Priority 3: making your life easier
Residents should be able to get information, request support and complete everyday tasks with the council as easily as possible.
We will modernise our services and systems so that they are built around residents' needs rather than the council's structures.
Wherever possible, we will reduce bureaucracy and drive policies to make life easier, like our innovative changes to planning rules for simple changes to your home.
The same goes for the businesses that make our high streets thrive. They should find the council straightforward to deal with, whether they are applying for a licence, setting out tables on the pavement or getting an answer to a question.
Better technology, automation and responsible use of artificial intelligence will help us respond quickly and consistently. Digital first will not mean digital only. Phone, face-to-face and assisted support will remain available for residents who need it and we will bring services closer to home through libraries and community spaces.
We will also work with residents, voluntary and community organisations and partners to build stronger local support, so people can get help earlier and nearer to where they live.
What we will continue and improve
We will:
- keep phone, face-to-face and assisted support available for vulnerable residents who cannot access key services digitally
- strengthen how tenants and leaseholders influence, scrutinise and oversee housing services
- work with residents, voluntary and community organisations and partners to build stronger community capacity and help people access help earlier and closer to home
- make it simpler for businesses to apply for pavement, outdoor dining, street trading and event licences
What we commit to
We will:
- make it easier to get help first time, with more services available online at any time and the ability to tell where your request has got to
- invest in our website, so it is easier to use and works properly on a phone
- introduce a new app to report on-street problems quickly and easily
- bring customer and community services closer to home through libraries and other locations around the borough
How we will show success
The full set of indicators and targets sitting behind these measures will be published in our performance framework.
This will include:
- Maintain or improve the proportion of residents that feel that the council acts on their concerns (2026 Resident Survey baseline of 84%) and that they feel well-informed (2026 Resident Survey baseline of 78%)
- Maintain or improve the proportion of residents that feel satisfied with the way that the council runs things (2026 Resident Survey baseline of 90%)
- More residents saying they can influence local decision-making (2026 Resident Survey baseline of 62%)
- More services residents can complete online from start to finish and fewer systems behind them
- Planning and licensing applications determined within statutory timescales to improve the process for residents and businesses
- Tenants experience housing services as accessible, responsive and focused on resolving issues locally