Lawrence Weston Community Economic Development Plan April 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Lawrence Weston Community Economic Development Plan April 2016 Produced by Karl Belizaire, Social Enterprise Works, Bristol Ambition Lawrence Weston CED Plan 2016 1 Lawrence Weston Community Economic Development Plan Contents 1. Introduction Pg 3 2. Context Pg 4 3. Outcomes Pg 8 4. Engagement Pg 13 5. Planned activities Pg 16 6. Resources Pg 26 7. Timetable Pg 29 Ambition Lawrence Weston CED Plan 2016 2 1. Introduction Communities Minister Stephen Williams announced a new £6 million funding boost to the Community Rights programme on 17 February 2015, this boost was aimed at giving even more people greater control and influence over what happens locally. Ambition Lawrence Weston is one of fifty communitiesthat have received support to develop economic plans to address local economic priorities like job creation and enterprise. As part of this programme, Ambition Lawrence Weston commissioned Karl Belizaire of Social Enterprise Works in Bristol to research and write this Community Economic Development Plan. The Plan incorporates and builds upon several existing strategic local plans, including the Lawrence Weston Community Plan; the Lawrence Weston Neighbourhood Development Plan and Lawrence Weston Big Local Plan. Priorities for the Lawrence Weston Community Economic Development plan have been derived from a combination of key stakeholder consultations; existing plan and needs analysis and exploring the feasibility for sustainable economic activities. This CED plan is a working document, and will evolve as initiatives take further shape. What is Community Economic Development? The Community Economic Development (CED) programme is a new initiative designed for local community groups and organisations who want to take a lead in shaping their economies for the benefit of local communities. CED gives people the opportunity to shape how their economy develops. The approach recognises that local economies are characterised by the relationships and activities which everyone faces, based around where you live, work and play. CED is being led by Co-operatives UK and delivered in partnership with New Economics Foundation, Locality, Community Development Foundation and the Community Development Finance Association. Ambition Lawrence Weston CED Plan 2016 3 2. Context Geographicarea Lawrence Weston is a post war housing estate in north-west Bristol between Henbury and Shirehampton. The estate is bounded in the east by the Blaise Castle estate and woods. It is situated at the edge of the Severn flood plain, directly beneath the wooded Kingsweston Hill. The industrial complex and port of Avonmouth is a mile or so west, across the flood plain. Lawrence Weston forms part of the city ward of Kingsweston. Lawrence Weston has a strong physical identity, but struggled to develop independent community identity, due to a variety of factors, including council housing control, faith schools and that the Boundary Commission refusal to accept the case for a stand-alone Lawrence Weston ward. Lawrence Weston (LW) is a place where people live, but not necessarily where they work (learn) or play (shop, leisure, other interests). Lawrence Weston is a great place to live because it has: A long standing community and newly arrived residents working together to improve the neighbourhood; A fantastic community farm; Access to greenspace, wildlife and nature; Facilities for older residents including lunch clubs, walking groups and health services; A community newsletter and website; Its own Community Transport scheme; Access to jobs in nearby Avonmouth and good proximity to the motorway;A real sense of community – a place where people look after one another. “Lawrence Weston is a friendly and vibrant neighbourhood where the word community really matters!” – Local resident Howeverthere are not enough opportunities locally, there is a bad mix of housing that has led to a transient population; there is a lack of recreational facilities and socialising; there is no shopping retail heart to LW; and there is a negative perception of the area (internally and externally).Additionallyas Bristol City Council resources become increasingly stretched, and home ownership shifts towards a more private model, there is likely to be a shift in the future identity of Lawrence Weston. Ambition Lawrence Weston CED Plan 2016 4 Location profile The Ambition Lawrence Weston Location Profile uses the wards Avonmouth and Kingsweston as the geographical area, in which we can access data and statistics about the community area. We can provide an overview of the community area by using a series of key indicators that score an area against the average for the country - this provides an illustration of the area’s relative strengths and weaknesses. Source: ABI (2009); Census (2011); Business Register and Employment Survey (2013); LA Summaries ID (2010); DFT accessibility statistics (2011) In terms of measures of relative deprivation, both wards are above the national average, and both wards have the opportunity to reap the