“State of the City” speech, 2004
At the first meeting of the new Council session on September 9th, 2004, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Roger Lawrence, gave his first “State of the City” address – a new development for the Council.
This page offers an outline of the Leader's speech along with a full version of the text in a downloadable format.
Outline of the Leader's speech
The Leader's speech considered:
- The achievements in the last year and the changes ahead;
- Successful initiatives;
- Priorities for 2004/05;
- Making the vision a reality.
Follow the headings below for further information:
Achievement and change
Reviewing the Council’s achievements over the past year and the challenges which lie ahead Councillor Lawrence said:
“Wolverhampton is a city in the process of a profound transformation, at the heart of a region reinventing itself. We have had to come to terms with change, and the City Council has taken a strong lead in supporting communities to adapt to new economic and social circumstances.
“Wolverhampton’s economy is much more diverse than ever before. Seventy-three percent (73%) of our citizens have said they were either very satisfied or satisfied with the way the council runs things. The challenge is to do even more to make Wolverhampton an even more modern, prosperous and cohesive city.
“We intend to make Wolverhampton a fairer and more just place for everyone. We want to reduce the inequalities that exist between people and create a more inclusive city. We want to improve the city’s prosperity and change the face of the urban environment for the better. We want to make sure that fewer of our children are disadvantaged.”
Successful initiatives
The speech also referred to a number of successful initiatives over the last year, including:
Activities which address the changing economic, environmental and social circumstances of the City itself and the wider Black Country;
- Strengthening and supporting communities through neighbourhood initiatives, developing relationships with the voluntary groups and supporting vulnerable people;
- Ongoing consultation with Wolverhampton citizens to ensure the Council is aware of their opinions and changing needs, and adapting services as a result;
- Improvements education, housing and social care, but with a commitment to further change if necessary; and
- The Council’s efforts to promote equality and diversity.
Priorities for 2004/05
He also outlined a number of key priorities for the forthcoming year, namely:
- Providing the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
- Making communities sustainable.
- Improving the health and well-being of our citizens.
- Making communities safer and stronger.
Making the vision a reality
The Leader referred to the new vision statement, of a Council “leading, supporting and inspiring our city, proud to be of service today and rising to the challenges of tomorrow”. The new Corporate Plan aims to make this vision a reality.
Download the speech in full
To read the speech in full, you can download the document in a pdf version by clicking on the Icon below:
