Nottingham New Deal for Communities - Home - Castle
Transcript of Nottingham New Deal for Communities - Home - Castle
NDC Programme Review June 2010
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Nottingham
New Deal for Communities
Radford & Hyson Green
Programme Review
2000 - 2010
NDC Programme Review June 2010
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CONTENTS
1. FOREWARD
2. INTRODUCTION & CONTEXT
3. PROGRESS & IMPACT
“Creating a Safer Community”
“Creating a Community of Work and Enterprise”
“Creating a Quality Living Environment”
“Creating a Skilled and Educated Community”
“Creating a Healthy Community”
“Investing in Communities through the Arts, Sports, Leisure & Culture”
“Community Participation”
4. PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT
5. KEY LESSONS LEARNED
6. FORWARD PLAN
7. CONCLUSIONS
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1. FOREWARD
1.1 Talking to residents just a few weeks ago at the opening of a new park funded by the NDC Programme, I was amazed at the strength
of feeling that was being expressed by local people. They really felt that the Radford & Hyson Green area had changed for the better.
This Report will provide a large body of evidence to say that the New Deal for Communities (NDC) Programme has improved people‟s
quality of life from a statistical point of view, however, what came
across to me on that warm spring night was a real feeling that they had been touched by something special, that their neighbourhood
had improved for the better, and that their community was far safer, more confident and more cohesive that ever before.
1.2 The NDC Programme has certainly been an “experience”. Local
commentators will tell you how there has been so many problems, so many difficulties, so may raised expectations, so many false-
dawns and so many different people that have been involved for better or for worse. However, what this Report tries to do is to
review the NDC Programme in an impartial way looking at outcomes and the impact that the Programme, rather than concentrating on
the “why‟s and how‟s”. Although it is impossible to demonstrate that the NDC funded activities and interventions have directly caused
these improvements, it would equally be hard to deny that the NDC
Programme has not significantly contributed to them.
1.3 As a once local resident, I can also say that the physical transformation over the last 10 years has been immense. Some of
this can be put down to the NDC Programme, and some of it through other investment. But it all fits under the umbrella of a
“New Deal” for the area and its residents. Just walking down Gregory Boulevard and Alfreton Road and you can see the change,
with great new impressive buildings being created from old derelict sites, and most shops rented out doing business. This has been
complemented by improvements to streets and houses, and the small pocket parks nearby – Waterloo Promenade is an excellent
example of this. Yes, there is more to do, such as redeveloping Forest Mill, and this will be our focus.
1.4 There are three things I would like the reader to take away from this Report. Firstly, that given the circumstances and given the
problems, the NDC Programme has actually been good for the area. Yes, it may have been able to have done more, but the bottom line
is that it the area is actually far better than it was in 1999. Secondly, please take on-board the lessons learned. The NDC
Programme was actually described as a “pathfinder”, and in this context, it is also important to learn from mistakes, not just what
you get right. Lastly, that whatever policies, procedures, approaches
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and working protocols you develop for a programme such as this, it
is important to note that the most critical ingredient is the people involved. Get the right people in the right positions, with the right
level of expertise and skills, and the right dedication and commitment, and you‟ve cracked it. Unfortunately, if one or two
aspects of this pattern are not quite correct, then you may have problems.
1.5 I would like to finally conclude by thanking my fellow Board
Trustees that have worked on the NDC Programme, and the successor body - Castle Cavendish Foundation. They have played a
tremendous role in ensuring that the NDC Programme was completed on time and on budget. May I also thank Government
Office for the East Midlands for their work over the last 10 years, through the “highs and lows”, without their continued support then
things may have been very different. Lastly, I would like to thank
the work of all the staff and volunteers that have contributed to the NDC Programme. In particular, to Joan Toovey and Dave Brennan
who have steered the NDC Programme through its final phase.
Sheila Hyde
Chair of the Board
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2. INTRODUCTION & CONTEXT
2.1 Ten years ago, the Government announced a major grant funded
programme designed to transform the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in England, reducing deprivation levels, improving
the quality of life conditions and developing decent neighbourhoods to
live and work.
2.2 Set within the policy framework incorporated within the National
Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal (1998), the New Deal for Communities (NDC) Programme was set up as one of the most
ambitious and comprehensive urban regeneration initiatives ever created. Almost £2 billion of grant was made available to 39 areas of
the country over a planned 10 year period, with a clear mandate to get to the very heart of the neighbourhood problems, and be
“resident-led”.
2.3 As one of the 39 schemes across the country, the Nottingham New
Deal for Communities (NDC) Programme was awarded to Radford & Hyson Green with a £55 million grant allocation made available. The
main objective was to make a difference to the lives of the 9,000 people who live in the Radford & Hyson Green area, ensuring lasting
benefits for the neighbourhood. The vision was to create a strong
community which actively participates in shaping and delivering services ~ a community in which people wish to stay and bring up
their children.
2.4 The Map attached show the NDC area, and its relationship with the
western edge of the City:
2.5 The original NDC Delivery Plan was structured around seven key
themes:
Creating a Safer Community
Creating a Community of Work and Enterprise
Creating a Quality Living Environment
Creating a Healthy Community
Creating a Skilled and Educated Community
Investing in Communities through the Arts, Sports, Leisure & Culture
Community Participation
2.6 Within each programme area, the NDC Programme had a number of
ambitious targets to achieve. Ten years on, it is difficult in some
cases to assess the performance against these as the way in which data is compiled has been changed over the period, for example
crime statistics. It is also not always clear how achievable some of the targets really were in relation to what was, and remains, an area
with very high levels of population change which are double the national average (40% per annum 2008 EDAW).
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2.7 What is set out below, however is the best comparison we can make using the latest data sets against some of these original targets.
Key Outcomes:
Outcome area Original Delivery Plan target
Progress To Date
Creating a safer community
Reduce rate of notifiable
incidents to city average
by 2010
NDC rate for All Crimes is 19.4
per 1,000 of the population.
This is 15 points below rate
for the City.
Reduce residents fear of
crime by 30%
Resident fear of crime has
been reduced by 30%
Creating a community of work
and enterprise
Reduce unemployment rate
to within 30% of city average
NDC area at 7% is 3% above
City average of 4%.
Below target.
Creating a quality living environment
Reduce proportion of
residents dissatisfied with
the area as a place to live
from 18% to 11%
The MORI Household Survey
asks if people are satisfied with
the area. This has increased
from 45% (2002) to 63% (2008).
Below original target by 26%.
Creating a healthy community
Reduce standardised death
rate for heart disease and
stroke to average for
Nottingham Health
Authority area
Reduce % of residents who
say health is not good from 17.5% to 10%
Mortality rates from heart
disease reduced from 5.4 (per
1,000) to 3.5. However this
remains 0.8 above the rate
for the City.
Residents who say their health
is good has increased by 9%
from 56% in 2002 to 2008 and now stands at 65%.
25% below target.
Creating a skilled and educated community
Improve educational
achievement of pupils to
City average
Increase numbers of school
leavers progressing into FE to national average
Key stage 4 and Key stage 2
results for NDC area are still
12% below City average.
1% above national average
Community Participation
Increase % of residents
who feel they can influence
decisions in the area from 19% to over 50%
This rose to a high of 27% in
2006. But marginally declined
over the lifetime of the
programme with 18% of
people now stating they feel
they can influence decisions in
the area.
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3. PROGRESS & IMPACT
“Creating a Safer Community”
3.1 NDC has invested just over £4.5 million on this theme, and as a result there have been significant improvements in reducing crime.
