Sustainable Community Strategy 2011-14€¦ · are set out in a document called the ‘Sustainable...

Working in partnership to create the future you want

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OUR VISION

This is what the communities of the Borough of Wellingborough have told us they want it to be

The Borough of Wellingborough – The place to be.

At the heart of Northamptonshire where we are proud to be. The place where all have high aspirations, all are encouraged to achieve them and the potential is realised for the whole community. The place where we lead in quality businesses and the environment. The place where communities are sustainable, healthy, safe and prosperous. The Borough of Wellingborough - an excellent place where:

• everyone respects each other, their moral and ethical values, and all are equal in an active, culturally diverse and cohesive community.

• businesses prosper and wealth is generated.

• learning and job opportunities meet the needs of all.

• the environment, both natural and built, is continually enhanced.

• there are open spaces and leisure facilities for all.

• good transport links exist throughout the area.

• all services are accessible.

• its prime location is used to advantage.

• life expectancy is high.

• local health services serve individual needs.

• everyone feels safe.

• where good quality and affordable housing is available for all.

The Borough of Wellingborough - this is

the place to be

INTRODUCTION BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WELLINGBOROUGH PARTNERSHIP STEERING GROUP

This is the fourth Community Strategy. It reflects what you, the people of the Borough of Wellingborough, have told us matters to you. In preparing this strategy, we

• reviewed the targets set and achieved in the three previous plans,

• held a community participation event,

• took into account the consultation our council partners gathered at the time they set their budgets.

We will review the strategy annually and fully update it every three years. The long term vision for the Borough remains unchanged as it is still relevant and pertinent to the people who live and work here. Delivering the strategy will be challenging given the current pressures on resources available to the partner agencies. This makes it even more important that we build on the success of the past by continuing to work together effectively. The partnership is the only strategic forum that brings together all the key sectors in the Borough. This strategic overview and access to different knowledge and resources is the key to delivering improvements for local people, as cost effectively as possible, in challenging times. The Council and its partners are committed to involving and listening to the views of the community to help us take this plan forward, to determining priorities and to improve the provision of services for everyone’s benefit. I commend the Strategy to you and ask that each person plays their part, working towards making the Borough of Wellingborough a better place to live and work – a place to be proud of.

Councillor Paul Bell Wellingborough Partnership Steering Group Chairman Leader of the Council


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WELLINGBOROUGH SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY

CONTENTS

PAGE NUMBER

Introduction The Wellingborough Partnership What is the Sustainable Community Strategy? Our Themes Your money Your skills Your health Your safety Your neighbourhood Appendix A The Wellingborough Partnership Board Appendix B How the Partnership is organised

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INTRODUCTION The Borough of Wellingborough covering 163 square miles has an urban centre surrounded by 19 villages and smaller settlements. It is one of seven districts in Northamptonshire. It has a population of 75,700 (ONS mid year estimate for 2009) of which about two thirds live in the town of Wellingborough. Through the planned growth, the population will increase by about 14,000 people in the next two decades. The Borough itself is located on the rail gateway to the East Midlands region and lies at the centre of the Oxford / Cambridge arc. It is home to a large number of distinct communities, each with its own unique identity. The quality of life for those who live and work or visit the Borough depends on many organisations – the Council, Police, Fire and Rescue and healthcare organisations, as well as Parish Councils, businesses, voluntary organisations, tenants and residents associations, community, race and faith groups, individual residents, workers and visitors. Tens of thousands of people have an impact on what it feels like to live and work in the Borough.


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THE WELLINGBOROUGH PARTNERSHIP AND THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY

The Wellingborough Partnership links a variety of partners to improve the quality of life locally:

• Individuals

• Public sector organisations

• Business

• The voluntary sector The Partnership seeks to improve the ways that services are planned and delivered by bringing the agencies together and agreeing on what needs to be done. The priorities for improvement are set out in a document called the ‘Sustainable Community Strategy’. The purpose of this document is to set the overall strategic direction and long-term vision for the economic, social and environmental well-being of a local area. In delivering the Sustainable Community Strategy the partnership is guided by two straightforward ideas:

• If we can co-ordinate services by working and planning together, we can improve those services for the benefit of local people.

