Vision and Priorities

In May 2008 Godalming Town Council agreed these interim priorities; to be revised in 2009 following the recommendations of the Godalming Healthcheck.

Godalming is a very attractive and pleasant place in which to grow up and in which to live and work. Its distinctive character owes much to its historic market town centre but it is its many varied communities that give it its special feel. The Town is surrounded by beautiful countryside and the area as a whole is generally affluent with good services and low crime levels.

This positive picture of our town and our community does not though tell the whole story. There are many areas in which improvements are needed. The lack of affordable housing and traffic congestion and parking are but two examples of the things most people would agree need to be tackled. Perhaps even more importantly though we need to recognise that there are some sections of our community who are much less able than others to access the many benefits and sense of well being that most experience.

Taking account of these factors and also of the various views expressed by members of the Council during the past year it is agreed that the following are our interim priorities:-

Services for young people
Young people have relatively little to do in our community. This can be damaging to their development and potentially impacts on the level of anti-social behaviour in the area. We will support efforts to provide appropriate activities for young people.

Social inclusion
Not all our communities or groups within our communities are able to share fully in the general affluence and many advantages of living in such a lovely area. We will seek to assist those communities and groups who are working to address that imbalance and to promote their social inclusion.

Preserving our heritage
The town's physical character is for many the essence of our community. We will seek to provide support to those who are working to maintain and improve the Town's physical character and its heritage.