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The Safer Neighbourhoods project was established in the area and the „mainstream‟ service providers (Police and Nottingham City
Council) now have their full complement of Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers and Community Protection Officers from
Nottingham City Council. A new tasking system has also been set up to enable these officers to work together better. It is hoped that the
Safer Neighbourhoods Project will in the future consolidate and build on the success of the NDC-funded projects and the reduction in crime
that this brought to the area.
3.2 The Safer Neighbourhoods framework is founded on the premise that
local people will become more involved in the policing of their community and will provide intelligence to the authorities and work
with them to prioritise issues. It is hoped that residents will play a
continuing role in supporting this aspect of the Safer Neighbourhoods approach beyond 2010.
3.3 There has also been major improvement to the street lighting in the area, along with strategically positioned CCTV cameras. Furthermore,
significant investment has been made available to ensuring that most homes are safe and secure.
3.4 Supplementing these projects has been a range of youth inclusion initiatives, both detached and outreach provision. This has been part
of the prevention strategy to create positive futures for our young people, and reduce the risk of them being drawn into anti-social
behaviour, drugs and crime.
3.5 Projects receiving NDC has invested in to support safer and stronger
communities include:
Project NDC Grant
Improved Street Lighting £1,257,378
NDC Police Beat Team £816,701
Improved Home Security £739,576
Neighbourhood Wardens £976,000
CCTV Cameras £97,649
Youth Inclusion Initiatives £630,224
Pub Watch £28,121
TOTAL £4,545,649
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3.6 This investment has reduced crime by 25% over the lifetime of the programme with a corresponding reduction in the fear of crime as
indicated in the most recent MORI Household Survey, see below:
Key Indicators 2002 %
2004 %
2006 %
2008 %
Feel very unsafe outside alone after dark 56 43 36 26
Very/fairly worried about burglary 70 68 64 48
Very/fairly worried about being robbed or
mugged 70 64 63 49
Experienced burglary/attempted burglary
in last 12 months 14 12 9 6
Experienced assault in last 12 months 14 8 5 3
(Source: MORI Household Survey)
3.7 Figures for all crimes in the two wards covering most of the NDC area
are shown below:
Ward 2006 2007 2008
Arboretum 3977 3332 2864
Radford and Park 3514 3240 2427
(Source: Office for National Statistics, November 2008)
3.8 Moreover, the recent crime statistics as published by Nottinghamshire
Police confirm that the crime rates for burglary, robbery, violent crime and anti-social behaviour are all declining and are „average‟
compared with the rest of Nottinghamshire. However, anecdotal feedback from local area command shows concern remains over
burglary.
3.9 The Chart below shows what the trend has been over the last 10 years:
Crime Rate 2000 to 2009
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009crim
es p
er 1
000 p
op
ula
tio
n p
er
an
nu
m
NDC
LA
National
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3.10 More recent data, seen below, provides a review of the crime rates over the last few years.
Summary:
3.11 Overall, crime has reduced considerably over the last decade. Importantly, this has been translated into the community’s
perception of crime, which has seen a dramatic reduction of around 40-50%. The end result is that community safety has
significantly improved, and residents feel more satisfied with their area as a place to live.
Crime Data
Rate per 1,000 of population
All Crimes 2007 2008
NDC 22.7 19.4
City (central) 39.6 34
Burglary 2007 2008
NDC 5.9 2.8
City (central) 4.1 2.8
Robbery 2007 2008
NDC 1.2 1.1
City (central) 1 1.2
Violent Crime 2007 2008
NDC 3.2 3.4
City (central) 6.5 6.3
Anti - Social Behaviour 2007 2008
NDC 12.3 10.6
City (central) 16.8 16.2
(Source: Nottinghamshire Police)
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“Creating a Community of Work and Enterprise”
3.12 It was recognised early on that tackling worklessness and
stimulating a vibrant economy is a vital ingredient in the fulfilment
of its regeneration objectives. The NDC Programme has invested £9.4 million into economic and employability type projects that
provide support to individuals looking for work and to local businesses in the area.
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3.13 Some of the key projects supported include:
Project NDC Grant
Hartley Court Industrial Units £336,227
Business Grants £709,699
Business Team £845,096
Business Renaissance £1,294,961
Castle Cavendish Works £3,100,334
CISCO Networking Training £235,289
Framework Housing Association Training £135,754
Regeneration Apprentices £517,831
Social Economy Development £284,331
Employability Support £208,018
Construction Training £231,751
Retail Renaissance £84,336
Business & Employability Team £458,460
Property Strategy £72,204
FEBA - Micro Business Support £27,930
Fair Goose Credit Union Development. £264,988
African Caribbean Enterprise (ACE) £121,538
USE [Creative Solutions] £133,352
Carrington Sport Training Initiative £98,852
Framework Enterprise Zone £218,744
Small Projects (less than £20k) 26,038
TOTAL £9,405,733
3.14 As part of this programme, two major refurbishment schemes have taken place to create:
Castle Cavendish Business Centre - providing managed office space and incubation facility, for start up businesses; and
Hartley Court – developing 4 new industrial units on a brownfield site adjacent to 11 similar units
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3.15 Both schemes secured significant European and regional funds to support this development through the local strategic partnership.
3.16 As a result of the NDC investment there has been an increase in business start-ups over the last 10 years. The Table below indicates
the VAT registration and de-registration figures, which is a fairly good indicator of business formation and failure rates.
VAT registration:
Vat Registration Year End
2007
Registrations
2006
De-Registration
2006
NDC 109.1 10.6 8.3
Greater Nottingham 113.9 10.4 7.8
East Midlands 117.7 9.8 7.0
England 116.8 10.7 7.6
(Source: Nottingham City Council: Nomad Plus )
3.17 In regards economic activity by household, the MORI Household Survey provides an indication of relative improvement with
significant increase in residents in paid work, and a reduction in households with less than £100 per week, see below:
Employment and Worklessness:
Key Indicators 2002 2004 2006 2008
% % % %
In paid work 29 32 37 41
Self-employed 2 2 4 3
Registered unemployed/not registered but seeking work 11 11 9 10
Long-term sick/disabled 9 10 7 9
No-one working in household 62 56 55 53
Income below £100 per week (households) 25 22 25 21
Respondent receives income support, JSA or incapacity benefit 29 28 21 22
(Source: MORI Household Survey)
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Employment Rate 2002-2008 (Household Survey)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2002 2004 2006 2008
Perc
en
tag
e
NDC
All NDC
England
Rate of Worklessness (admin data)
0
5
10
15
20
25
2002 2004 2006 2008
Perc
en
tag
e
NDC
LA
England
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Proportion of residents living in households receiving means
tested benefits
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
2002 2004 2006 2008
Perc
en
tag
e
NDC
LA
England
Unemployment Rate (nomad +)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1999 2004 2006 2009
Perc
en
tag
e
NDC
LA
England
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3.18 The latest unemployment figures for the NDC area (encompassing parts of Radford & Park Ward and Arboretum Ward) show:
577 people claiming Job Seekers Allowance which is 7% of the working age population compared to 4.1% in the City figure.
