Councillors were presented with a report from the chief executive which set-out the priorities for the year ahead, including major infrastructure projects such as new house building and town and community hub investments.

Des Murray delivered his report to the policy and strategy committee on the Programme of Work for 2021/22, which sets out a roadmap for council services and partners to deliver each element of The Plan for North Lanarkshire.

“The Plan for North Lanarkshire is a long-term vision to improve and develop the area for our residents and for business, creating more opportunities for education, employment, investment and leisure,” said Mr Murray.

“We have broken down that vision into specific tasks that build each year to achieve our targets, and that’s outlined in the Programme of Work.

“Despite the coronavirus pandemic, we have made significant progress and I am proud of what we have achieved, including producing masterplans for our country parks, holding consultations on town hubs and visions, building more council housing, developing online services and learning, and supporting local businesses through lockdown.

“Improving the lives of children and young people is a key focus for us, and in the last year we delivered 1140 hours of early years learning for our youngest children, reviewed our Additional Support Needs programme, and developed improved support for vulnerable children and families.

“Involving local people in decision-making is important and the new Community Boards will allow more people to have their say in how local services are provided.”

As well as reviewing the work carried out in the last year, the report looks ahead to the council plans for 2021/22.

A key focus for the year ahead is recovery from the impact of the pandemic. An Economic Recovery Plan has been developed to enable existing businesses to adapt and grow, attract new business to North Lanarkshire, and create a more resilient and inclusive economic base for the future. In addition, the council will support more people into employment by investing in skills, education and training.

Investment will continue in towns, roads and active travel networks, parks, housing and schools, including through Glasgow City Region City Deal with the new Ravenscraig Infrastructure Access project and the East Airdrie Link Road.

Mr Murray said: “We have a clear vision of what we want to achieve for North Lanarkshire - to make it the place to live, learn, work, invest and visit. Our Programme of Work shows the real progress made in the last year, and it outlines the steps we will take next to achieve our ambitions.”