WINCHESTER City Council sees itself as becoming more ‘entrepreneurial’ in their plan for the next three years.
As the financial implications from losing funding from central government begin to bite, the authority is looking at new ways of raising revenue to pay for services.
The new plan prioritises five new major focuses including housing, the environment, the health and happiness of residents and support for business.
The refreshed strategy is launched against a backdrop of major financial challenges and changing Government policies.
Looking at the document the key things the council is trying to do include increasing sports participation, building 300 homes by 2020, increasing office supply of 140,000 sq ft on the Station Approach site and also cope with a three per cent rise in population.
Some of these aims are being helped currently with the council planning to build a replacement leisure centre in Bar End, and the council relaunching the Station Approach scheme after it was derailed earlier this year.
Financially, the council will rely on council tax, business rates, the new homes bonus incentive from the government and charges the council places on its services. It will also look at other entrepreneurial means of raising money with the council investing money in property as a “rental” income stream.
The council aims to support the creative and tourism sectors which are growing in the city, stop the spread of shared housing, find ways of reducing emissions.
It will have more freedom to increase council tax and business tax collection rates, make all council services online, increase park and ride to meet parking needs, and increase the number of volunteering opportunities available.
Council leader Stephen Godfrey said: “We know that we have to replace lost funding sources through new ways of working, but at the same time continue to deliver high quality services to our residents and local businesses.
“This strategy seeks to improve the services we offer as well as include some innovative new ways of working and our offer to residents.”
A consultation on the strategy will be available on the council’s website where residents, businesses and interested groups and organisations can make comments.
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