My hopes for the future

Cllr David Finch, Chair of Essex Partners and Leader of Essex County Council shares his hopes for the Future of Essex.

"Change is unstoppable. And so are we."

I think that is quite a fitting motto for the Future of Essex, our shared long-term vision for our county.

As our vision states, there’s no one way to describe who we are. But if there is one thing that unites us more than anything else, it’s our spirit and belief that we can achieve anything.

We know that change is coming. And the purpose of the vision it to make sure it happens on our own terms. To set out the Essex we want to see in the future and unite us in making it a reality. To make sure that the people who call Essex home have the opportunity to fulfil the promise of their potential.

Essex is one of the best places to live in the world. We’ve got everything. London on our doorstep, miles of scenic countryside, wild coastline dotted with busy ports and seaside retreats, historic market towns and radical experiments in urban design. It’s this eclectic collection of communities, histories and places that combine to make Essex uniquely special.

But too many people still do not experience the best of Essex. Too few people have benefitted from a growing economy. The gap in life expectancy across our county is still too large. And not all of our children get the same opportunities in life as their peers.

As long as these and other injustices exist in our county, our job will never be done.

For me, that’s why this vision is so important. Because if we are going to truly create a county where people can fulfil the promise of their potential, we need to constantly return to where our ultimate responsibility lies: our residents, not just our individual organisations.

We all have a responsibility and role to play in bringing our vision to life.

And if we put our minds to it, we really are unstoppable.

David Finch

19 September 2017