The Council Plan

What have we achieved?

Working with residents and partner organisations is essential to achieving our aims, particularly in the context of increased demand and reduced funding. The strength of Kingston’s communities was never more visible than during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some residents met and helped their neighbours for the first time, and many joined community responses to take care of those in need. This emergence of a greater community support ignited a conversation about how we take care of each other, and what it means to belong in Kingston and be part of a community. We are building on the partnerships with the organisations and individuals that make up our voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, as well as closer collaboration with our residents, other public sector bodies, businesses and organisations, to deliver shared objectives as efficiently as possible.

We regularly engage with our residents to listen to what they say and provide opportunities for them to help shape the future and the services they need. Residents of all ages and backgrounds fed into the design for our new community leisure facility. A demographically representative Citizens’ Panel has been helping create a community vision for the Kingston town centre area and we have worked with local groups to open a pilot ‘urban room’ in the historic Market House, creating a space for conversations to shape the future borough, as part of the consultation on our draft Local Plan. We have been working with diverse communities on the Cambridge Road Estate, speaking to them, many of whom have not previously engaged with the council, about their estate and their needs and aspirations for the future.

Where are we now?

• Over 300 local charities support the borough.
• 167 community groups or clubs.
• 59 local voluntary organisations.
• Over 15,000 people volunteering
• 73,000 jobs of which 35% are part-time (higher than for London or Great Britain).
• Over 9000 businesses, of which almost 93% are ‘micro’ (0-9 employees).
• 85% of 16-64 year olds are economically active.
• 38% of those employed are in professional occupations (compared to 24% for England).
• Around 2.4% of working aged residents claim the main unemployment benefits - approximately half the rate in London overall.

Priorities

Boosting economic development and growth

Our commitment

We support existing businesses, stimulate new start up enterprise, and attract significant inward investment to help deliver a stronger, resilient, competitive local economy that enables sustainable employment opportunities, fairer incomes and a thriving green sector.

Borough level indicators

• Number of new businesses starting up
• Percentage of new businesses that survive their first two years of trading
• Number of visitors to the borough

Service performance indicators

• Number of businesses supported through direct service activity
• Number of people from more challenging backgrounds* engaged in enterprise support
• * (inc (eg) mental/physical health challenges, women returners to work, older people, BAME, care-leavers, 50+ age group, ex prisoner and service personnel) 

Strategic partnerships and delivering within the community

Our commitment

We innovate and collaborate with our partners to achieve the borough’s ambitions. We build on the strengths of our communities, supporting and enabling community groups, and work closely with the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sectors, sharing our resources to deliver our shared aims.

Borough level indicators

• Borough carbon emissions
• Percentage of people in employment (16-64 yrs)
• Crime rate per 10,000 population

Service performance indicators

• Number of community projects supported
• % VCSE organisations reporting that they are supported to succeed through the borough’s infrastructure contract
• Narrative report to highlight impact and outcomes of our strategic partnerships

Strengthening and empowering our communities

Our commitment

We support people to build the communities that are right for them and ensure they have a voice in place shaping and decision making. We celebrate our diversity and champion communities.

Borough level indicators

• Number of hate crime offences

Service performance indicators

• Increase the diversity of engagement participants
• Budget towards community celebration and engagement
• % positive feedback for event process

Developing and celebrating our culture, heritage and identity

Our commitment

Individuals and communities are at the heart of our cultural life with opportunities to learn, develop, create and collaborate.

Borough level indicators

Level of engagement with culture and heritage by Kingston communities

Service performance indicators

• Number and type of cultural events included in the cultural programme
• Number of organisations supported to develop cultural programme and sustainability.
• Increase in funding secured through partnership working
• Number of people learning new skills through culture and heritage  

Shaping our places

Our commitment

We deliver high quality regeneration of town centres, enhancing opportunities for culture and heritage while supporting healthy and sustainable communities.

Borough level indicators

• GLA Healthy High Streets indicators
• Number of high street voids

Service performance indicators

• Amount invested in public realm redevelopment
• Narrative report to highlight impact and outcomes of our place shaping work