Braintree District Council has published details of the work it has done to support the community, strengthen and recover the economy and ensure good quality, affordable homes.
At a meeting of Cabinet on Monday, 11 July, councillors will discuss its fourth quarter performance management report and its annual performance report.
Here is a snapshot of the council’s highlights and achievements between January 2022 and March 2022, where the council has supported residents by:
Providing a high street improvement scheme to local businesses which received positive engagement and feedback, enabling 37 businesses to improve the appearance of their shop fronts to create a safe and welcoming environment
Bringing back the popular monthly Braintree street markets to encourage people to shop local and boost footfall in the town centre
Installing 57 new brightly coloured litter bins at various lay-bys located on the A12, A120 and A131, including seven customised bins allowing people to dispose of litter without having to leave their vehicle
Preventing 246 cases of homelessness through various interventions, as well as making six units of accommodation available to support rough sleepers or those at risk of rough sleeping to develop independent living skills and improve tenancy sustainment
Enabling the delivery of 116 new affordable homes, taking the total to 417 for 2021/22, the highest number the council has delivered in one single year
Providing business support to 1,433 local businesses, ranging from accessing grants, support workshops to training and mentoring
Providing over 5,800 passenger journeys as part of the Community Transport scheme, supporting the elderly and vulnerable with getting to vaccinations, food bank parcel deliveries, appointments, shopping and social activities
Working with partners to support and assist Ukrainian refugees (guests) arriving in the Braintree district, from carrying out housing checks, hosting community meet-up events to issuing financial payments to guests and sponsors under the Homes for Ukraine scheme
Launching a new Locate Braintree District website to showcase why businesses should invest, people should live and visitors should visit the district.
Cllr John McKee, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Transformation at Braintree District Council, said: “The quarter shows another strong performance in meeting our priorities set out in the bouncing back together plan, providing key support to residents and businesses and responding to the challenges created by the pandemic, which is a testament to the continued hard work of our employees and support from our partners and communities.”
Cllr Graham Butland, Leader of Braintree District Council, said: “As a council we’ll continue to ensure our residents and businesses are supported and invest in the future of the district, while balancing the financial challenges faced by the rising costs of energy and fuel, and the impact of supply chain issues. Our Bouncing Back Together document will continue to be reviewed to ensure we remain flexible in our approach to responding to the needs of residents, communities and businesses through to the end of the plan in March 2023.”
The latest performance report will be presented to cabinet members for approval on Monday, 11 July 2022, setting out the progress made between January 2022 to March 2022 (fourth quarter) towards achieving the council’s vision and ambitions for the Braintree district as part of their Bouncing Back Together Plan (2021-2023).
