Agenda and minutes

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director – Corporate and Policy on Neighbourhood Management.

Members were advised that since 2006 Halton had received Government funding to develop neighbourhood management in those areas of the Borough that fell within the 3% most deprived under the 2004 Index of Multiple Deprivation. Since April 2008 this had been part of Halton’s area based grant allocation, and was to continue until March 2010.

The Board received a presentation from Councillor Swain, Executive Member for Quality and Performance Portfolio and Mr N. Mannion, Neighbourhood Director which detailed:

·        a brief overview of the Government’s expectations and key objectives, and that emphasised set out that neighbourhood management was designed to help close the gap between the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of the Borough, with regard to health, education, employment and crime;

·        how and why the three ‘pilot’ neighbourhoods were chosen. The three pilot areas were Central Widnes, Hallwood Park and Palacefields and Castlefields and Windmill Hill;

·        how the Halton Neighbourhood Management Partnership was structured and operated;

·        Halton’s approach to developing Neighbourhood Management including how the Government funding had been used;

·        the key tools and techniques being utilised. A number of examples of how using these had worked in the pilot areas, including the Men’s health project, Runcorn Subways and Hallwood Park Bingo Sessions; and

·        the future challenges and opportunities for Neighbourhood Management.

In particular Members were advised of the funding profile over the four years of the project and that the guidance issued by the Government on the use of funding suggested that the majority of funding should be utilised on the employment of a Neighbourhood Management Team with a relatively small proportion remaining to be used to fund a local Community Chest for small grants for local community groups.

It was noted that Halton had only employed a small team of five staff in comparison with other neighbouring authorities who had used in the region of 80% of their budget on staffing costs. About 55% of the funding had been utilised for staffing costs with the rest being used to buy in services from partners by way of service level agreements, to find a small portfolio of larger interventions and the Neighbourhood Quick Response Fund.

 Members were advised that the next steps of the Initiative would be to complete an evaluation of the impact of larger interventions, negotiate the inclusion of local targets in Halton’s Local Area  Agreement, explore options as part of a business case to sustain Neighbourhood Management beyond 2010 and continue to increase residents’ involvement.

Members raised a number of questions, which were answered as follows:

·        what the cost implications of extending and expanding neighbourhood management to the next most deprived wards and what the exit strategy would be.  It was noted that a strong business case would need to be developed and options would be submitted to the Board for scrutiny before a final decision would be made on future arrangements;

·        if any other companies, as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.