It's time to say it!

What a strange build up to Christmas I have had. As a result of my hip operation I have as yet to walk into a shop let alone think about buying presents. But all is well and with a bit of luck I should be signed off this week which after just five weeks is not too bad for an olden! I have been able to attend to Council business and support the Leader of the Council as his deputy. A great deal is going on as you can imagine with the change in management structure, what is clear is that work which started over three years ago in respect of cost cutting and rationalisation is now bringing benefit following the expected dramatic cuts in finance from Central Government. We at Christchurch can honestly say that as a result of good and prudent management we are ahead of the game and although the cuts hurt and will have an effect on our performance, because we had the foresight to act early we can manage the situation.
We need now to consolidate and start to look to even greater challenges in 2012 and 2013. So although we live in ''interesting times''I am optimistic that we can work smarter and still deliver the excellent services our residents have come to expect. It's time to say it, a very happy Christmas to you all and a healthy new year.