Our Four Priorities for 2008 - 2011

Economic Prosperity

Our local economy is driven by a mix of high-tech industry and tourism.  Increased prosperity for the area must focus on increasing the number of sustainable jobs and improving visitor numbers and spend.

We aim to encourage both these by:

• attracting more businesses to the area through high quality work sites; such as the development of Blackmore Park, and by supporting new and young businesses through  training and grants
• draw more tourists to the area by offering a good range of events and quality graded hotels and bed & breakfast establishments

Planning for the Future

We know that Malvern Hills will need to undergo significant growth over the next 18 years as part of the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy (SWJCS).  Our role, along with other councils in South Worcestershire, is to plan for that growth so it is sustainable and that the infrastructure that will be needed to support it is in place.

We aim to plan for that growth by:

• dealing with planning applications faster while ensuring that decisions are fair and even-handed
• managing developments so they comply with agreed planning conditions
• carrying out regular housing needs assessments, particularly in rural areas
• setting an example to residents and businesses to reduce their impact on the environment

Supporting Children and Young People

While Malvern Hills district has a large older population, we know that the future for the area lies in having a vibrant community of all ages; one where children and young families feel they belong and want to stay.  

We aim to support children and young people by:

• increasing their access to, and enjoyment of, a wide range of free high quality structured play provision
• encouraging their increased usage of leisure facilities
• encouraging young people to volunteer and contribute to their local community
• giving them the opportunity to participate in at least 5 hours sport per week, helping them to develop a healthier future

Managing our Waste for a Better Environment

Although the Council has done much, with the help of residents to tackle recycling and waste issues over the past few years, we want to do more.  Reducing waste at source, recycling wherever possible, and re-using more of the waste that is created will not only reduce the costs of waste collection and landfill, but it will also make a serious contribution to tackling climate change.

Over the next three years we aim to:

• reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 5%
• increase the recycling rate to 27.5%
• reduce the incidence and amount of fly-tipping and other improper waste disposal
• reduce the environmental impact of waste collection activity by 2%.