• If we can make sure local people’s ideas influence what happens in a local area, we can improve the quality of life for local people.

The Partnership does not deliver services itself but oversees the work of partner agencies and delivery partnerships like the Community Safety Partnership. It has a role to challenge all delivery agencies, including the local councils, if they do not live up to the commitments they have made. This latest version of the Sustainable Community Strategy, like its predecessors, was produced after extensive consultation. People of the Borough of Wellingborough and the organisations involved, placed significance on a number of areas which the strategy groups brought together in five themes. Theme Outcome sought Your money (Money, jobs and enterprise)

The Borough has a stronger and more resilient local economy delivering prosperity, employment, and housing for the benefit of residents of the Borough.

Your skills (Driving up learning and skills)

The people of the Borough have the skills and capabilities they need to fulfil their potential in work, family and community life.

Your health (Being healthier)

All people have the opportunity to live long, healthy and happy lives through the information, choices and quality of services available to them.

Your safety (Reducing Crime and Anti Social Behaviour)

The Borough is a safe place to live and work where people get on well together.

Your neighbourhood (Clean and tidy neighbourhoods)

The Borough is a clean and environmentally sustainable place to live and work where the built and natural environments are protected and enhanced.


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These form the priority outcomes of the Sustainable Community Strategy and shape the way the Wellingborough Partnership organises itself and its work. To achieve these outcomes, this Sustainable Community Strategy sets out a series of aims which, through their actions, the partners will be seeking to deliver. In order to achieve these outcomes, the partnership has established a series of thematic groups. The purpose of these groups is to design and deliver the actions necessary to achieve the outcomes. We will tackle cross-cutting issues, such as sustainability, equality and diversity in a consistent way for all goals and aims. The Partnership Steering Group will monitor delivery and will regularly involve and inform the Borough of Wellingborough residents and stakeholders of progress. Further information about the structure of the Partnership can be found at Appendix B. Delivery Group Action Plans All activity that will deliver the aims will be contained in the delivery group action plans. These will be co-ordinated by the Wellingborough Partnership and be developed, delivered and monitored by the appropriate group. The groups will use their collective professional expertise and information from the community to prioritise issues that need to be addressed and work to develop packages of activity to do this. The Wellingborough Partnership Steering Group will ensure the groups are working to meet local needs and improve services. It will also identify where different groups can work together to develop a package of projects and activity, addressing the issues from different approaches, adding value to service delivery and ensuring the cross-cutting agendas are met. Progress Updates Alongside the delivery plans we will publish a reporting framework setting out the measures we will use to judge how well we are doing. In order to ensure people are aware what activity the Wellingborough Partnership is currently focused on, a progress update will be given annually at the wider partnership meeting. In addition to this, the Steering Group will monitor the action plans at each of their meetings. A representative from each delivery group will periodically be requested to attend the Steering Group to give an update on progress against target.


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Theme: Your Money

Why this matters:

• During the most difficult recession since the war, it is essential that we assist individuals with making the most of their money. This covers a range of activities from helping people to access affordable finance, to signposting to welfare benefits and helping people to develop employment opportunities. It’s also about developing the economy of Wellingborough to make it a place where businesses want to come and invest to create jobs.

What we are already doing:

• Free parking retained in municipal car parks in the town centre

• Business Support leaflet to all businesses – March 2010

• ‘Calling all retailers’ event – October 2010

• Developing a strategic vision for the economic development of the Borough

• One Stop Shop established in the Council Offices that brings together services that benefit people on low incomes

• Business Improvement District established for Wellingborough Town Centre

Partnership’s priorities

• Address financial inclusion

• Maximise external funding opportunities for economic development activity in Wellingborough

• Work collaboratively to tackle barriers to the labour market and business by promoting equal opportunities and diversity in employment, training and business

