Developing economy and improving education focus of new Wrexham Council plan

Developing the local economy, improving education and ensuring Wrexham is a “fair and safe place” are just some of the aims in the new Council Plan.

The document sets out the local authority’s well-being priorities for the next five years, and how it will use its resources to deliver what’s important to people who live and work in the county borough.

The six well-being priorities within our Council Plan 2023-28 are:

• Delivering efficient Streetscene services and decarbonising the environment
• Developing the economy
• Ensuring Wrexham is a fair and safe place
• Improving education and learning
• Promoting health and well-being (with a focus on social services and good mental health)
• Supporting a highly skilled and engaged workforce, focussed on delivering services

To help develop the plan, local people were asked to share their views and ideas through an online and printed survey, emails and telephone conversations.

285 individuals and 18 groups accessed the survey either online or by completing a printed copy, with 214 respondents answering at least one of the survey questions.

Council officers also met face-to-face with community groups and representatives, and attended coffee mornings, exercise classes, art classes, food clubs, faith groups and other community activities.

Whilst the process saw support for the six themes, concerns were raised about the risks of digital exclusion, access to public transport and sustainable travel options, inequalities between rural and urban communities and the challenges facing those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage,

Responses the Council Plan has led to outcome statements being refined, additional outcomes and some outcomes being moved to different priorities.

Recurring themes from the public on the proposed aims of the plan include:-

Delivering efficient Streetscene services and decarbonising the environment

• Broad support for Developing and Decarbonising our Environment and strong agreement/agreement with the outcome statements proposed overall
• The need for strong leadership, effective strategy and clear action plans were key themes in feedback about this draft priority.
• Feedback on our draft council plan identified the need to ensure that our decarbonisation strategy includes working with communities, stakeholders, partners and businesses.
• Decarbonisation is a priority across everything the council does, both externally and internally.

Developing the economy

• Encourage inward investment
• Improve public transport, and also road and rail infrastructure •
• Provision and regeneration for rural areas •
• Consider the needs of those requiring public transport to access employment and education
• Regenerate city centre and surrounding areas
• More tourism, leisure and entertainment facilities
• Improve car parking provision in city centre
• Support development of employment opportunities and address skills gaps
• The need for a focus on the needs of rural areas, regeneration and the promotion of rural Wrexham as a visitor location.
• Recognition of the lack of public transport as a barrier to accessing education and employment

Ensuring a modern and resilient council

• Effective leadership by the council
• Improved efficiency
• Staff training and communications and delivery of services is required

Ensuring Wrexham is a fair and safe place

• Equality of opportunity and access for all – fair and sufficient service provision
• Need to ensure rural / outlying areas are not overlooked or excluded
• Need for sufficient and appropriate housing provision
• Need to feel safe in city centre and address crime and anti-social behaviour
• Promote inclusion and tolerance but ensure focus on minority groups is not at expense of equality of opportunity for all
• Support for cost of living crisis effects
• Public transport for fair access to services

Improving Education and Learning (with a focus on secondary education)

• Improve quality of our school provision and access to the right provision for the learner
• Improved outcomes through improved secondary provision
• Improve provision for additional learning needs, more focus on additional learning needs
• Improve school transport (costs, post 16, Welsh medium) and transport for employment
• Improved outcomes through equal opportunities for all – access to the right provision
• Focus on life skills and employability and learners of all ages
• More emphasis on importance of primary school education
• More clarity in the outcome statements

Promoting good health and well-being

• Improve quality of provision of social services
• Support is needed to recruit and retain good social care and care staff so that we can deliver the services we aspire to
• Better access to good quality services and the same service offer wherever you live (in particular rural areas) or whichever language you speak (non- English / Welsh)
• Improved access to services to support mental health
• Better support and respite available to carers
• Focus on prevention and early help vital to prevent the need for more help later
• Include aim of addressing recruitment and retention issues • Include partnership working
• Recognition of differing needs
• Recognition of the need for good services in all geographical areas of Wrexham
• Generally reference to the wider well-being agenda – with recognition of the impact of green spaces and other aspects of life which impact upon well-being

Councillor Mark Pritchard, Leader of the Council, said: “We wanted to give communities across Wrexham the chance to get involved, and I would like to thank everyone who took part.

“It’s so important for democracy that local people help shape strategic decisions, as it helps ensure councils are focusing on the right things…the things that really matter.”

Councillor Paul Roberts, Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety, said: “As well as online consultations, we spoke to communities across the county borough in a wide range of settings – from coffee mornings to exercise classes.

“We know people live busy lives, but every person who gave up their time to share their views has played a really important part in helping to shape the future of Wrexham.”