Rutland County Council has adopted the Future Rutland Vision as a key document that will underpin its new Corporate Plan, along with future council strategies and approaches.

The decision was taken at a Full Council Meeting on Monday the 21st of March 2022, where Councillors also recognised and endorsed the Future Rutland Vision as having been directly shaped by local people.

The Future Rutland Vision is a product of the Future Rutland Conversation, which began in April 2021 as an in-depth discussion with everyone who lives and works in Rutland. The aim of Future Rutland was to create a new shared vision and set of common goals for the county's long-term future.

Multiple rounds of public engagement have taken place over the past 12 months as part of Future Rutland. This included a consultation in November 2021 where residents were asked to read a draft of the Vision and share their views on it. This feedback was then used to create the final Future Rutland Shared vision, which was published at the beginning of March.

Councillor Oliver Hemsley, Leader of the Council, said: "It's been fantastic to see Rutland residents getting involved in the Future Rutland Conversation over the past 12 months. We asked people what they value about life in Rutland and what they want the county to be like many years from now.

"All this insight – the discussions we've held and the ideas that have been shared – has been translated into a long-term Vision which communities and organisations in Rutland can now work towards.

"As a council we recognise that we're uniquely placed to bring people together to help advance the aims and aspirations captured in the Vision – whether by developing new public policies and strategies with partners and the community, or by acting as a link between local groups and organisations who can bring about change.

"The Council's next Corporate Plan is being developed and will include our specific commitments in relation to the Future Rutland Vision, explaining how we will contribute directly to various aims and aspirations.

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"As with Future Rutland itself, the development of the Corporate Plan is a process where we want to involve our residents and we will be able to share further details soon."

Rutland County Council's next Corporate Plan will set out the Council's main commitments, including targets for key services, over the next five years (2022-27). Consultation on the new Corporate Plan is due to begin in spring, before a final plan is presented to Full Council in July 2022.

Councillor Hemsley added: "I want to thank everyone who has taken part in the Future Rutland Conversation since it began last year. As well as leading to the creation of the Future Rutland Vision, this is a process that has brought the Council closer to many residents. This is something I look forward to building on as we work together over many years to achieve the aspirations contained in the Vision."

The final Future Rutland Shared Vision is available to read online. Also available here is a report that summarises all the feedback received during November's month-long Draft Vision consultation.

You can find out more about the Future Rutland Conversation by emailing: [email protected].

The government will also be taking part in a nationwide Council Tax rebate in April.

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