Haverings Ambition

London Borough of Havering: Living Ambition – aiming for the highest possible quality of life.

In these tough economic times our ambitions remain unchanged. Havering is already a great Borough with a high quality of life, good services and many achievements to its name. The opportunities for this Borough over the next twenty years are almost without limit. The Council will work with partners and the local community to seize these opportunities and shape a future for Havering that is bright, bold and rewarding for everyone who lives, visits, or works in the Borough.

We have a clear ambition for Havering. We want to provide our residents with the highest possible quality of life. We want to be a Borough that thrives on its links to the heart of the Capital and yet retains its strong and historic identity that we currently enjoy.

This Council is committed to achieving its Living Ambition. We are united in our desire to make the best of our organisation and the Borough for residents and staff, despite the challenging times all local authorities are facing.

Goals

The Council's Living Ambition agenda will be delivered through the Council and its partners working towards five goals. These goals will be underpinned with clear and deliverable targets each year, which will be constantly monitored and assessed.

Environment

To ensure a clean, safe and green Borough

Havering will be an attractive place where local people take pride in, and care for its well kept streets and pavements. Its recycling rates will be high and the amount of waste sent to landfill will be dramatically reduced. The Council and police will deliver seamless partnership working to drive out low-level crime and anti-social behaviour. This focussed drive will deliver not only London's lowest levels of crime, but also a Borough where local people feel as safe in its town centres as they do in their homes.

Learning

To achieve excellence in education and learning

Havering will be a place where pupils in our schools record the highest exam results in the country and first class learning opportunities are available to all. The Borough's schools will provide a modern and inspirational learning environment, with a clear focus on the health and wellbeing of pupils, as well as their educational development. Further and higher education will be an option pursued by the many, not the few, with a broad range of vocational and academic study available within the Borough. Learning will be valued for its own sake, as a lifelong activity and everyone will be encouraged to achieve their potential, whatever their vocation.

Towns and communities

To provide opportunities for all through economic, social and cultural activity.

Havering's towns and communities will be places of culture, commerce, community and beauty of which residents will be proud.

Attractive and successful towns and communities will provide an equality of opportunity to all residents of Havering, no matter where they live and no matter what their background. Affordable, appropriate and sympathetic housing will mean more local people are able to own their own homes, with high quality rented accommodation available to those who cannot afford, or choose not to buy. Increased commerce and enterprise will open the door to prosperity for thousands more Havering residents. The provision of superb leisure and cultural facilities will help ensure that Havering is one of London's most energised and civilised boroughs. The retail sector throughout Havering will remain a draw to visitors, supported by excellent transport links within the Borough and beyond its borders.

Individuals

To value and enhance the lives of every individual

Local people will receive the customer experience they deserve from their Council and its partners. Every resident will be able to contact the Council easily and in a range of different ways and will always be confident of a prompt and effective response. Residents will have individual and diverse requirements and these will be dealt with fairly and respectfully. Residents will know that their views count and that our services are tailored to their needs. The quality and range of services provided to Havering's most vulnerable residents will be second to none across London. These services will be appropriate to the needs of individuals and their delivery will be personalised. Residents of all ages and all backgrounds will feel equally engaged with the decisions that affect them, and equally valued by their community.

Value

To deliver high customer satisfaction and a stable Council tax

Havering will deliver the highest quality of local services to be found anywhere in the Capital and this will be reflected in high satisfaction rates amongst local residents and customers. Better and more ambitious partnership working across and beyond the Borough will ensure that these excellent services are also more affordable than ever before. This drive towards a leaner and more efficient authority will stabilise Council tax and provide local people with real and lasting value for money.