Summary - principles and priorities | Corporate plan - 2023 to 2027

Summary - principles and priorities

Little Amal puppet next to hare and minotaur sculpture in Cheltenham

The delivery of our priorities will be based around the following six principles

We will:

Help all our communities to benefit and prosper from our strong local economy
Work together with everyone in our networks to improve our borough and support our residents to be healthy, our communities to be strong and our businesses to thrive
Be commercially minded to keep costs down and our council financially stable, so we always provide value for money to the taxpayer
Use data and research to drive improvement, listening carefully to our residents, communities and businesses to underpin informed decisions
Ensure the climate emergency agenda is at the forefront and integral to all our decision-making
Be risk aware, rather than risk averse

Our five key priorities

Key Priority 1 - Enhancing Cheltenham’s reputation as the cyber capital of the UK

Cheltenham is the cyber capital of the UK and home to GCHQ. We will build on our reputation for cyber excellence by delivering a new Garden Community which will create jobs, provide more new homes and encourage business growth. At its heart will be the National Cyber Innovation Centre - a brand new home for the cyber security industry.

Key Priority 2 - Working with residents, communities and businesses to help make Cheltenham net zero by 2030

Our planet is precious but it’s under threat. We must work together to reduce carbon emissions. We will take action, offer advice and share ideas. Our net zero action plan and new Climate Impact Assessment Tool will ensure we deliver a cleaner and greener environment for all and help make Cheltenham and the Council Net Zero by 2030.

Key Priority 3 - Increasing the number of affordable homes through our £180m housing investment plan

Working with Cheltenham Borough Homes and others, we plan to increase the number of affordable homes. £180m will be spent on building new houses and on supporting tenants and existing communities. We will also continue to work in partnership with others to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping.

Key Priority 4 - Ensuring residents, communities and businesses benefit from Cheltenham’s future growth and prosperity

There will be a great deal of money invested in Cheltenham in the future. This will result in more jobs, skills and housing. We will work with local groups and partners to make sure local residents, communities and businesses benefit from Cheltenham’s growth.

Key Priority 5 - Being a more modern, efficient and financially-sustainable council

We will continue to work hard to keep our costs down and increase our income. This will help with the funding for key services. We want everyone to be able contact the Council 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So we will introduce new ways to make this possible. Above all, we want to avoid wasting the taxpayer’s money and make better use of our resources.

How we plan to support residents, communities and businesses during 2023-2027

Create more jobs
Build more homes
Work with our partners to help residents stay warm and feed their families
Invest in more skills and training opportunities
Enhance Cheltenham as the centre for cyber security in the UK
Encourage more shoppers on the high street
Find more ways for people to spend money locally
Keep Cheltenham clean and green
Cut down on energy use and waste
Do more recycling
Improve housing estates and build sustainable communities
Reduce homelessness
Work with the police to ensure we have safer streets at night
Work in partnership to reduce child poverty and raise key issues that affect our children
Develop a sports plan to help improve people's health and wellbeing
Make it easier for people to contact us 24/7
Deliver accessible and good quality car parking
Increase the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points in council owned car parks
Achieve value for money for the taxpayer