North East Community Assembly Report
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6 NORTH EAST COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY REPORT Report of: North East Community Assembly Manager ______________________________________________________________ Date: October 26th 2011 ______________________________________________________________ Subject: North East Assembly Community Plan 2011-12 ______________________________________________________________ Author of Report: Vicky Williams, 0114 203 7583 ______________________________________________________________ Summary: Attached at Appendix A is a detailed draft North East Assembly Community Plan, which builds on the 2010-11 Community Plan and bring in a number of new issues and actions. The Plan lists some of the new or extra things which the North East Assembly will do or help make happen, in order to meet local needs. The Plan includes detailed plans for the four wards within the Assembly area, Southey, Shiregreen/Brightside, Firth Park and Burngreave. _____________________________________________________________ Reasons for Recommendations: The priorities and issues set out in the draft 2011-12 North East Community Plan are based on information from a range of sources, including: consultation with local people at 6 community events across the area in Spring/Summer 2011 postal surveys carried out in Spring/Summer 2011 discussion with the Partner Panel in September 2011 feedback from quarterly public meetings held in all four wards statistical data Recommendations: 1 Having regard to the Sheffield City Strategy and to the relevant Secretary of State’s guidance, the North East Community Assembly is recommended to: (1) adopt the North East Assembly Community Plan, as set out in Appendix A; (2) confirms its belief that the adoption of the Community Plan is likely to achieve the promotion and improvement of the economic, social and environmental well-being of residents of the wards of Southey, Shiregreen/Brightside, Firth Park and Burngreave. ____________________________________________________________ Background Papers: North East Assembly Draft Community Plan 2011-12 (Appendix A) Category of Report: OPEN 2 Statutory and Council Policy Checklist Financial Implications YES Cleared by: Legal Implications YES Cleared by: Equality of Opportunity Implications YES Cleared by: Tackling Health Inequalities Implications YES Human rights Implications NO: Environmental and Sustainability implications YES Economic impact YES Community safety implications YES Human resources implications NO Property implications NO Area(s) affected North East Community Assembly Area Relevant Cabinet Portfolio Leader Cllr Mick Rooney Relevant Scrutiny Committee if decision called in Is the item a matter which is reserved for approval by the City Council? YES/NO Press release YES/NO 3 REPORT TITLE North East Assembly Community Plan 2011-12 1.0 SUMMARY 1.1 Attached at Appendix A is a detailed draft North East Assembly Community Plan, which builds on the 2010-11 Community Plan and bring in a number of new issues and actions. The Plan lists some of the new or extra things which the North East Assembly will do or help make happen, in order to meet local needs. The Plan includes detailed plans for the four wards within the Assembly area, Southey, Shiregreen/Brightside, Firth Park and Burngreave. 2.0 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SHEFFIELD PEOPLE 2.1 The development of Community Assemblies, each with their own annual Community Plan, allows local people to highlight issues which are important to them in their local area. The Plan provides a clear mechanism for ‘grass roots’ issues to be brought to the attention of Councillors, Council officers and partners, so that action can be taken, and these issues can be incorporated into the plans and activities of local service providers. 2.2 Section 11 below sets out how the views and needs of local people have informed the North East Assembly Community Plan 2011-12, based on the reaffirmed priorities of : Clean, tidy, greener ‘streets to be proud of’ Improved Parks and open spaces Community support and people getting on together More things for children and young people to do Neighbourhoods where people feel safe Improved roads and transport Improved housing and the built environment Reducing health inequalities Getting people into work and out of poverty Raising educational attainment and aspiration. 3.0 OUTCOMES AND SUSTAINABILITY 3.1 Community Assemblies were introduced in Sheffield in 2009, as a way of increasing the number of residents who feel they can influence local decision-making, and who feel satisfied with their local areas. 3.2 The draft Community Plan, attached at Appendix A, contributes 4 directly to two of the four main priorities of the Council: Supporting and protecting communities Focussing on jobs and, additionally, contributes to the proposed priority outcomes for the City Council in the new Corporate Plan, particularly: Better Health & Wellbeing Successful Young People Tackling Poverty and Increasing Social Justice An Environmentally Responsible City Great Places to Live 4.0 FULL PROPOSAL 4.1 The North East Assembly has produced an annual Community Plan each October since 2009. This third Community Plan builds upon the previous two, by re-affirming the broad priorities which local people identified, and by setting out new or continuing actions and activities to meet these priorities. The draft Plan at Appendix A sets out detailed actions, including ward plans, which contribute to these priorities. 4.2 The draft Community Plan attached and the accompanying ward plans are public documents which can be widely distributed in public places and at events. When the Plan is approved, a more detailed Plan will be produced, which will be used by the City Council, partners and agencies to track delivery. 4.3 We realise that we need to work continually on reaching different groups in our area, so for this Assembly Plan we have made additional efforts to reach different communities of interest. In the refreshing the current Plan, we have particularly sought to hear the concerns of older people, via an Age UK survey, younger unemployed people from black minority ethnic communities attending a jobs fair in Burngreave, and children and young people from the Stubbin Community Association. 5.0 Financial Implications 5.1 Each Assembly has a Discretionary Budget, to support activity which fulfils the Community Plan. In 2011 -12, the North East Assembly Discretionary Budget is £468,000. The majority of this year’s Discretionary Budget funding was allocated by the Community Assembly at the meeting on 27th April 2011. A separate report on this agenda sets out how the remainder of the funding will be used to support the Community Plan. 6.0 Legal Implications 5 6.1 The duties of the North East Community Assembly, set out in the Constitution of the Council, include drawing up and implementing a Community Plan. 6.2 The implementation of many of the proposals in the Plan will rely on the availability of the statutory powers to promote economic, social and environmental well-being contained in Section 2, Local Government Act 2000. If the Community Assembly takes the view that the funding of the types of activity included in the Plan is likely to achieve the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental well- being of the Assembly’s area or any persons present or resident within it, the Council will have the power to make this funding available pursuant to Section 2. It would be helpful for the Assembly to express its view on this. 6.3 In exercising this power, the guidance issued by the Secretary of State has to have been considered. The proposals in this report are not at variance with this guidance. 6.4 In exercising the Section 2 power regard must also be had to the Council's Sustainable Community Strategy ("the Sheffield City Strategy 2010 - 2020") prepared pursuant to Section 1, Local Government Act 2000. The proposed plan will complement the City Strategy in helping to fulfil the following Key Ambitions: Distinctive - contributing to the diverse and distinctive character of local communities, who develop their own solutions and enjoy thriving local centres. Inclusive – where people’s voices are heard and their choices respected, with strong and accessible local democracy and active local citizens. Sustainable – well maintained, accessible parks and open spaces, where people, families and communities enjoy high quality and sustainable lifestyles. 7.0 Community Safety Implications 7.1 The North East Community Assembly Plan links closely with the three Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) plans, which are produced for the Police’s Safer Neighbourhood Areas in the Assembly area. 8.0 Equality of Opportunity Implications 8.1 .The North East Community Plan has been developed with a specific intention to benefit all the varying neighbourhoods and the people who live in the area. An Equality Impact Assessment was completed in October 2010 and we will review and update this Equality Impact Assessment for our Community Plan. 6 9.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED 9.1 The North East Assembly has received over 240 specific suggestions for issues and options for action this year. The Community Plan contains, as far a possible, a digest of the important issues raised in the North East Assembly area, plus actions to address these. We have not excluded any major issues highlighted by statistical data, local consultation or Members’ views. 10.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS 10.1 The priorities and issues set out in the draft 2011-12 North East Community