Agenda item

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Corporate and Policy regarding the development of neighbourhood management in Halton up to and beyond the end of Government funding in March 2010.

Members noted that neighbourhood management was designed to help close the gap between the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of the Borough with regards to health, education, employment and crime. It sought to take a different approach to those taken previously with the aim of working with residents and partners in order to change service delivery mechanisms to reflect the requirements of the local community.

            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 2005 Index of Multiple Deprivation. Although the funding had been for one area, the Council had been able to stretch it across three: Central Widnes; Hallwood Park and Palacefields; and Castlefields and Windmill Hill. Since April 2008, this funding had been part of Halton’s Area Based Grant allocation, which continued until March 2010.

            Further information relating to Government funding and guidance; the evaluation of the national neighbourhood management pathfinder programme; achievements so far; and future development were outlined within the report for Members’ consideration. It was noted that the Neighbourhood Management Board had reviewed progress at an awayday in July 2008 and a full progress report had been presented to the Corporate Services Policy and Performance Board in September 2008.

            The Executive Board was requested to confirm the Council’s support for the continuation of neighbourhood management for the duration of the current funding, and to support the key areas of future work agreed by the partnership outlined in the report. This work would form the basis for subsequent consideration of the future for neighbourhood arrangements in Halton after April 2010. In terms of Area Forums, it was noted that these performed a different and complementary function and it was recommended that these be retained with their funding arrangements unaltered.

            In considering the report, the following issues were discussed/noted:

• the role of Members in relation to neighbourhood management;

• the work already being carried out by the Council in hard-to-reach areas and the need for other agencies to co-ordinate a similar approach;

• the fact that those Wards not covered by neighbourhood management would not benefit directly from this funding despite having pockets of deprivation. However, it was noted that it had previously been decided that the funding on offer by the Government be taken up and utilised and, if the Council decided that it was worth rolling the initiative out throughout the Borough, the implications be considered at that time. In the meantime, a number of projects that had originated in neighbourhood management areas, such as the men’s health programme, had been successfully implemented across the Borough.

RESOLVED: That

(1)               the Halton Neighbourhood Management Partnership develop a detailed business case for Neighbourhood Management after 2010 and the Corporate Services Policy and Performance Board review this;

(2)               the Council supports the continuation of present Neighbourhood Management arrangements at least until March 2010; and

(3)               it is confirmed that the Council will retain and fund Area Forums under any future arrangements.