• Help business to help themselves by promoting the sharing of good practice

• Assist business development and sustainable growth, helping to create a thriving town centre and rural economy in the Borough

• Develop the Wellingborough Town Centre Business Improvement District to promote prosperity and improve services

What you can do:

• Support your local shops and businesses

• If you are unemployed consider self employment as an option

• If you are in business, offer work experience and apprenticeships for unemployed people

• Participate in the Council’s consultations about the local economy and development


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Theme: Your Skills Why this matters:

• The workplace and the economy are becoming ever more complicated. If the Borough is to thrive and attract new employers we need to broaden and enhance the skills base in the area. We need to help people get back to work following redundancy or periods out of the job market and create the type of environment where there are opportunities to create new businesses and employment opportunities. Working with our local schools, further education establishments and other providers is of vital importance to attain the skills necessary to realise future opportunities.


• Find your way back to work event – Jan 2009

• Are you the next apprentice? – Jan – Mar 2011

• Real Options For Skills And Employment (ROSE) events – December 2010 - July 2011

• Hemmingwell Skills Centre established

Partnership’s priorities:

• Support and develop effective links with community and voluntary sector led employment and training networks

• Work with local schools through Wellingborough Education Partnership to drive up academic standards of achievement

• Work with Tresham College to continue to provide tertiary skills development

• Seek to reduce the number of young people not in employment, education and training

• Encourage the learning of life skills

What you can do:

• Improve your skills to improve your prospects by re-training

• Broaden your experience and bolster your CV by doing some voluntary work

• In your spare time volunteer to support groups providing life enhancing activities for others


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Theme: Your Health Why this matters:

• Improving the quality of social and private housing is fundamental to living a healthy lifestyle.

• The local Health Profile for 2010 highlights that people living in the Borough experience significant differences in both the length and quality of their lives. For example, the average life expectancy for men is just under 78 years and for women 83 years. Life expectancy for men living in the most deprived areas is 5 years less than for men living in the least deprived areas. As well, the local Health profile shows that 26.3% of Wellingborough’s adult population and 9.7% of reception year children are obese leading to an increased risk of a range of chronic illnesses. The local Health Profile shows 60 early deaths related to heart disease and stroke.


• A number of multi-agency initiatives to tackle obesity

• Provided access to a range of leisure and sporting activities

• Taken action to tackle drug and alcohol misuse

• Helping people to stop smoking

• Offered information and advice on health matters


• Improve health and life chances for children and young people

• Promote independence of older people and vulnerable group

• Improving housing conditions

• Improve mental and physical health for adults and reduce inequalities in life expectancy

• Increased participation in cultural, sporting and physical activity

What you can do:

• Take regular exercise

• Have a regular health check up at your GP

• Eat a balanced diet

• Find out how you can make healthy lifestyle choices by accessing the NHS Choices Web Site


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Theme: Your Safety Why this matters:

• We know that the level of crime is a big issue for the Borough’s residents and that anti-social behaviour, in particular, can have a significant impact on people’s fear of crime and their perception of their personal safety. Domestic abuse (specifically repeat incidents) continues to be an issue and reports of domestic abuse have risen.


• Crime levels generally in the Borough have been falling over the last three years. Total crime in the Borough (2009/10) has reduced by 13.5%. Overall crime has decreased significantly this year (1200 less crimes) compared to last year.

• A great deal of work has been undertaken to improve perceptions and confidence of local people, especially in relation to anti-social behaviour. Online reporting mechanisms have been put in place (for both anti-social behaviour reports and hate crime reports) and standards have been published.

• Partners are committed to providing intensive supervision and support to a relatively small number of priority and prolific offenders who we know commit a relatively high number of crimes. This intensive support helps break dependency on drugs and alcohol for many offenders.

• We now use a multi-agency risk assessment approach to dealing with incidents of domestic violence which should lead to reductions of the numbers of repeat incidents.

• Our neighbourhood improvement approach to community safety encourages communities to identify and help tackle local problems.

• Young people are at the heart of much of the work that we do. We provide a range of diversionary activities for young people, including detached outreach in the town centre and rural areas.