Unemployment is almost exactly the same as in the same period last year whereas in the City it rose by 11%
1,890 working age people were claiming one or more benefits which equates to 22.9% in the NDC area compared to 18.6% in
the City. The number of claimants fell by 8.5% over the year whereas in the City as a whole, there was a small increase
955 people were claiming Incapacity Benefit (11.6%) which is higher than the City figure but again the number of claimants fell
in the NDC area while the City figure did not change
Finally, the number of Lone Parents claiming income support fell by 3.5% to 275 while the City figure fell by 2%
3.19 Current statistics for the Radford Super Output Area (SOA), which is the Radford flats and the surrounding area, show:
200 people unemployed (17.2%)
510 people were claiming one or more benefits representing
44.0% of the working age population
250 were claiming Incapacity Benefit (IB) (21.6%) (IB is now
known as Employment Support Allowance - ESA)
60 people claiming Income Support for Lone Parents
Summary:
3.20 The above figures show that employment interventions to date have been effective in the NDC area although there is
still work to be done, particularly in the Radford Flats Super
Output Area which is a pocket of high deprivation. There is also continuing need for support for business and
development of NVQ training at Level 2 and above.
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“Creating a Quality Living Environment”
3.21 In conjunction with its capital investment into health initiatives and
creation of business and industrial premises, over £9 million of NDC grant has funded a range of works to improve the physical
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appearance of the Radford & Hyson Green area. Recycling & Energy Efficiency projects have contributed to this and most of the work
towards this has been done on the „front line‟ by the Eco Team. This has included supporting the City Council‟s roll out of doorstep
recycling in the area and the identification of new sites for recycling „bring‟ sites.
3.22 Some of the key projects include:
Project NDC Grant
Housing Strategy £103,243
Home Smart Programme £4,964,530
Alfreton Road Re-development £2,938,648
Doghouse Project / Park House £59,201
Street Cleansing £34,800
Radford Community Development Centre £36,933
Litter busters £75,840
Parks Refurbishment £290,248
Radford Neighbourhood Plan £100,000
Western Gateway £500,000
Bridlington Street Play Area £115,732
Raleigh Street Open Space £75,600
Small Projects (less than £20k) £1,988
TOTAL £9,196,763
3.23 In collaboration with our partners and local residents, the NDC Programme has also undertaken refurbishment of the parks and
play areas. These are:
Wallan Street
Bridlington Street
Maples Street Skate Park
Bentinck Road/School
Independent Street Park
Raleigh Street
3.24 The Independent Street Park incorporates outdoor gym equipment
for adults to encourage increased physical activity.
3.25 These parks have enhanced the physical environment of the
immediate area within which they are sited and provided up-to-date
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and expanded facilities for children and young people to get involved physical activity, thus addressing some of the causes of anti-social
behaviour and contributing go the health agenda. The Forest Multi Activity Pitch also continues to be well used.
3.26 Together this investments into physical regeneration has improved the physical condition of the NDC area which is reflected in the
findings from the recent Household Survey
Key Indicators
2002 2004 2006 2008
% % % %
Very/fairly satisfied with accommodation 72 76 73 86
Resident at address less than 3 years 64 59 62 62
Very/fairly satisfied with area 45 47 57 63
Area much/slightly worse than 2 yrs ago
30 30 23 17
Base: All lived at address 2+ years
Litter and rubbish in the streets a serious problem
46 43 43 32
Quality of life in area very/fairly good 75 77 79 82
(Source: MORI Household Survey)
3.27 Concerns over housing stock within the area and in many cases the
absence of decent homes standards led to the implementation of the Home Smart scheme, designed to improve not only individual homes
but also the environmental appearance of the area. Spread over 3 phases the following work has improved over 300 residential
properties in 14 streets, along with the redevelopment of 25
alleyways. In particular, the Home Smart programme has supported the improvements to Waterloo Promenade, which has made dramatic
improvements to the “functionability” of that area, as well as the general appearance.
3.28 More recently, the Home Smart programme has moved into developing more family accommodation in the area, by converting
previous derelict or abandoned Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). This has started to remove local eyesores, as well as
improving the local housing stock. In particular, there has been a pilot scheme at Burns Street, converting 4 four bedroom, Victorian
properties. These are now generating a lot of interest on the open market. The intention is to develop this scheme into a large “rolling
programme” of conversions with a partnership with the City Council and other HMO landlords, such as Local Housing Associations. An
initial desk-top exercise has indicated that approx. 25 to 30
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properties could be brought into this programme and refurbished over a period of time. This would continue the work associated with
creating more family accommodation, developing a more stable population, attracting a more diverse tenure mix, and generating a
sustainable community.
Development of Alfreton Road:
3.29 NDC investment has also contributed to the improvement to one of
the most dilapidated blocks of retail properties along the middle section of Alfreton Road. Much of capital expenditure has been
released in the final 2 years of the programme, and has fully refurbished the internal and external aspects of 147 to 175 Alfreton
Road, along with 57-63 Boden Street. In addition, work has taken
place on the improvement to the rear of these retail units to provide significant environmental improvements to the car park and the
access road. This has transformed this section of Alfreton Road from a visual point of view. More importantly, after a slow start in 2009,
all the retail units are now let to local businesses.
Shop Frontage Improvements:
3.30 The final year of the NDC Programme has also seen investment in
the businesses on Alfreton Road by way of further shop front improvements and provision of unified signage. Over 30 shops have
benefited from this support, and it has complemented the work associated with the Alfreton Road Block.
Western Gateway:
3.31 Alfreton Road, through the Western Gateway Scheme, has also
received a major programme of environmental works, road safety improvements and pedestrian and cyclist enhancements. NDC
investment has been “matched-up” with City Council funds to enable additional works to be carried out to that already planned work
between Canning Circus and Newdigate Street. NDC funds enabled the scheme to be extended to the Bentinck/Hartley Road junction.
This has been long overdue, but will certainly add to the regeneration of the area encouraging additional inward investment
and enhancing the area as a whole with associated social and economic benefits.
Radford Neighbourhood Plan:
3.32 NDC grant has also funded the City Council to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for the Radford area, which will underpin the
Strategic Regeneration Framework for the East/Central Area of the
City. The City Council commissioned Urban Initiatives to develop the
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Neighbourhood Plan, and they have, amongst other things, developed a “spatial development strategy” for the area, and
identified a number of potential development sites, along with priorities for action. These include eyesores such as Forest Mills and
Radford Mills. The Radford Neighbourhood Plan sets out a shared vision for the area for the next 15-20 years, and puts in place a
strong case for additional funding intervention to continue the physical regeneration programme in the area, for the benefit of local
people, local businesses and local service providers.
Summary:
3.33 There has been a significant increase in resident satisfaction
with the area as a place to live, and this has to be down to the
massive improvements in the physical appearance of Gregory Boulevard and Alfreton Road, the improvements to houses in
the area, and to the transformation of the small parks and opens spaces.
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“Creating a Skilled and Educated Community”
3.34 NDC has invested just under £5m into projects designed to support
children and young people, providing them with opportunities to raise their educational attainment levels and develop their potential.
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3.35 Projects supported include:
Project NDC Grant
Fair Goose Schools Development Worker £160,992
Learning Links £515,863
Learning Theme Group £40,000
ICT Strategy £668,539
BUILD - Primetime £285,949
Amber - Breaking Barriers £163,424
Think Children £82,463
Enhancing ICT Provision in Schools £33,010
Khalsatech - Youth Support £127,943
BPIA - Youth and Afterschool £383,247
Anytime Anywhere Learning £92,530
ERONDU After School Study Support £206,820
Nottingham Ishango Maths & Science Club £176,109
Opportunities to Achieve £141,708
LEARN - Small Grants Fund £171,141
NDC Education Action Zone £1,079,270
Connexions Personal Advisors £229,684
Sure Start Extension £292,654
ICT Strategy Resident Training £123,767
Small Projects (less than £20k) £16,951
TOTAL £4,992,064
Primary (Key Stages 1 and 2):
3.36 Having not instigated a longitudinal study of the effects of the Ten
Schools United Education Action Zone project (TSU EAZ), it will be difficult to map the specific benefits of this initiative against
improved attainment for individual pupils benefiting from it at primary school level.
