Council leaders reveal vision for ‘vibrant, fair and thrifty’ city

Sheffield Council released details of its new “Standing Up for Sheffield” corporate plan for the first time. It sets out Labour’s vision for the city over the next three years.

Council chiefs say that the aims of the plan should be achievable despite the authority having to find spending cuts of £57m this financial year, and up to £170m by 2015/16.

This is the first time that council leader Julie Dore and her Labour administration, who were elected in May this year, have set out their overall vision for the city.

Sheffield Council chief executive John Mothersole said: “This is a very significant point to be at, and a major public accountability point as well, where the people of Sheffield should see the mandate on which the administration was elected being translated into clear action.

“There are eight outcomes that we’re seeking for the city and if we make progress on all of these eight outcomes the city, in a rounded sense, will be a better place.

“We will not be satisfied if we achieve only seven of these outcomes. At times like these – when times are tough – it’s very easy to lose your sense of ambition.

“We’re determined as a council that this is not a time to lose our ambition and we are as determined as we have ever been to achieve for Sheffield, and for Sheffield to achieve for itself.

“This is a deliberately ambitious corporate plan.”

The eight outcomes identified by Labour are “a strong and competitive economy”; “better health and wellbeing”; “successful young people”; “tackling poverty”; “safe and secure communities”; “a great place to live”; “an environmentally responsible city” and “a vibrant city.”

Issues such as fairness and “spending public money wisely” are described as “golden threads” running through the council’s aspirations.

However, these aims have to be achieved with less cash. In order to do this, Coun Dore said that the council will be working with other organisations to see what they can do for the good of the city.

She said: “We have to be targeted and pin down what we do, where we spend our money and what we can prioritise - even more so in what will be difficult times ahead.

“Standing Up for Sheffield sets out our priorities, what issues we will have to deal with and our thinking behind what we can do.

“I want to make it clear that the council is on the side of local people and business. We want to make Sheffield a great place to live, learn, work, visit and grow older in.

“By following these priorities we believe we can all work together to show what Sheffielders and Sheffield can do.”

Details of Labour’s budget will be revealed later this month and will then be put out to public consultation.

Mr Mothersole said: “It might take us longer to achieve our ambition and it might mean that we have to achieve it in a different way, but we are not giving up.”

He added that Sheffield Council has decided “not to take a line of confrontation” with the coalition Government over the spending cuts.

Coun Dore added: “We have less money at our disposal, so every penny we spend has to be effective and we have to consider all alternatives.

“We are currently working through our budget proposals for next year and will be sharing those spending headlines with local people and businesses before Christmas.

“We do not underestimate the challenges ahead and this plan, I hope, shows we are up for the challenge.”

The next stage for the “Standing up for Sheffield” plan will be to be endorsed by Cabinet committee members at a meeting to be held next Wednesday, November 9.

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