“AMBITIOUS”, “innovative” and “challenging old ideas”, is how the new Powys County Council leader describes their “Vision 2025” for the county.

The newly published document, “Vision 2025” which can be read online, makes no mention of the deep cuts affecting public services and budgets that local authorities all across the country including Powys, have been making due to austerity.

But it does outline four areas of priority that will provide the skeleton for future strategies over the next decade and how they will try and implement it..

The four key priorities that the new mixed Independent/Tory cabinet hope will take Powys towards a bright future, are:

n Economy: developing a vibrant economy

n Health and care: leading the way in effective, integrated rural health and care

n Learning and skills: strengthening learning and skills

n Residents and Communities: supporting our residents and communities

Cllr Rosemarie Harris, Leader of Powys County Council, says: “My Cabinet is a team of considerable experience in public office who bring fresh challenge and new thinking.

“Our first task as a Cabinet is to map out a stable course for the future, to work with our residents and communities to create this vision to take us to 2025.

“There is a great deal to be done but Vision 2025 sets out our initial thoughts, our views on what the priorities should be, but they are a starting point and a discussion document that is open to challenge and debate.”

“Our challenge is to improve what the county has to offer and make it an even more attractive place to work, play and do business.”

“Our ideas are ambitious, but they would not be a vision if they were ordinary.”

But Liberal Democrat group leader, Cllr James Gibson-Watt called the document a “missed opportunity.” Cllr Gibson-Watt, said: “I welcome and support the aim of improving the Powys economy as a top priority, as it is the decline of our local economy that has been the root cause of the Council’s difficulties over recent years.””

But the document gives us no indication of how the council’s Cabinet intends to deliver on these priorities.

“This was a moment to provide a really coherent vision for the future direction for Powys and the council’s role in improving its residents’ standard of living and quality of public services. I fear that opportunity has been missed,”

n To view the Vision 2025 visit www.powys.gov.uk/Vision2025