3.37 Some of the features of the TSU EAZ have been carried over into the Central Education Improvement Partnership but some of those
considered to be most crucial (e.g. Family Learning Mentors) have not been continued due to lack of funding.
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3.38 Recent statistics for Nottingham NDC and comparator areas show the following:
Key Stage 2; pupils reaching level 4:
Detail 2002 2004 2006 2007
Proportion of pupils achieving grade
4 at Key Stage 2 ~ ENGLISH
NDC 53.9 57.6 58.7 53.8
Comparator Area 64.4 73.3 61.4 73.7
City 62.4 70 69.7 72.1
England 74.2 77.0 79.1 80.1
Proportion of pupils achieving grade
4 at Key Stage 2 ~ MATHS
NDC 46.1 59.5 58.7 65.4
Comparator
Area 55.4 69.8 66.3 75.8
City 63.0 66.4 71 72.4
England 72.9 73.6 75.6 76.9
(Source: NDC National Evaluation Administrative Data)
3.39 The data show a slight rise in NDC pupils‟ achievement of KS2 English over past 5 years (0.1%) but a fall of nearly 5% from 2006
to 2007. The actual gap between Nottingham City for 2007 and NDC was 18.3% in English (in the city‟s favour). For KS2 Maths the
results for the NDC area have risen by 19%, the City proportion rose by almost 10% from 2002 to 2007 but only 2.4% from 2006 to
2007. National rise was almost 6% in last five years.
Secondary (Key Stages 3 and 4):
3.40 In regards Key Stage 3 & 4, once again, the chart overleaf shows
that from a statistical point of view, the NDC and comparator areas show an upward trend but a slowing or falling back recently.
Detail 2002 2004 2006 2007
Proportion
achieving 5 A*-C grade GCSE's
NDC 26.7 28.7 44 36.8
Comparator Area 20.4 23.3 33 30.2
City 31.9 36.3 42.4 49.7
England 49.4 51.5 57.1 59.7
3.41 The data shows a rise of just over 10% in achievement of NDC pupils
over last five years but a fall of just over 7% from 2006 to 2007 (this was due to the changes which now make English and Maths
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compulsory subjects in calculating the five GCSE performance criteria).
3.42 Nottingham City attainment rose by 17.8% from 2002 to 2007 but only went up by 7.3% from 2006 to 2007. Nationally the rise was
10.3% over five years but only 2.6% from 2006 to 2007.
Pupils (%) Achieving Key Stage 4 2000 to 2008
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Pe
rce
nta
ge NDC
Comparator area
Nottingham City
Region
National
Further Education:
3.43 The NDC area has been successful in raising the numbers of young people going on to further or higher education although, again, this
has slowed recently.
Detail 2002 2004 2006
Rate of entry into
higher education
NDC 25.0 26.6 35.9
Comparator Area 20.4 13.6 16.5
City 23.7 21.2 22.7
England 34.9 33.1 34.2
(Source: NDC National Evaluation Administrative Data)
3.44 NDC rate went up by 10.9% from 2002 to 2006 but only rose by
1.5% from 2006 to 2007. Nottingham City rate over five years fell by 1% and by 0.4% from 2006 to 2007. Nationally, the rate fell by
0.7% over the long term and by 1.6% from 2006 to 2007.
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3.45 The gap between Nottingham City figures and NDC for 2007 was 1.7% (in NDC‟s favour).
3.46 The NDC-funded Connexions Personal Advisors project will undoubtedly have played a part in this rise but obviously the
secondary schools have also been working hard to encourage their students to go on to further education.
3.48 In terms of qualifications for working age population, the % of residents who have no qualification actually increased from 22% in
2002 to 24% in 2008. This situation is reflected in the % of people currently taking part in some form of education or training, which
reduced from 30% in 2002 to 28%. All the anecdotal evidence suggests that this is directly related to the relatively high population
churn that exists in the NDC area.
Summary:
3.49 Educational achievements at all key stages and staying on rates have improved over the lifetime of the NDC but have
now reached a plateau, probably as a result of the changes in criteria which make English in particular a focus for further
improvement.
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“Creating a Healthy Community”
3.50 The NDC has invested just under £7.1m in a wide-range of initiatives
designed to improve the health of local residents.
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3.51 These projects include:
Project NDC Grant
Waverley Health Centre £1,326,983
All Saints Well-Being Centre £1,037,102
Capacity Building & Mental Health Work £198,061
The Bridge Centre £37,500
IPARO - In-School Counselling & Mental
Health support £225,212
Prostitute Outreach Workers Service £414,795
All Saints Community Care
Mental Health Support £221,558
Impact Integrated Medicine £518,235
Sure Start Advisor £163,197
Art in Mind ~ Mental Health Support £265,332
Reach Out for Health ~ Healthy Eating £63,590
Avoidable Injury £119,257
Exercise Referral Scheme £124,234
Djanolgy Community Leisure Centre £2,200,000
Healthy Housing £67,232
Holistic Health Projects £31,597
Small Projects (less than £20k) 37,435
TOTAL £7,051,320
3.52 NDC has funded and/or commissioned a number of projects designed
to address health inequalities in the area including some major capital improvements.
Waverley Health Centre:
3.53 A former hotel was purchased and converted to provide a traditional
GP service at the now renamed Waverley Health Centre. This has also provided the opportunity for partner organisations, such as the
Primary Care Trust and the Crime and Drugs Partnership to have
accommodation on the upper floors to deliver specialist health programmes.
All Saints Wellbeing Centre:
3.54 At All Saints, a listed former school house has been converted to
provide a “Well Being” Centre for the YMCA from where a number of health outputs are delivered including exercise on prescription.
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Djanolgly Community Leisure Centre:
3.55 The new Noel Street replacement pool facility, now called Djanogly
Community Leisure Centre, has recently been completed at the rear of Djanogly Academy. The “state-of-the-art” facility should lead to
increased local resident engagement in physical activity, following the agreement with the City Council to provide a „legacy package‟ of
a 50% subsidy for NDC residents over the next 15 years.
3.56 Even without taking into account the impact of the new Community
Leisure Centre, there has been increasing numbers of residents reporting that their own health is good, as shown in the table below:
Key Indicator 2002 2004 2006 2008
NDC residents who feel their own health is good
56% 53% 57% 65%
(Source: MORI Household Survey)
3.57 Improvements in health are also reflected in reduced mortality rates
as shown in the table below although heart disease is still more of a problem than in the City as a whole:
Mortality Rates:
Mortality Rates 1999-01 2001-03 2003-05 2004-06
All Causes
NDC 40.1 34.1 27.4 21.07
Nottingham 23.6 22.9 21.2 21.03
Heart Disease
NDC 5.4 7.2 5.3 3.59
Nottingham 4.4 4.2 3.9 2.67
(Source: NDC National Evaluation Administrative Data)
Summary:
3.58 There have been major improvements in overall mortality rates in the NDC area and the challenge remains to sustain
this and reduce heart disease down to City levels.
