In 2022, we launched the Bexley Plan to Make Bexley Even Better. This included a commitment to put customers at the heart of what we do. This strategy sets out how we plan to achieve this.

This has always been important to us, and we are proud to have made a wide range of improvements over the last 5 years, including the introduction of a new telephony system for both the Contact Centre and back-office teams, an upgraded website that now includes smart forms and the introduction of an online secure payment system.

However, the context in which the Council is operating in has changed significantly over the past few years, and like many Local Authorities we face unprecedented challenges, but also opportunities to improve how we deliver services to our customers. To help us meet these challenges and make the most of these opportunities, we have asked our customers: our residents and our businesses within Bexley to tell us what is most important to them.

This Strategy sets out what you told us, and what we will be prioritising over the coming four years. We are making three commitments to our customers, underpinned by three guiding principles and three workstreams, for which our customers can hold us to account for.