• Reduce acquisitive crime

• Improve the quality of life of local people focusing on perceptions of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage, fear of crime and public satisfaction of services

• Reduce the volume of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage

• Reduce the numbers of young people offending and/or becoming victims of crime

• Reduce the incidence of repeat domestic abuse victimisation

What you can do:

• Report anti-social behaviour and ‘hate’ incidents

• Join a ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ scheme

• Always take precautions to protect your possessions, at home, at work and in your vehicle

• Mark your possessions with a security marking product

• Get to know your local Community Support Team

• Fit smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your home


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Theme: Your Neighbourhood Why this matters:

• We know that littering is a big contributor to feelings of well being and safety – if a place is clean and tidy, it is less likely that it will become a haven for litter, graffiti and vandalism. It is important that our estates and high density areas are kept clean and tidy and this can be done in partnership with our community as well as all agencies taking a fair share of responsibility for this challenge.

• The extent and quality of our green infrastructure contributes greatly to our quality of life providing people with opportunities for sport, recreation or just quiet contemplation. The quality of our natural and built environment – both rural and urban – affects the way we feel about our surroundings and our general sense of well-being.


• We are ensuring that everybody has access to convenient recycling facilities. The Borough currently operates the three bin kerbside collection scheme which allows residents to recycle a variety of materials including glass bottles. There is also a garden waste collection scheme.

• We are supporting community led action to improve and care for the local environment, including community woodland, housing estates and local parks. We have supported a local community group with a Heritage Lottery Fund application of £37,000 to finance a Local Food Project. This will be funded for two years, and will enable residents to set up a garden for growing food. The transferrable skills will then be taken back into individual gardens and help people become more resourceful and healthier.

• Across the Borough we have instigated the ‘No Excuses’ campaign which encourages people to stop making excuses for dropping litter and think twice about their actions.


• Reduce fly-tipping and litter pollution through increased education, waste management and street cleansing.

• Support community groups in relation to environmental activities (litter picks etc).

• Minimise carbon emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change focusing on transport, business and homes.

• Encourage people to make responsible choices when they buy, increasing awareness on packaging issues and products made from recycled materials.

What you can do:

• Run a ‘Big Clean Up’ event in your neighbourhood and discourage litter

• Leave your car at home and walk, cycle or take the bus

• Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible

• Look at ways to reduce your own carbon emissions

• Investigate how you can minimise energy consumption by visiting the Energy Saving Trust web site


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Appendix A Wellingborough Partnership Steering Group – May 2011 Cllr Paul Bell Chairman, Borough Council of Wellingborough AN Other Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Peter Bretherton Business Advocate (Larger Business/Northamptonshire Chamber) David Cross Business Advocate (Smaller Business / Wellingborough Chamber/Town Centre Partnership) Cllr Shashi Dholakia Borough Council of Wellingborough Andrew Dutton Northamptonshire County Council/Northamptonshire Health Hugh Fenton Voluntary & Community Advocate (Environment) Cllr Barry Graves Borough Council of Wellingborough Dinesh Kotecha Community Advocate (BME)) Kate Payne Community Advocate (Rural) Elspeth Sully Tresham College Supt. Gideon Springer Northamptonshire Police Denise Taylor Community Advocate (General) (Voluntary Sector Forum) Janet Harrington-Fudger Wellingborough Education Partnership John Wevill Community Advocate (Older People) Jonny Whitmore Voluntary and Community Advocate (Youth) Dave Willis Social Housing (Chief Executive, Wellingborough Homes)


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Appendix B. How is the Partnership Organised?

To contact us you can write to: Wellingborough Partnership Steering Group

The Borough Council of Wellingborough Swanspool House Doddington Road Wellingborough

NN8 1BP

Email: [email protected] Visit the website: www.wellingborough.gov.uk/lsp

Steering Group

Your Money

Your Skills

Your Health

Your Safety

Your Neighbourhood

Delivery Group Delivery Group

Delivery Group (CSP)

Delivery Group

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