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“Investing in Communities
Through the Arts, Sports, Leisure & Culture”
3.59 NDC has provided over £2.3m of funds to support Arts, Sports, Leisure and Cultural Activities.
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3.60 Key Projects include:
Project NDC Grant
Sports Officers £52,428
Arboretum Refurbishment £104,407
Cavaliers Cricket Club £143,419
Nottingham Carnival Trust £21,040
Nottingham Carnival £35,853
Hoop Dreams Basketball Club £154,017
New Art Exchange £1,220,000
Radford Sports & Social Club £70,000
Forest Multi-Activity Pitch £75,000
Maple Street Skate Board Park £100,267
Building for the Future £100,000
Boulevard URC £96,600
Forest Recreation Site – Family Fun £120,000
Small Projects (less than £20k) £28,406
TOTAL 2,321,437
New Art Exchange:
3.61 In December 2005, NDC grant contributed £1.2M to support the
£5.6M construction of the New Art Exchange. This “state-of-the-art” community building on Gregory Boulevard is designed to showcase
arts and culture from African and Asian communities. The New Art Exchange was officially opened in September 2008.
3.62 Previous NDC funding to organisations such as City Arts (to deliver the Art in Mind health project and develop their studio project) and
the joint NDC/City Arts Engagement through Art Project for the Mary
Potter Centre, have resulted in benefits which use art as a medium for engagement and economic development rather than in the
promotion of art for its own sake.
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3.63 The recent setting up of the Shared Voice group to revisit local potential for the development of creative industries in the area as a
genuine economic driver also offers the opportunity to build on some of our previous work and to take advantage of the rich cultural
diversity of the area and the existing artistic base.
Summary:
3.64 This theme has mainly offered an opportunity to use art,
culture and leisure activities to support targets in other key areas and has contributed to achieving many of the
achievements in other sections particularly in relation to health and activities for children, young people and adults.
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“Community Participation”
3.65 To promote community participation, the NDC Programme has
invested over £12m into supporting a range of events activities and small-scale initiatives.
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3.66 Projects supported include:
Project NDC Grant
Community Support Fund £984,139
Partnership Support & Capacity Building including Race Equality Access £4,185,561
Communications & Events Team £775,084
NDC Commissioned Services Team £973,830
Project Initiation Fund £94,202
Neighbourhood Investment Fund £1,957,469
Publicity Plus £348,069
Partnership Council - Key Fund £499,836
The Tom Peters Leadership Challenge £40,385
IBA - Co-ordinating Action £230,000
Youth and Play Scheme £90,020
Voluntary Sector Capacity Building Fund £65,723
The Vine Community Centre £83,689
Tennyson Hall Redevelopment £1,114,196
Notts Deaf Survey - Workforce Development £149,115
BPIA - Business Development £138,094
HGYC Staffing Development £183,222
Force 7 Training Researchers £55,750
Citizen 2010 - Children‟s Forum £61,118
Kiran Community Media £118,933
Small Projects (less than £20k) £41,415
TOTAL £12,189,850
3.67 The focus of this theme is on participation, empowerment and
involvement to increase feelings of influence over decision making which affects resident‟s lives. Community cohesion is also an
important element and in the NDC area 43% of residents now report that “Neighbours look out for each other” - this is an increase of 8%
since 2002. (Source: Mori Household Survey 2008).
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3.68 With regard to community participation however despite some fluctuations there has been no change with the most recent data
showing:
Key Indicator
2002
2004
2006
2008
Number of residents who feel they can influence decisions in area
19% 22% 27% 18%
(Source: MORI Household Survey)
3.69 At a national level 31% of residents feel they can influence decisions in their area and the NDC results are surprising given the level of
investment in this area of work over the past 9 years. Saying that, a
similar down-turn between 2006 and 2008 was registered in the Leicester NDCs and in other NDCs across the country.
Neighbourhood Support Team:
3.70 The Neighbourhood Support Team had the lead responsibility for engaging with local residents and encouraging people to participate
in both NDC activities and community-led projects. The team worked in conjunction with local partners and community groups to support
residents - building their skills, knowledge and confidence to address matters of concern in their neighbourhood.
3.71 Some of the key initiatives developed by the Neighbourhood Support Team were:
Establishing Residents Voice - a forum for local people to engage with each other
The Eco Team whose remit is to work with mainstream bodies to
tackle low-level environment issues
Open University Access course to facilitate access to learning for
local people
Support for local residents groups
Running events to promote cross cultural working
Developing initiatives to attract funds into the NDC area
Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF):
3.72 This was a key project in relation to building the capacity of and supporting of small community and voluntary groups. The project
comprised both capital and revenue funding. To encourage sustainability in the local voluntary and community sector, NDC
introduced a capital investment programme that tied in with the national asset development policy. The NDC Asset Development
Fund led to investment in 6 local community buildings to a total of
£279,933. This funding helped and assisted groups improve the fabric of their buildings in a manner that aids long term sustainability
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through reducing running costs and improving income generation options. In addition to this NDC has supported a number of small
building improvements and security projects through its small grants.
3.73 NDC‟s small grants fund enables the organisation to target funds at „street level‟ because it worked through the thriving existing
community and voluntary groups in the area. To date the NDC small grants have delivered:
No. of Projects
Delivered
No. of Groups
Supported
NDC Grant
340 184 £1,102,976
3.74 Evidence from evaluation shows that the small grants programme has successfully reached a diverse range of groups, reaching all
sections of the community and providing support across all of NDC‟s strategic priorities.
3.75 Small grants have therefore enabled NDC to ensure that everyone in
the area has had the opportunity to benefit from the NDC programme. It has both stimulated new activities and supported
existing groups, making the NDC area an extremely vibrant area for grassroots activities. Projects supported have enabled individuals to
participate in local activities, leading to greater interaction within the community, reducing feelings of isolation, and increasing
volunteering levels.
3.76 Most of the groups supported through this programme rely heavily
on volunteers, and evidence from NIF monitoring shows small grants have supported and increased levels of volunteering in local people
and in some cases enabled greater interaction between traditionally separate sections of the community such as the young and the old
and different ethnic groups.
3.77 In addition, small grants have aided sustainability in the grassroots
sector. Many groups have been able to start up thanks to NDC
funding. In addition a large number of NIF supported groups have gone on to successfully secure funding from other sources to
continue their work, including some groups which have secured major grants and are looking at moving into contracts in the long
term.
3.78 In addition to supporting local people and providing increased
opportunities for them to participate in community life and activities, the NIF has also enabled people to become directly involved in local
decision-making through its panel. This has enabled local people to have the opportunity to directly take part in making decisions on
how local funding should be spent. The panel has not only led to a huge wealth of local knowledge being brought together to ensure
money is allocated appropriately and groups are given good advice, but has also led to an increased sense of community cohesion. The
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majority of panel members are involved in community activity and their involvement in the panel has led to a number of cross-working
initiatives and groups working together to support each other across cultural and thematic boundaries.
Participatory Budgeting:
3.79 In 2008, NDC piloted its participatory budget scheme called „People‟s Choice‟. This utilised the skills, knowledge and experience of local
people to identify key priorities that would benefit from low-level funding support.
3.80 NDC invited all community & voluntary groups in the area to submit proposals to address the priorities and over 100 local residents voted
for their choice on „decision day‟ held on 6 December 2008. Residents voted to allocate a total £75,000 of grant to the following
activities:
Organisation Activity
YMCA Virtual Gym
Radford Care Group Cross Cultural Network for Elders
Hyson Green Youth Club Area 4 Heritage Project
The Vine Community Centre Parent Power
Pakistan Forum Healthy Blessing
NG7 United Summer League 2009
3.81 Support for more Tenants and Residents Groups was also an area of work which built on previous empowerment activity. Both Birkin
Patch Improvement Association and Waterloo Area Residents Group were set up in this way.
3.82 Activities to continue to promote community cohesion and empowerment will in particular be a key priority in future years. The
intention is for the NDC Successor Body – Castle Cavendish
Foundation – to continue to financially support the Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF), and continue the community renewal
process.
