Council reports major progress delivering its Corporate Plan one year from launch

The Corporate Plan sets out the priorities and objectives for the organisation with eight goals identified for 2025-2028.

Well maintained parks and open spaces  

The Council has continued to invest in parks and open spaces including:

•    A £1 million Play Spaces Rejuvenation Programme now moving into the delivery stage, including new playgrounds at Richmond Park and Hadleigh Memorial Recreation Ground. 
•    The Borough’s first inclusive and accessible playground to be installed at South Benfleet Playing Fields. 
•    Two new multiuse games areas planned for Thundersley Recreation Ground and Woodside Park. 
•    Additional investment of £2.5 million from 2026 onwards agreed to improve open spaces and leisure facilities 

Good quality Council housing 

The Council has: 

•    Made significant progress on housing safety compliance achieving 100% compliance with regulatory requirements of the ‘Big Six’ (gas, electric, fire, water, asbestos and lifts) along with Damp and Mould.  
•    New policies adopted and a new approach to tenant engagement introduced working alongside independent tenant engagement experts.  
•    Completed 74% of stock condition surveys of Council-owned homes. 
•    Let a contract to new provider Wates Property Services (WPS) for the repairs and maintenance contract to start in April 2026 and is procuring a new heating and electrics contractor. 
•    Improved customer contact, including welcome packs for new tenants and expanded estate inspections. 
•    Agreed a new draft 30-year Housing Revenue Account Business Plan, paving the way for increased future investment in homes and estates of over £125 million over the next 30 years. 
•    Procured a new housing management system to improve the customer experience, expand self service options and improve the coordination of support provided to tenants. 
•    Procured a new warden alarm system for all of the sheltered housing schemes. 

Satisfied customers  

The Council has strengthened the customer experience through: 

•    A new Customer Service Strategy and refreshed Customer Service Standards. 
•    A new website launched in December 2025, with work now under way to implement a new CRM system. 
•    Expanded training for staff, including a full programme of customer service training for housing officers and bespoke courses for other parts of the Council. 
•    Better data analysis, including missed bin reporting, to improve day-to-day service performance. 

Recreation services continue to perform strongly, with both leisure centres named Best Local Authority of the Year in 2025 and Net Promoter Scores significantly above national averages. 

Overall satisfaction with the Borough and sense of community  

Over the past year the Council has: 

•    Launched a new Borough-wide resident survey to measure satisfaction, pride of place and service experience. This survey remains open until 26 March with feedback used to inform the delivery of the plan.  
•    Delivered successful Arts Engagement programmes by supporting the Estuary Festival. 
•    Adopted new policies on supporting the Council’s approach to climate action and mitigation. 
•    Supported community wellbeing, including expanded activity programmes at the Paddocks and through new Recreation Wellbeing Teams. 
•    Implementing changes to how the Council engages housing tenants to improve tenants' satisfaction. This includes engagement events, estate inspections and the development of resident champions. 

Feeling safe, especially after dark

Key progress includes: 

•    The return of nighttime street lighting in October 2025 following a boroughwide consultation. 83% of respondents were in favour of the initiative citing personal safety, crime and visibility as key concerns. 
•    Renewal and expansion of the West Canvey Public Space Protection Order until 2028 to provide powers to the Police to control car racing events and nuisance over a wider area. 
•    A major upgrade of the Borough’s CCTV network, which will start to be implemented in summer 2026, with 24/7 live monitoring capability. 
•    Joint safety initiatives with Essex Police, including the “Keeping Town Centres Safe This Summer” programme. 
Affordable homes  
•    The Castle Point Plan was submitted for examination by independent inspectors.  
•    Completion of two modern, semi-detached family homes on the site of former garages in Benderloch Gardens, Canvey Island. 
•    Five additional properties are currently under construction in Canvey Island and Benfleet, all on underused garage sites. 
•    Approval of a Temporary Accommodation delivery plan in March 2026 that will set out how the Council will seek to improve the supply of temporary accommodation in the Borough for those in greatest need. 
•    Tenders out for the creation of 19 temporary accommodation properties at Abbeyfield house, Hadleigh.

Supporting local businesses  

The Council has made progress in strengthening the local economy through: 

•    The Castle Point Business Accelerator, which supports growth and development by providing advice and an ongoing programme of business events. 
•    The completion of the Thorney Bay pavilion and its successful letting to Street and Co who opened the café in November 2025. 
•    Investment in the Knightswick Shopping Centre, including a £1.6m refurbishment beginning in May 2026 to replace the floor, doors, ceiling and lighting. 
•    Delivery of the Hadleigh Shop Front Grant Scheme, which has helped 13 businesses through small grants to improve their shopfronts and high street presence. 
•    A new Economic Development Action Plan and Visitor Economy Action Plan covering 2026–2028 that will help drive business growth through sector growth. Supporting more effective engagement and skills development to offer a better skilled workforce, and enhancing the tourism offer within the Borough, better promotion, working with businesses to develop the tourism infrastructure.
•    Where the Council is procuring new development, providing opportunities for local contractors and suppliers to win contracts and sub-contract and providing better support through the procurement process. 

In addition to progress across the Corporate Plan goals, the Council has progressed all of its eight Community Commitments with highlights including: 

•    Increased transparency with more meetings now livestreamed and new tenant focus groups being established.   
•    Undertaken extensive consultation across areas such as recycling, leisure access, housing policies and Public Space Protection Orders. 
•    Key environmental policies approved, including the Environment Enforcement Policy, Climate Action Plan and Biodiversity First Considerations Report to safeguard the local environment, enhance biodiversity and help to meet our climate goals. 
•    £2.3 million investment in the Paddocks Community Centre has resulted in an upsurge in use by the local community. The Wellbeing Programme, run with Castle Point Active and partners at the Paddocks now sees an average of 1,000 people per month. 
•    Advocated for better local transport provision within the Local Transport Plan, which has resulted in key schemes for Castle Point being included. 

•    The Council and Sport England’s Place Based Partners successfully bid for £1,250,000 to help people on Canvey Island become more physically active. The money is being used to improve local facilities, support community projects and create more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to get active. 

 Cllr Dave Blackwell, Leader of Castle Point Borough Council, said: “This update shows just how much progress has been made across the Council in the past year, since the launch of the Corporate Plan. We are investing in our communities, improving key services like housing and recreation and securing major funding that will make a real difference to residents’ lives. 

“Our Corporate Plan sets a clear direction for Castle Point and we will continue delivering on the priorities residents have told us matter most.” 

Cllr Warren Gibson, Deputy Leader added: “This progress demonstrates the real momentum we now have across the Council. We are modernising services, investing in the services that residents value and delivering improvements that will make a lasting difference to our Borough. There is still more to do but we are firmly on the right path and committed to keeping residents at the centre of every decision.”