Year 1 Progress Report - April 2024 to March 2025.
Theme 1: Our Service Delivery
Our Sustainability Strategy and Climate Action Plan received final Council approval in March 2025. Our goal is to achieve a 20% reduction in Council’s carbon emissions by 2028.
All statutory waste indicators have been reported/met.
We have 22 capital investment projects committed and our total capital investment expenditure for the year was £9,615,745.
To measure customer satisfaction, we developed a pilot survey for our Registration Service. So far respondents have given us a score of 9.9 out of 10.
We have supported 1,452 businesses through growth orientated scaling programmes and events such as Go Succeed, LMP employer training and support, digital transformation and net zero programmes, town business spruce-ups, rural business support and tourism events.
During the year, 1,127,815 people visited our 19 council attractions.
Through our Community Wealth Building Framework, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to creating a more equitable and sustainable local economy, where wealth is retained within our communities and benefits our local residents and businesses.
2,277,398 people used our Leisure and Outdoor Recreation Centres across the district.
Our facilities continued to receive high ratings from visitors posting on Trip Advisor - Burnavon 4.5 stars, Hill of the O'Neill & Ranfurly House 4.9 stars, Seamus Heaney HomePlace 4.9 stars and Dungannon Park, 4.5 stars.
We continue to engage with the Department for Infrastructure towards making a decision on progressing the Mid Ulster Draft Plan Strategy to Independent Examination.
Theme 2: Leadership and Partnership for Growth
We continue to progress our cross-cutting strategic collaborative projects on Lough Neagh, the A5 Western Transport Corridor, the Mid South West Growth Deal projects, Homebawn and the Maghera Regeneration Programme.
Theme 3: Being the Best Council Possible
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Our days lost to sickness averaged at 6.5% for the year.
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Our six apprentices are progressing well through our new Apprenticeship Programme.
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Our cash at bank balance at the Year End 24/25 was £46.75million
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Our loans at Year End 24/25 amounted to £3.1 million.
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Our 2023/24 financial statements were certified without qualification.
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We had no reportable data breaches.
Our performance between 1 April to 30 September 2024 is laid out in the tables below.
Theme One: Our Service Delivery
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Theme One: Our Service Delivery
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| What we want to do |
What we’ve done so far
(from 1 April to 30 September 2024) |
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By March 2028, we want to achieve the Circular Economy Target to recycle 60% of municipal waste
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Between April and June 2024, we recycled 58.78% tonnes of municipal waste (13,245 of 22,533 tonnes)
We have reported and met all statutory waste indicators
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We want to build on our place-shaping capital investment programme to enhance our existing, and develop new, physical assets
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Our total capital investment expenditure for the six-month period has been £3,080,521.42
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We want to support delivery of a strong business economy by fostering start-ups; creating growth and scalability opportunities; promoting jobs; and developing Mid Ulster as a vibrant tourist destination
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We have supported 715 businesses through initiatives including Go Succeed, Town Business Spruce Up Scheme, Employer Training and Support events, Employer Toolkit 1-1s, Tourism events & programmes
573,744 people have visited 19 Council attractions
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We want to work collaboratively with central government to align existing community development and support programmes and implement our Community Development Strategy and Action Plan by March 2028
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The co-design process has commenced and we have held a series of local and regional strategic partner workshops. We aim to have the Strategy & Plan approved by March 2025.
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By March 2028, we want to increase customer satisfaction and participation in our leisure, outdoor recreation and arts, culture & literary facilities
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318,814 people used our Leisure Centres in Cookstown, Dungannon and Magherafelt
7 of our sites currently have Green Flag status
The Seamus Heaney Homeplace and Hill of the O'Neill & Ranfurly House Visitor Centre both have a 5-star Trip Advisor rating
Dungannon Park and the Burnavon Theatre have 4.5 star ratings
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Theme 2: Leadership and Partnership for Growth
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What we want to do
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What we’ve done so far
(from 1 April to 30 September 2024)
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We want to visibly progress the Mid-South West Growth Deal initiatives
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The Mid South West Growth Deal Strategic Outline Business Case for Desertcreat Green Industrial Project has been agreed
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We will collaborate with local and regional governments and jurisdictions to improve the services we deliver to our citizens and advocate on their behalf
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We have facilitated three Community Planning Partnership meetings with our strategic partners during the period
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Theme 3: Being the best Council possible
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What we want to do
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What we’ve done so far
(from 1 April to 30 September 2024)
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We want to implement a Workforce Plan to attract and retain the top talent we need to deliver our services
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In September 2024, 6 apprentices commenced as part of our new apprenticeship programme
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We want to remain a financially sustainable and viable Council that takes a prudent approach to spending public money
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In September 2024, our Cash at Bank balance was £43,585,311.05 and we had loans amounting to £3,275,179.51
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We want to ensure that our Governance Framework is appropriately integrated within our service delivery models
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We have a compliance rate of 94% for our Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations requests
We had no reportable data protection breaches and no successful legal challenges (above threshold) to Council’s Procurement exercises
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