Tennyson Hall:
3.83 Following years of decay and dereliction, Tennyson Hall has finally been refurbished. Costing around £1 million, the redevelopment has
completely transformed the old Victorian Hall into a fully
modernised, office and training suite complex, and is now the home to 3 voluntary sector agencies and a local community group. The
facility will now be a comprehensive focal point for community information, advice and volunteering.
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Summary:
3.84 Although an important activity in its own right, supporting
community participation in its widest sense has also benefitted the other key themes, In effect, it has been the
“mortar between the building blocks” in developing a better quality of life for residents. Indeed, there has been a
significant rise in residents who say there quality of life is very/fairly good, increasing from 75% in 2002 to 82% in
2008.
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4. PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT
Programme Delivery:
4.1 The Programme has been successfully managed through a well-
developed application, appraisal and approval process. The process was designed to comply with the requirements of a range of funding
organisations and provides accountability for the allocation of funding.
4.2 It also complemented this with a robust monitoring and review process that ensured that NDC Projects completed a monitoring
return that was signed by a Chief Officer from their respective organisations. This process was supplemented by a schedule of site
visits throughout the life of the project and programme period.
Performance Management Framework (PMF) & Data Analysis:
4.3 PMF is the mechanism the NDC employed to measure the impact of its activities upon the local area. It complemented the NDC‟s
principle of conducting on-going evaluation of activity. The PMF process enabled the NDC to use a range of data to measure changes
in key indicators (Indices of Deprivation) over a number of years.
4.4 The data was gathered from a number of sources. Quantitative data
such as Local Area Data is gathered from partner bodies both directly and indirectly from NCC‟s Nomad Plus GIS system. This was
complemented by user surveys conducted by local groups to determine initiatives local people wish to see supported.
4.5 Qualitative data was gathered using the IPSOS Mori Household Survey that was organised by the Governments Department of
Communities & Local Government (CLG) and conducted every two years. This data was supplemented by individual project evaluations
that are conducted by delivery agents on an on-going basis during
the delivery of the project.
4.6 The qualitative and quantitative data were brought together each
year and presented to local residents (Focus group panels used in recent years) who provide the first step in the moderation process.
The information was then used to report NDC achievements to the Board, strategic partners and stakeholders.
4.7 The use of the PMF framework enabled the NDC:
To measure its success
Target its resources effectively
Adjust to changing priorities over time
4.8 The last PMF completed for the NDC was undertaken in 2007, and following a moderation process it was graded “Excellent”.
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Audit & Accountability:
4.9 The NDC Programme was overseen by Nottingham City Council as
the Accountable Body of the NDC Grant.
4.10 Programme management was governed by an “annual cycle” of
actions that provides for:
Quarterly monitoring and reporting to the NDC Board, AB and
GOEM
Annual internal and external audit of income and expenditure
Future financial action planning based upon prior performance and future needs
4.11 The monitoring and review process was managed through an authorised database called “System K”, which amongst other things
collected output information, as set out by Government (CLG). A
copy of the final output information is attached.
4.12 Below is a chart providing information on the level of NDC grant
spend per year throughout the NDC Programme:
0 2,000,000 4,000,000 6,000,000 8,000,000
Level of Spend
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Years
NDC Spend
2000 to 2010
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4.13 In addition, the chart below provides information on the level of NDC grant spend on the Programmes priority themes:
NDC Grant
Per Theme
Art
, S
po
rt &
Leis
ure
Co
mm
un
ity S
afe
ty
M &
A
Ed
ucati
on
Healt
h
Ho
usin
g &
En
vir
on
men
t
Wo
rk &
En
terp
rise
Co
mm
un
ity P
art
icip
ati
on
0
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
NDC Priority Themes
Leve
l o
f G
ran
t Sp
en
din
g (
£)
Summary:
4.14 Subject to the final NDC Statement of Grant Usage, it is accepted that all the NDC grant has been used in a manner
that meets up to the requirement of Government and the Accountable Body
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5. KEY LESSONS LEARNED
Lesson 1: There was a real need to build-up the “capacity and capability” levels in the first 2 years, both in terms of
community and public service providers.
5.1 This has been a criticism of many other NDC‟s across the Country, as
well as with other Area Based Initiatives (ABIs).
5.2 With the award of £55 million, came the requirement from
Government to get the NDC Programme “up and running” straight away. NDC grant needed to be spent and tangible outputs needed to
be delivered. This had to be combined with the process of establishing a new “resident-led” body tasked with managing the
NDC Programme – a major task in itself. In effect, the pressure was on from day one.
5.3 Although, this was all very important, it was equally important to
start to build-up the capacity and capability of the community and voluntary sector: firstly, to be properly involved in the strategic
decision-making process; and secondly, to be participating fully in the project planning, design and delivery process. Moreover, it could
be argued that an even more fundamental process was the work that needed to take place with the range public service providers (Local
Authority, Police, PCT, RSLs etc…), ensuring that they had the local capacity, and were armed with a new set of skills and tools to
engage with the local communities and develop new service interventions.
5.4 Unfortunately, there was not enough emphasis placed on the importance of building capacity and capability levels, locally. The
NDC had too many other issues to deal with, and with the weight of expectation, from both Government and local residents,
concentrated on delivery rather than releasing sufficient time and
resources into this important area of work.
Lesson 2: It is important to get the balance right between
placed-based improvements and people-centred projects,
both in terms of timing and the level of investment.
5.5 The impact of new buildings, new parks and new facilities and new
roads etc… should not be underestimated. As well as the fact that these physical improvements provide tangible environment benefits -
removing dereliction and decay and improving the functioning of an area – they, more importantly, create better place for people to do
business, to shop, to access services, to play sport, to become healthier, to enjoy leisure time and to socialise. Moreover, physical
improvements have a significant psychological and emotional effect on local residents, and on people who work in the area or frequently
pass through. It makes a statement that the area is changing for the better, that the area is valued, and that the local community can be
given the trust and responsibility to look after these improvements.
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This breeds a genuine respect, increased responsibility, improved confidence and a sense of pride in an area, and changes the wider
perception held by general public. In a sense, it provides a striking statement that this was really about giving local residents a “New
Deal”.
5.6 It is therefore of paramount importance to develop a range of
physical improvements that are in place at the front-end of the Programme. Not only to signify that the areas is being transformed
for the better, but to complement the other priority themes, so as to create the right setting for improved interventions, activities and
events, especially around work, enterprise, health, community safety and education, as well as the arts and sports.
5.7 Unfortunately, due to a variety of reasons, some related to strategic
choices and some related to local restrictions, many of the major physical improvements only came forward after 2006 – the midway
point. Indeed, many of the major physical improvements that would have assisted the NDC Programme achieve its people-related outputs
and outcomes have actually only been completed in the last 3 years. Indeed the Djanogly Community Leisure Centre – a new £6.5 million
swimming pool, health and fitness facility – was actually only officially opened in April this year. As a result, many of the NDC
projects, where not able to benefit from better surroundings, better facilities and better infrastructure.
Lesson 3: It could have been more “strategy-led”, rather than
being “project-focused”.
5.8 Although it seems like there was a genuine attempt to develop a
regeneration strategy that was based on local statistical evidence and robust qualitative analysis, from the early days the NDC
Programme became focused on delivering projects. May be this was as a result of the pressure to spend; may be it was a way of
demonstrating action on the ground; may be it was even a tactical approach to deliver the “pet-projects” of Board Members. Whatever
the reasons, it was only in the final years of the Programme that real
efforts were made to allocate NDC grant based on a strategic assessment of need (i.e. NDC Action Plan 2009/10), along with the
commissioning of a spatial development strategy and neighbourhood plan for the area.
