This plan follows on from the Our North Tyneside Plan 2013-2017. During that time, many examples of progress and positive change were delivered in North Tyneside.

Since 2012/13, we have seen a 20% increase in the number of children that have reached a good level of development in their early years. More children (especially those on free school meals) are achieving the expected level of development by the time they reach five years old.

Inequalities between our most deprived and most affluent areas are closing, and we are continuing to narrow the equalities gap for our residents.

More people are now in work compared to 2013. The number of young people who are not in education, employment or training has reduced, as has the number of 18 to 24-year olds on Job Seekers’ Allowance. People claiming unemployment benefits has dropped from 4.8% in 2012/13 to 2.7% in 2016/17.

Our residents are happier and healthier. Residents are more physically active than on average for the North East, and the number of people who smoke has reduced. Feedback from our residents’ survey shows over 80% of local people are satisfied with where they live and, in the last year, there has been an 8% increase in residents thinking their local area has improved.

More and better homes have been delivered across North Tyneside. We have built more new affordable homes in the past three years than in the entire decade before. In the last year alone, 892 new homes have been provided, 347 of which were affordable. Over a quarter of residents are very satisfied with the choice of housing now available to them.

The borough is attracting more businesses and creating more job opportunities at every skills level. There are now over 5,000 businesses based in North Tyneside – an increase from 3,890 in the last five years. Those businesses provide 81,900 jobs, which is over 10,000 more jobs than in 2012.

Opportunities for our young people have never been better. 88% of young people achieve qualifications at Key Stage 5 (A-Levels) and 90% of them, more than the national average, go on to higher education or employment.

This is all fantastic news for North Tyneside and its people. The Our North Tyneside Plan 2018-2021 builds on these successes and will ensure everyone in North Tyneside will have more and better opportunities over the next three years.

Our People will be:

• listened to so that their experience helps the Council work better for residents
• ready for school – giving our children and their families the best start in life
• ready for work and life – with the right skills and abilities to achieve their full potential, economic independence and meet business needs
• healthy and well – with the information, skills and opportunities to maintain and improve their health, well-being and independence, especially if they are carers
• cared for, protected and supported if they become vulnerable including if they become homeless
• encouraged and enabled to, when ever possible, be more independent, to volunteer and to do more for themselves and their local communities