It would be hard to imagine a more tempestuous year than 2008. The scale and pace of events that has affected the nation have been staggering and neither West Sussex nor the County Council has been immune from the impacts of Gordon Brown's recession. For the coming year West Sussex Conservatives have focussed on how we can best help people and communities in the County. Therefore through the Conservative administration in the year ahead we will continue the programme of initiatives to help people; families and businesses cope with the recession and step up our commitments to help all of us be safer in our lives in the County. We will also continue to deliver our commitment to maintain and enhance the environment and in everything the County Council does we will accelerate our programme to improve how we work and the effectiveness and efficiency of all our services.

Aim 1: Improving Your Economic Prospects

The continuing turmoil in the economy is clearly affecting West Sussex too. The impact of this is evident in the house building and commercial development slowdown, and the loss of jobs in the finance and business sectors. The County Council is working in partnership with all the Conservative district and borough Councils in developing a co-ordinated approach towards mitigating the impact of these adverse conditions on residents and the business community. For example we have granted more resources to the Citizens Advice Bureaux to offer increased support to hard pressed families and have committed to pay invoices to the Council's suppliers to just days to help their cash flow.

Aim 2: Improving Customer Services

Our aim is to deliver excellent customer service. This means we will design and manage services with residents to ensure they meet your needs and aspirations. At the same time, we will also stand up for you in representing residents and communities’ when our support is needed to help with problems not of our making, such as with the NHS or police.

Aim 3: Improving Your Safety

Conservatives want people to feel and be safe in West Sussex, and this covers issues as diverse as transport, community safety and the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

The Conservative run Council is investing an extra £1 million per year over the next four years to improve the highway network across the County. We will work to improve the ‘street scene’ through, for example, the employment of Highway Rangers across West Sussex. This also includes continuing our successful “clear all” approach to graffiti, abandoned vehicles, fly tipping and unnecessary signage.

We continue to deliver the Safer Schools Community Partnerships, which engage young people, challenge unacceptable behaviour and help develop respect for themselves and their community.

Aim 4: Improving Your Environment

Conservatives aim to develop strong and sustainable communities throughout West Sussex. The County Council is working to promote an understanding and appreciation of our environmental impact, as well as protecting and enhancing our natural and historic environmental assets. This is achieved by working with partners in a wide range of ways and these will include enabling local businesses to benefit from the economic opportunities arising from the 2012 Olympic Games, as well as supporting social enterprises to grow and develop in West Sussex. We will also encourage parishes and communities to reduce their carbon footprint through our Greening Campaign. Young people aged from 14 will be supported to improve their skills by increasing the take up of education, training and employment opportunities.

Aim 5: Improving Support to individuals

Conservatives believe in supporting each and every individual and we are at the forefront nationally of delivering ‘self-directed support’, which is the means of providing high quality, individually tailored services that meet the needs of our social care customers. We will also continue to reduce barriers that prevent customers from accessing mainstream services, particularly transport, housing, leisure, learning, work and financial services. Our social care services for adults and children work closely with partners to support a network of local community-based services, for example, in promoting services that enable older people to remain living within their community.

Aim 6: Improving Your Council

The County Council is in the third year of its ‘Fundamental Service Review’ (FSR). Our aim is to radically redesign how we do business, particularly in providing customer (resident) focussed value for money services. We have already introduced a new, streamlined senior management structure.

During 2009/10, we will make substantial efficiency savings as a result of FSR implementation and will utilise our office accommodation more effectively for our full and part-time staff. These reflect the core Conservative principles of keeping taxes low and enhancing services through greater efficiency.