

Making use of our spaces including Coronation Square and Jubilee Square for events and markets throughout the year.

Cllr Thompson

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

£480,000 Museum Development Plan will fund capital works at Museum

Deliver a new Economic Development Strategy

Cllr Thompson

 

Use Kent Business Rates pool funds earmarked for economic development

 

Commence work on a Town Centre vision

Cllr Thompson

Use current resources

 

 

Deliver the Arts and Culture strategy

Cllr Thompson

£30,000 Ongoing Creative Community grant programme

To be funded by UKSPF

 

 

 

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

 

Staffing costs for year one funded by UKSPF £50,000