Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

Report of Director of Public Protection, Streetscene and Community (enclosed)

The Head of Health, Environment and Neighbourhoods presented a report to the Group that provided an overview on the neighbourhood working processes that had been adopted by the Council to date. Neighbourhood working was launched in Chorley following a report to Executive Cabinet following an Overview and Scrutiny review into neighbourhood working that was undertaken in 2007.

The accepted recommendations made by that review were implemented and resulted in the establishment of neighbourhood teams, support for working with existing neighbourhood based groups and a funding mechanism to support local initiatives. The new ways of working reinforced the role of the ward Councillor in neighbourhoods and offered support for relatively deprived and poorly organised neighbourhoods.

Neighbourhood profiles were developed that assisted in understanding the issues within the neighbourhoods, that were as diverse as health, housing, depravation indices as well as attempting to map service provision within those areas.

Each year Members undertook an organised tour of their neighbourhood area with Council officers and other agency officers from partner organisations such as Lancashire County Council and housing providers. The tour identified those issues that Members felt needed to be addressed, however little reference to the neighbourhood profiles was made and often the issues determined for resolution predominately related to street scene and infrastructure matters.

In 2012 a review of the neighbourhood working model was instigated by the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods which resulted in a number of changes. The definition of neighbourhood working was approved as “working with our partners to improve the quality of life, health and wellbeing of all our citizens and to improve the environment of the neighbourhoods in which they live”.

Approval was also granted to redraw the boundaries of the neighbourhood areas, increasing their number from seven to eight and it was agreed to improve the level of representation at the twice yearly round of neighbourhood area meetings to include County Council and Parish Council representation. In addition officers from other agencies were included and were individually tailored to each of the neighbourhood meetings.

A process was established that encouraged each neighbourhood area to identify three priorities for delivery in a financial year that were costed and subject to Executive Cabinet approval as part of the annual budget setting process and a set of rules for the conduct of the neighbourhood meetings that included the selection of a Chair and that decisions would be made by consensus as opposed to a more formal voting system.

The Chair of the neighbourhood area meetings have a number of responsibilities that include, the chairing of the twice yearly neighbourhood area meetings (currently January and June each year), liaise with lead officers on behalf of the group to scope predetermined neighbourhood priorities, convene additional meeting of the group to reach consensus on the actions necessary to deliver priorities, to determine with lead officers the proposed cost of delivering each neighbourhood priority, including any on-going recurrent costs and act as a single point of contact for officers and group members alike.

In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.NW.2

Members of the Group will effective scope the review.

Objective

The development of a neighbourhood working footprint that will encouragesustainable engagement with neighbourhoods across Chorley.

Desired Outcomes:

1.     To encourage residents to have the confidence to engage with and deliver projects in their neighbourhoods.

2.     To create a sense of pride for residents across Chorley.

3.     To strengthen existing partner relationships and to establish new ones.

4.     To develop Neighbourhood Action Plans across the borough.

5.     To develop the role of the ward Councillor in neighbourhood working.

Next steps

1.     To consult with existing stakeholders including Parish Councils, County Councillors and representatives from Housing Associations to understand the strength of engagement.

2.     To converse with established community groups on the delivery of successful projects in their neighbourhoods and how to get residents involved.

3.     To understand how the Council’s Civic Pride campaign and programme of campaigns links in to Neighbourhood Working.

4.     To investigate areas of best practice amongst our neighbouring authorities.

The group posed several questions that they wanted to determine during the review that included:

·         Are the Neighbourhood Areas geographically correct?

·         Does the Council require additional meetings to co-ordinate and deliver the neighbourhood priorities that are identified each year?

·         How does the Council identify the differing needs of the communities it serves?

·         Is the Council engaging with the right partners?

·         Is the definition of Neighbourhood Working correct?

·         How are actions and projects communicated?

·         How is Neighbourhood Working promoted across the borough?

These questions would most likely form the basis of the questions to be asked of the various stakeholders.

RESOLVED – That the scoping document be completed and presented to the next meeting of the Group for approval.