October 12, 2011 1.54 pm This story is over 149 months old

Council outlines 14 projects to improve Lincoln

Strategic plan: New council houses, more allotments and a climate change conference are on the City Council’s agenda.

New council houses, more allotments and a climate change conference are among 14 key projects the City of Lincoln Council is pursuing over the coming months in a bid to improve the lives of city residents.

The projects are part of the council’s interim strategic plan (published this week) until April 2012, when a new, five-year plan will be developed.

The interim plan sets out individual projects related to reducing poverty and disadvantage in the city, building more affordable housing and reducing Lincoln’s carbon footprint.

“Rather than waiting until April, when strategic plans are traditionally published, we have developed this interim plan, which means we can hit the ground running with our ambitions for Lincoln,” said Labour Councillor Ric Metcalfe (pictured above), who got the City Council Leader job in May.

“I’m very excited about all 14 projects. Some, like the Council Tax rebate campaign for pensioners, are already underway and making a difference to people’s lives.

“Others are ploughing ahead – we hope to start building our five new council homes early in the new year and our first Lincoln climate change conference will take place in the spring,” Metcalfe said.

The 14 projects, as set out in the City of Lincoln interim strategic plan, are:

Reduce poverty and disadvantage

Seek to increase the supply of affordable housing

  • Start construction of a new housing development at Wellington Street in spring 2012. This will lead to a programme of new build for future years and identifying sources of funding

Improve the council’s housing landlord function

  • Pilot a handy person service
  • Install new security doors at ten communal housing complexes
  • Greater support to tenants dealing with ASB and introducing the ‘Respect Charter’
  • Increase council estate inspections from two to four each year
  • Help people to manage their finances through working with other social landlords and the charity sector

Reduce Lincoln’s carbon footprint

  • Organise a Lincoln Climate Change Conference before March 2012
  • Install electricity generating panels (solar photovoltaic) in the communal areas of three housing complexes

Develop a ‘fit for purpose’ council

  • Continue with the council’s Next Steps savings programme. Projects include the collaboration of the revenues and benefits service with North Kesteven District Council and completing reviews of a number of services

“Further to the fourteen projects, we have longer term ideas, such as looking at building more council homes further into the future and reviewing how the council is accountable to the public,” Councillor Metcalfe added.