5.9 From 2004 to 2007, the Governments Performance Management Framework (PMF) and the review cycles, tried to re-focus the NDC
Programme back on to being a regeneration programme that was evidence-based, and had “smart” objectives which were linked to
tangible outcomes. To some extent this worked, however, from 2006 onwards, it could be argued that the actual “Strategy” which was
leading the direction of the NDC Programme was based on the assumption that the sustainability of the NDC body itself, was a
primary motive. This premise had a significant influence on the NDC Programme from 2006 to 2008, as seen in the next section.
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Lesson 4: The primary objective of the regeneration
programme should have been focused on improving the locality, rather than developing the role of the NDC body.
5.10 As discussed in section 5.9, as the NDC Programme moved into 2006 the strategic approach behind the NDC grant investment became
heavily influenced – implicitly and explicitly – on supporting the NDC body itself and its plans for succession, post-NDC.
5.11 Although many experts would subscribe to the view that it is important to have a vehicle to drive forward regeneration activity a
locality. Indeed, it would be also argued that it was important to develop a robust succession plan for the NDC body, and for that to
advocate for further improvements, and in some instance continue to deliver services etc… However, many of them would not
necessarily support the concept that this should be an end in itself.
5.12 Yet it seems that the strategy that was formulating from 2006 was
dominated by the mission to develop the NDC into a charitable trust which would have a sizeable asset-base (up to £20 million), would
generate a reasonable rental return (5-10%) that would therefore
continue to support the NDC body, and its regeneration activity for years to come.
5.13 This should not be seen as a “bad” objective in its own right. Yes, it was rather too simplistic, was too dependent on market forces, was
highly risky and was probably, on the whole, completely unattainable given the local circumstances. But it was also ambitious, bold and
had a clear rationale around long-term regeneration through a local delivery vehicle.
5.14 However, it should not have been the underlying driver encapsulated and embedded within the “strategy”, that was seen as the basis for
the use of NDC grant in the final phase of the NDC Programme. Even if the succession plan for the NDC body was “scaled-back”, it should
not have been the primary focus of the last 3-4 years of the NDC Programme, but should have been seen as one factor within a robust
strategy of investment into the locality, in line with the needs and
requirements of regeneration activity, community development and service provision, as a whole. As it was, the succession plan for the
NDC body became the driving force behind investment decision and the use of NDC grant. This deflected away valuable time and energy
from a range of activities with other key partners on issues around “mainstreaming” service improvements, and on working jointly on
partnership schemes. As stated in section 5.8, only in the last 18 months did the NDC Programme turn its attention on this type of
investment.
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Lesson 5: The “pathfinder” approach behind the New Deal for Communities may have been too demanding
5.15 The New Deal for Communities initiative was not just about a grant fund of £55 million, but was also about using new ways of releasing
the investment into a targeted manner within a locality. It was about putting residents at the very heart of the approach, both in terms of
the NDC body itself, especially the Board, and in regards the way projects were designed and delivered. It was also about being
innovative and experimental, and about stretching the horizons. In a sense, it was “exactly what it said on the tin” - creating a new deal
for our communities. However, on reflection the question that needs to be asked is “Was this just too demanding?”
5.16 Set within this context, and as demonstrated in other NDCs across
the country, it does not take too much disruption to steer the NDC Programme “off-track”. Between 2007 and 2008, the NDC body
became embroiled in “governance” issues which nearly brought to an end the organisation, and placed in jeopardy the NDC Programme.
5.17 This is not the time to pronounce criticism, but the lessons that must be taken on board is that the work associated with servicing and
supporting a NDC body such as this, especially at Board level, should not be underestimated. Although, Board Members provided a wide
range of skills and expertise, they also came from a wide range of differing backgrounds, attitudes and perceptions, and may not have
had the “capability” mix that was required to strategically steer and direct an organisation such as this. Indeed, the Board was actually
fairly fragile, and it did not take too much to create a major disruption. On reflection, more strategic support was needed.
5.18 At the same time, there also was a major requirement to develop
and manage the NDC Programme, with genuine community engagement. As demonstrated elsewhere, the NDC Programme was
very intense from 2004 to 2007, with over 100 projects being funded and co-ordinated. In addition, as a result of a variety of factors,
quite a number of these NDC funded projects were actually delivered directly by the NDC body itself.
5.19 On reflection, the NDC body did quite well in gearing itself up to take forward these tasks. But there was a whole range of strategic
choices and tactical decisions that were made through balancing differing priorities and objectives, which took up so much time,
energy and resources. There was also the tension and strain of leading innovative approaches, set within a growing “risk-averse”
environment.
5.20 Indeed, it seems that the NDC was as much about the “process”
than about the “impact” to the area and the communities. Although
many experts would support this view, there must be some question marks on whether the right balance was achieved in this context.
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6. FORWARD PLAN
6.1 It has been noted by residents and experts alike, that to really transform Radford & Hyson Green and remove its fundamental
problems will take much more than 10 years. Although longer than most “Area Based Initiatives”, it still seems unreasonable to suggest
that, following a downward cycle of decline that has lasted 30 years, involving 2 to 3 generations, this area‟s problems can be solved in
the NDC timeframe.
6.2 Unlike previous initiatives, however, the NDC Programme must be seen as laying the foundations to a much more sustained
neighbourhood renewal and community development process. To match up to this agenda, it is important that we develop a long-term
vision and a set of strategic goals for what we, and our stakeholders,
want for Radford & Hyson Green area in the future.
6.3 As part of this, it is proposed that a 2020 Vision is created and agreed by the NDC and its partners. This will be made up of a
number of key strategic goals that will present a future baseline of quality of life indicators for residents of Radford & Hyson Green. The
intention will be for these strategic goals to be informed and guided by the City‟s Sustainable Community Strategy and LAA targets,
which will develop a long-term journey towards Nottingham becoming a truly, great City. In a sense, a 2020 Vision will explain
what the Nottingham‟s Sustainable Community Strategy will mean to Radford & Hyson Green, in terms of:
Choosing Nottingham
Respecting Nottingham
Transforming Neighbourhoods Young Nottingham
Active & Healthy Nottingham
6.4 The intention will be to work with our key stakeholders in developing these strategic goals, achieving a high level of “buy-in”, and
resulting in a “Statement of Commitment” signed-off by all key partners to a Neighbourhood Action Plan.
The Neighbourhood Plan:
6.5 To complement a new 2020 Vision, it is anticipated that fundamental changes need to take place regarding the functionality of the area,
its layout, configuration, the effective use of land, and its connectivity to adjacent neighbourhoods. Lessons learned from the
Governments initiative on “Mixed Communities” reveal that developing truly sustainable mixed communities is much more than
creating the right mix of housing choice tenure and accommodation. Good schools, leisure and community facilities, local transport links,
local employment centres, green open space and a functioning public
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realm, all play key roles. In many respects, the NDC Programme has addressed some of these requirements, but the area still functions
poorly and has had an exceptionally high “population churn” that rather than decreasing has increased from 30% to 40% over the
lifetime of the programme. In effect, the last 10 years has seen changes in the provision of high value, high quality services and
facilities, but apart from the redevelopment of a selection of streets and a number of buildings, the physical layout and housing choice
remains very much the same.
