South Ribble Borough Council outlines achievements in 2024/25 annual report

The annual report shows how the council has worked hard to deliver against its corporate strategy priorities with highlights including the Leyland Town Deal development, the opening of the new extra care complex, Jubilee Gardens, leisure centre improvements and supporting residents through its social prescribing service.

Councillor Matthew Tomlinson, Leader of South Ribble Borough Council said, “The annual report allows us to be accountable and to show how we continually deliver excellent day to day services and how we have kept to our promises, by prioritising projects and initiatives that will help the borough to thrive.

“I’m proud of what we have achieved in the last year. From excellent core services to our support initiatives, to our open space, play area and leisure centre improvements to our large-scale developments, and everything in between, we have demonstrated how we regularly go over and beyond for our residents.”

There are four areas in the council’s corporate strategy: healthy and happy communities, clean and green neighbourhoods, being an exemplary council and providing opportunities for everyone.

Happy and healthy communities is about how the council is working to make South Ribble a place where residents have positive mental health and a sense of belonging, with access to support where it’s needed. Over the last 12 months the council,

• Distributed £577,509 in Household Support Payments to over 5,000 households for short-term financial assistance to meet the cost of energy, food, and other essentials
• Provided 11,400 free holiday camp spaces for children across school year
• Delivered 4,629 wellbeing sessions and delivered 4,211 active school sessions, engaging 11,355 children in after-school clubs and 3,417 engaged in curriculum-based PE delivery
• Supported 555 people with financial, health, wellbeing and housing support through our social prescribing services and referred a further 837 people to partner agencies for support
• Had nearly 500,000 visitors to our leisure centres, which are undergoing improvements

Clean and green neighbourhoods focus on the council’s commitment to protecting the local environment, making sure people have access to quality recreational services and that there is a choice of decent and affordable housing in the borough. The council,

• Planted nearly 50,000 trees
• Improved five play areas and ensured that five parks across South Ribble secured the coveted Green Flag status
• Delivered 87 affordable homes
• Created 47 wildflower gardens
• Ensured 42% of household waste was sent for reuse, recycling, or composting

Opportunities for everyone sees communities in which people can access training and jobs, businesses are supported, and there is investment in the borough. This year the council,

• Provided support for over 800 businesses
• Welcomed over 3,000 people to business, skills, careers, and recruitment events
• Awarded £66,000 to 36 businesses through the Business Energy Efficiency Scheme
• Ensured 20% social and local economic value from council contracts

Finally, an exemplary council ensures the authority can deliver high performing services which are value for money while being open and transparent in its activities. South Ribble in 2024/25,

• Made over £350,000 in financial savings as part of the Fit for the Future programme
• Moved further toward digital accessibility with 64% of service requests done online
• Ensured that 68% of customer were happy with the service received from the council.

Councillor Tomlinson continued, “The people of South Ribble are at the heart of everything we do as a council, and we will continue to enhance the places they call home and support everyone who lives and works here, fostering thriving communities, furthering a sense of pride, and belonging.”

See the full report at www.southribble.gov.uk/annualreport