This time of year is a great opportunity to look back over the past 12 months.
We have continued to make good progress in a number of areas whether it is publishing the One Medway Council Plan, the recent inspection on our role as landlord where we got the second highest available rating, the completion of the Cozenton Park Sports Centre, securing nearly £3million funding for the Whose Hoo project to benefit the Hoo Peninsula, launching the Gillingham Taskforce to make much needed improvements in the Gillingham town centre area, more than 114,000 engagements with the Child Friendly Medway programme (that’s the equivalent of 10 full Priestfield stadiums!), opening the Ascend co-working space in the Pentagon, broadcasting the weekly One Minute Medway, opening the Paddock as an outstanding piece of public realm and securing the agreements for the James Williams Healthy Living Centre – named after our Director of Public Health who we tragically lost earlier this year.
It is also an opportunity to look ahead to 2025 as well – we will also continue on our journey towards financial sustainability and transformation making sure we deliver the best possible services with the resources we have available. This will no doubt mean some further difficult decisions this year as we continue to work through Financial Improvement and Transformation (FIT) plan.
We will also work towards the long overdue Medway Local Plan. The last Local Plan was published in 2003.
Can I take this opportunity to thank residents who have made submissions to the consultation process this year, I am hopeful this administration will deliver the much-needed local plan so we can move away from some speculative developers taking advantage of the weakened position of an out-of-date Local Plan for Medway.
I hope the other political groups and councillors will work with us as we move towards the final stages as it is in the best interests of Medway to have an up-to-date Local Plan.
We will also be making further progress on important projects like Medway 2.0 and Care for Medway – both of which will mean better outcomes for local residents.
We will also be positively approaching the changes and opportunities the White Paper on English Devolution brings – as I write this we are still awaiting publication but there can be no doubt it will change the landscape of local government across the country.
Can I take this opportunity to thank hard working council officers, particularly those who will be working over the Christmas period, our emergency services and our armed forces keeping Medway safe now and throughout the year.
I also want to recognise voluntary sector organisations who really make such a huge contribution across Medway, both at Christmas time and during the rest of the year – thank you for what you do.
I want to thank the 58 other councillors on Medway Council - whether part of the Labour & Co-op group or not, every councillor serves their community and plays a part in our local democracy – as the late Jo Cox MP said, “We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.”
I want to say a special thank you to my brilliant Deputy Leader Teresa Murray for her support and the tremendous job she does for the community of Medway.
Finally, thank you to you, Medway residents, for your ongoing support and to those of you who have given up your time to attend public meetings and events to share your views and hold us to account.
Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a peaceful and positive 2025.