People priorities

Our vision for our people in the district is one where they feel safe, supported, and can live healthy independent lives.

We will continue to support our most vulnerable residents knowing that this will be most effective when we work with our partners, including the voluntary sector and towns and parish councils.

Many of our residents are feeling the effects of financial hardship and we recognise that households are finding it increasingly difficult with the cost of living, which can disproportionately affect those with the greatest needs.

We will continue to work with our partners to develop community hubs, tackle food poverty, provide warm spaces and provide advice and information to support residents within our communities. Living in fair and affordable communities is crucial for our people, and we are dedicated to enhancing the quality, and safety compliance of council owned and privately rented housing and to ensure it remains accessible for those with lower incomes.

Good quality and safe housing fosters strong family and community ties and helps eliminate the inequality associated with poor housing and associated poor health outcomes.

Our focus and efforts will persist in providing affordable housing to our residents, while simultaneously meeting compliance with housing and new consumer standards. In its capacity as a responsible landlord the council will address any necessary repairs and maintenance requirements as soon as possible and meet new regulatory requirements. We will also maintain open communication with our tenants to better understand their concerns and act upon them.

The council is the largest provider of social rented properties in the district, and so we have a wider responsibility to ensure housing is delivered that meets the needs of our community.

This will involve working with landowners and developers and wider partners to bring forward sites suitable for housing and to address associated infrastructure needs.

There are already established community groups in place, and we will nurture them to ensure that people can receive support from those within their communities, who understand local issues and can help resolve them, and which supports a collaborative response to tackling homelessness.

It is important to us that our residents feel safe, and we will continue to identify and respond to emerging issues and concerns to build confidence that the New Forest is a safe place to live.

Our vision for the district will preserve our community's strong sense of place through a vibrant arts and culture offer which will see a new cultural strategy being developed bringing opportunities for learning, entertainment, leisure, personal growth, and improved communication with our residents.