6.6 It is anticipated that the Neighbourhood Plan, referred to previously, will provide a spatial development strategy, along with a more
informed assessment of the socio-economic dynamics and
requirements to drive forward transformational change. Urban Initiatives have completed this work and the Plan is about to be
published by the City Council. The Neighbourhood Plan links closely to the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for this part of the
City, which has also been commissioned recently by the City Council and will be carried out by EDAW.
6.7 The main aim of the Neighbourhood Plan is to deliver a more
attractive neighbourhood within which to live and it must provide opportunities for residents to benefit from the improvements through
better housing, a more attractive and safe environment and improved access to employment. The purpose must be to look well
beyond the study area to understand how the neighbourhood connects to and integrates with the wider area and to understand
the current facilities, services and employments sites that its
residents will wish to access. Equally, the Neighbourhood Plan must build on the areas key strengths:
Its good access to the City Centre
Its proximity to Nottingham Trent University Its fine built heritage
Its variety of building types and the opportunity that this presents for a variety of different uses to flourish
Its mix of independent retailers Its public transport accessibility
Its opportunity to capture passing trade, and Its fine green spaces, including the nearby Forest Recreation
Ground and the Arboretum
6.8 These will help to shape the future of the area, progressing towards
the 2020 Vision, and ensuring that Radford & Hyson Green will be transformed into a highly desirable, more stable neighbourhood for
family living on the edge of the City Centre.
6.9 One of the key aspects of the Neighbourhood Plan will be to identify appropriate and realistic options for the future sustainability of the
overall neighbourhood, and in addition include detailed analysis and
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proposals for a number of key “Priority Sites”, providing an opportunity to make better use of land, re-shape the urban layout
and provide a better housing choice. For each “Priority Site”, a development brief will be generated with realistic approaches, which
fully considers the risks, affordability, adaptability, timescales, suitability and acceptability to stakeholders and the community.
6.10 The new 2020 Vision, along with the Neighbourhood Plan, will lay the
platform for a new future for Radford & Hyson Green. To support this process, and to continue the philosophy and work of the NDC
initiative, it is critical that the current neighbourhood management approach continues in order to set an enduring structural service
development change within the neighbourhood. With the City
Council‟s support, the local Area Committee in Nottingham has provided a very good way of developing neighbourhood working that
brings together Ward Councillors, key service providers, voluntary groups and residents to understand and practically address
neighbourhood issues through enhanced, responsive and joined-up service delivery.
6.11 Over the next year, it is anticipated that Nottingham‟s refreshed
Local Area Agreement (LAA), its priorities and target outcomes, will start to significantly influence more and more service delivery across
the City. Radford & Hyson Green is in a strong position to offer itself as a model area for the locality based planning and co-ordination of
services – in effect, providing an innovative test bed for a Neighbourhood-based LAA. The proposal is to work through the Area
Committee to develop a “Neighbourhood Action Plan” that will set
down target outcomes for the next 3 years, married up to the national indicators and their target outcomes agreed within the City‟s
LAA. Our local infrastructure is strong and credible and we are already ahead of the game in terms of joint planning and evaluation
of services. More importantly, the Area Committee places a very strong emphasis on joint planning and has the key service providers
involved in specific group planning work from Housing, Police, Health and the Third sector.
Castle Cavendish Foundation:
6.12 In 2009 the NDC Board agreed to refresh itself with a new name and constitution. Castle Cavendish Foundation was created, and will take
forward the NDC succession. The name Castle Cavendish came from a local historic building, acquired as a key NDC asset that is
synonymous with industry and enterprise.
6.13 The Foundation will focus on taking forward a more “strategic role” and will work with partners to ensure that the 2020 Vision is
delivered. From 2010 onwards, the Foundation will oversee a property portfolio of approx. £3 million, along with retained NDC
income. The Foundation will support a very small executive team,
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and most of the surplus income generated from its assets will provide funds for a programme of grants – through a Neighbourhood
Investment Fund – based on an annual update of community needs and priorities. It has been agreed by the Foundation‟s Board that this
surplus will be distributed through to support the local voluntary and community sector through an externally managed grant distribution
arrangement.
6.14 As part of the new governance process, there has been the recruitment of new Trustees from the community and voluntary
sector (Residents Voice and the Partnership Council, respectively). There is also the intention to set up an Advisory Group to the new
Foundation to be utilised as a “sounding board” or “reference group”
and ensuring that future priorities are relevant to the prevailing issues in the wider community.
6.15 Looking to the future, a further proposal is that the Foundation could
be positioned to act as a “Local Asset-Backed Vehicle” (LABV) that could take forward and facilitate long-term, physical renewal in
Radford & Hyson Green, especially in regards the HMO Conversion Programme that was started in 2009.
6.16 The succession approach, agreed in March 2009, also identified that
over the next 12 to 24 months there could be a significant change to the regeneration landscape in the greater Nottingham area, with the
possible amalgamation of existing agencies to form a more co-ordinated and functioning “community regeneration offer” for the
City. The Foundation‟s Board has recommended that there should be
serious consideration to the benefits of being part of a merger with other like-minded groups and organisations, to form a new body for
locality to drive forward community regeneration.
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7. CONCLUSIONS
7.1 Overall, the NDC Programme in Radford & Hyson Green has delivered a positive effect on levels of deprivation, and has
significantly changed for the better the overall quality of life indicators. Before the global economic crisis and the ensuing
recession, many of the target outcomes had been achieved:
Crime had been reduced Employment had increased
Housing satisfaction levels had improved Business Start-ups were on the up
Educational attainment was generally improving People‟s health was getting better
7.2 Complementing these positive improvements has been a range of physical developments that have changed the area beyond belief.
Both Gregory Boulevard and Alfreton Road have had major investment. The former, through the creation of new facilities and
buildings, some of them NDC grant funded (New Art Exchange, Djanogly Community Leisure Centre) and some of them not
(Djanogly Academy; Mary Potter Centre and the Tram). The latter, through major investment in the public realm and the improvement
in shopping parades and the retail environment. Although more could have been done, and there are one or two sites that still
require attention (i.e. Forest Mill), both roads are now thriving and bustling corridors of enterprise and community life.
7.3 In addition, right in the very heart of the neighbourhoods are
refurbished buildings, such as Castle Cavendish Works, Tennyson
Hall, All Saints Wellbeing Centre and Waverley Health Centre. All of them providing local services to local people. Combined with this,
has been investment in the refurbishment and improvement of homes and of small open spaces, creating a much improved living
environment, with a greater sense of community safety.
7.4 Furthermore, through the Castle Cavendish Foundation, the NDC Programme now as a charitable body that as a good track record to
take forward the approved Succession Strategy for the area.
7.5 However, the NDC Programme has suffered from a number of difficulties over its 10 year period. Through 3 defined phases of its
life, the NDC Programme has had to cope with various changes in leadership; policies, procedures and working practices; staffing; and
grant administration arrangements. It has had to adjust to the ever-
changing organisational and policy landscape that always seemed to be shifting, and it has had to manage an arrangement with Central
Government that became increasing bureaucratic and highly risk averse.
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7.6 Given these difficulties – the lack of stability and continuity – along with the inevitable constraints on land and buildings, and a very
diverse and transient population (40% population churn), it is actually surprising that the NDC Programme was able to do so much.
7.7 One of the main reasons for this was the passion, commitment and
dedication of staff and volunteers throughout this process, not just those associated with the NDC body, but those involved in the area
as part of the public, private and community sector, including local residents. Many of them, both at senior level and those working on
the ground, contributed in various ways to continually support the initiative and keep the momentum going forward, refreshing it and,
in some cases, reviving it. Without these people, and without the
support of Government Office through the darkest times, this Review may have looked rather different.
Report Author
Dave Brennan