benefits of a wide range of services and proficient use of public transport. The state of the business base in the local area gives an indication of the vitality of the local economy, as well as an insight into the levels of entrepreneurship in the community. Information taken from the ABI indicates that Avonmouth has almost double the number of SMEs and larger businesses that the West of England, however by comparison the Avonmouth and Kingsweston wards have rather lower levels of self-employment than the rest of the region. There are a number of statistics associated with the labour market for an area, specifically looking at the levels of employment and unemployment in the area. The health of the labour market in a particular area should be seen in the context of wider employment trends over time. The most alarming highlight from these figures show that Avonmouth and Kingsweston wards have over double the number of claimantsreceiving Job SeekersAllowance than the proportionate population of Bristol and over 3 times the rate than the West of England. Ambition Lawrence Weston CED Plan 2016 5 Benefits: Unemp: C- Unemp: Job C- C- C- rate Labour LT (1yr+) Area Name seekers Employment Employment Unemployment (CC) Market (January (Nov (FT) (2011) (PT) (2011) (2011) (January (2011) 2015) 2012) 2015) Avonmouth 42.44 55.88 23.24 76.35 5.5 21.84 2.6 Kingsweston 45.94 48.68 23.81 69.82 6.77 26.04 3 Bristol 19.65 52.46 21.53 69.73 4.87 22.04 2 West of 13.76 55 24.06 75.13 4.05 22.03 1.41 England South West 12.04 56.05 25.53 78.38 4.02 20.28 1.2 Source: Claimant count (2013) We can use data on qualification attainment to look at the skills of the people who are living in the community area. Data from the 2011 Census show that the Avonmouth and Kingsweston wards have significantly less residents achieving University equivalent education, and proportionately higher levels of people with no qualifications at all. Source: Census (2011) This statistical dataof the location profile, highlights the highlevels of unemployment in the Lawrence Weston Area twinned with low levels of educational attainment, which creates a Ambition Lawrence Weston CED Plan 2016 6 challenging environment to develop a strong local economy, underlining the much needed work of organisations like Ambition Lawrence Weston. Ambition Lawrence Weston Ambition Lawrence Weston (ALW) is a charitable organisation with residents at the driving seat. It is working in partnership with public, private and voluntary sector organisations to make Lawrence Weston a better place. ALW strives to ensure that local residents can access quality and sustainable jobs, services and shops; Can benefit from high quality education and training throughout their lives; Can enjoy modern community, leisure and art facilities; Can look after their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing with access to high quality and appropriate services and support; Will have secure access to adequate amounts of affordable, safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate foods; Understand their rights and are empowered to make choices to improve their own lives; Have access to safe and well-maintained green spaces and are actively involved in their upkeep; Enjoy an environment which is looked after, safe and clean; Can access healthy, sustainable and affordable homes for all stages of life; Can travel safely on well-connected and affordable routes; Feel part of a community which supports and looks after one another and is welcoming and inclusive; Collectively celebrate the heritage and identity of the neighbourhood and plan carefully for its future; Have a strong voice and can be at the heart of decision making locally. Since incorporating in 2012, and becoming a registered charity in 2013, ALW hassecured the future of Lawrence Weston Youth Centre from closure, which provides a dedicated community hub. It also successfullysecured £1 million of funding from the Local Trust managed by Big Local Lottery fund. ALW facilitates the“Lawrence Weston Community Network” – a network that brings together all of the 45+ organisations (public and voluntary) in Lawrence Weston to encourage information sharing and joint projects and initiatives. ALW also facilitates the Lawrence Weston Neighbourhood Planning Group, the Local Authority’s recognised planning forum which it set up to deal with all planning and land use issues in Lawrence Weston. The Planning Group are soon to go to referendum with its Neighbourhood Development Plan. Additionally, ALW supports a number of smaller groups and individual residents to come together to tackle issues within the neighbourhood. Ambition Lawrence Weston CED Plan 2016 7 3. Outcomes The overall outcomes for the CED activities reflect the objectives, vision and purpose of ALW as a resident led development organisation with a mission to improve the lives and wellbeing of residents in the local area. The process of developing this CED plan has provided an excellent opportunity to further refine, reflect and take fresh perspective upon the social, economic and environmental needs of residents of Lawrence Weston.