Publish Date: 12 October 2023
A new Council Strategy with a vision that Wealden will be a place where people and nature thrive together has been unveiled.
The strategy, which sets out the council’s priorities over the next four years, was approved by members of the authority’s Cabinet Committee this week and is expected to be ratified at a Full Council meeting in November.
It sets out three priorities: Climate Change and our Environment; Community Resilience and Wellbeing; and the Local Economy and places emphasis on community engagement.
It also sets out how Wealden will face up to the challenges of a growing population, climate change, nature loss and historic underinvestment, while building on its advantages of a strong economy and being a great place to live.
The strategy, previously known as the Corporate Plan, came about following Wealden District Council elections in May when the Alliance for Wealden was formed as a working partnership – between members of the Liberal Democrat Party and Green Party – to take on the political leadership of the council.
Leader of Wealden District Council and Liberal Democrat councillor James Partridge said, “The new Council Strategy is firmly based on what we heard from voters during the election campaign and on Liberal Democrat and Green Party values.
“It is aspirational but realistic in facing up to the problems of the world as it is, not as we would like it to be – not least the government policies which have and will cause difficulties for Wealden.”
Councillor Rachel Millward, deputy leader of the council, a member of the Alliance for Wealden (Green Party), and lead councillor for Housing & Benefits, said, “This strategy came from members, bringing concerns and ideas from the residents they represent, and was written in collaboration with officers. It will guide our direction of travel from here. In every decision, we will ask ourselves: how does this serve nature, deepen community resilience and strengthen our local economy?
“It’s our promise to residents that we will be open, honest and transparent as a council. We are looking forward to finding new ways to listen to our communities and expect this strategy to develop as we do so.”
Read the strategy here