Swanage Town Council

This section of the Swanage Town website is designed to be complementary to the tourism site and aims to provide information on items attributed to the respective Town and District Councils.

Swanage Town Council, as a best value authority, is required to measure its performance and publish a Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP) by 30th June in each year. “Best Value” was introduced for town and parish councils with a budgeted income of more than £500,000 per annum (as at 1st April 2000).

The Town Council seeks to achieve continuous improvement in the way it delivers its services within the statutory framework of “best value”. The main challenge facing the Council is its obligation to maintain and improve services whilst reducing long-term debts. This amounted to £180,277 as at 31st March 2006 (£209,615 as at 31st March 2005). The £29,388 reduction in long-term debt during 2005/06 is noted as a further achievement when combined with the £94,388 reduction achieved in 2004/05. In 2005/06 the Council also committed expenditure amounting to £162,354 (£778,658 in 2004/05) on its Repairs & Renewals programme.

The Council has put in place arrangements aimed at securing continuous improvement. In adopting this strategy it is envisaged that it will assist in providing benefits to the local economy, the people of Swanage and visitors to the town.

The BVPP sets out the Town Council’s objectives, the costs and contributions from its activities and services. It also provides a programme for reviewing all of its services. In undertaking each review all effort is made to maximise income streams and control overheads.

This document is a reflection of past achievements, future plans and the core policies adopted and pursued by the Town Council.

The Town Council actively supports the Swanage Town & Community Partnership, a separately constituted body. This organisation is made up of representatives of the town and its hinterland. In 2004 it embarked upon the production of a Parish Plan. More recently this has been incorporated within the Market & Coastal Town initiative Plan (MCTi). The MCTi Plan will become the blueprint for the strategies for Swanage over the next 15-20 years. The outcomes are likely to provide a link to the Purbeck Community Partnership. The Town Council’s commitment to this process is ranked equal to its own obligations in meeting the statutory best value legislative requirements.

The Town Council considers local residents, visitors, representatives from local commerce and industry and other local statutory bodies to be its stakeholders. The views of all stakeholders are very important as the Town Council strives to achieve its objectives, whilst it is developing its own priorities and functions within the local community.

It is important for the Town Council to receive your comments, queries and complaints on the services that we provide. Please assist by sending in your comments and suggestions to the Town Clerk or by speaking to your local Town Councillor.

Town Mayor