Parish Update for 2007/8

This year has been a very good year for Essex County Council with particularly good work on providing excellent value for the council taxpayer whilst continuing to deliver first class services.

• The County continues to enjoy strong financial management and leadership which will help us to weather the difficult times ahead.
• Council Tax for 2008-09 was set at 4.2% against an annual RPI increase of 4.5%.
• The efficiency programme initiated some 18 months ago has realised over £69 million for re investment in services.
• Highways have moved into the top quartile of national indicators following 3 years of significant investment by the County in highways infrastructure. In addition the number of killed or seriously injured on Essex roads has dropped by 12% as a result of combined effort and investment by Essex County Council and Essex Police.
• Adults Social Care achieved a 3 star rating, which puts Essex amongst the national top performers.
• We have started a 3 year investment (£2.1 million) programme, on public art in Essex.
• Our waste strategy has been confirmed “good” by a commission of experts who judged our plans as appropriate for County waste disposal. The future disposal of waste continues to be one of our hardest challenges if. The Landfill Tax escalator will soon begin to bite and we are currently working together with districts to improve our recycling rates
• The Waste Strategy is currently out to consultation and we encourage everyone to feed back their comments to us.
• I am pleased to report that following the lobbying by me, Highways have extend the salting of rural roads, and now all villages with greater than 50 houses have the roads in and out salted in bad weather.
• I am also pleased to report that my lobbying for support of the parishes has resulted in the establishment of an insurance brokerage scheme for all Essex Parishes with potential savings of 15% on premiums.
• Further investment by the County in Trading Standards has resulted in one of the best services nationally. Members have been able to encourage a focus on rural issues such as lorries breeching the 7.5 ton limit on rural roads. There has also been a focus on unwanted doorstep callers, to try and protect the elderly and vulnerable.
• Schools, Children and Families have reorganised to provide early intervention and prevention services at a local level. Services are being provided through Teams Around Schools Children and Communities (TASCCs) which encompass social workers, youth services, specialised staff like educational welfare officers. It is intended that these should evolve to also include health workers, police officers etc.
• In the Budget, Lord Hanningfield announced £2,000,000 specifically for youth services and announcements of how this money can be accessed will be coming soon.