In our Corporate Strategy, we set out the extensive range of work that we are doing to become a modern, accessible and accountable council. We have accelerated our plans to review what we do and how we do it through an inspiring Transformation Programme, which will ensure that we provide services and facilities efficiently and effectively in a way that is modern, affordable and sustainable.
We are investing up to £38 million in our Transformation Programme by 2023. Our aim is to establish the foundations for a sustainable future for the council, where we invest in frontline services to focus on what matters most to our customers and adds most value to their lives.
Our transformation to what we are calling ‘our new normal’ has three elements: how and where we work; how we are organised; and how we support our colleagues through these changes.
We are making a major investment in technology, increasing the digitisation and automation of services, to make it easier for residents and businesses to transact with us online, on a device and at a time of their choosing, with information and services online wherever possible, with 24/7 access. Anything that can be paid for, reported or applied for online will be there.
This is in line with the way many of us live our lives and go about our business, and as a council we must keep pace with the changes in modern life.
This will allow us to focus our resources and our people on the more complex issues and challenges we face, and the needs of our most vulnerable customers, who are more likely to need face-to-face support, whether in the community or through customer service hubs in the heart of our three towns.
Modern, efficient ways of working will give our staff flexibility to improve their work/life balance, building on our experience of significant homeworking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while moving to a single BCP Council Civic Centre in Bournemouth will enable us to significantly reduce the size and cost of our office estate.
We will create a carbon-neutral position for BCP Council’s operations and activities by 2030. We will do this by procuring all council electricity from zero-carbon renewable sources, reviewing energy project funding options, assessing the energy efficiency of council buildings, and installing energy saving and renewable energy measures in retained council buildings.
By transforming, we will become a slimmer, more cost-effective organisation, closing the budget gap and allowing us to invest in frontline services and regeneration.