24 June 2003
WE MUST IMPROVE LIFE FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES - SPELLAR
It is unacceptable that there are a quarter of a million people living under conditions of deprivation in our towns and cities, John Spellar MP, the Minister with responsibility for Social Development, said today.
The Minister was speaking at the launch in Belfast today of a wide-ranging new strategy for the renewal of the most deprived neighbourhoods in urban areas of Northern Ireland. He said that ‘People and Places, A Strategy For Neighbourhood Renewal’, underlines the Government’s determination to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged communities.
"For many of these people, the cycle of deprivation means that as a child they will have an unhealthy diet, fall behind educationally at the age of two and leave school without any qualifications.
"As an adult, they will face unemployment or poorly paid work and are more likely to suffer mental strain and addiction to prescription drugs or alcohol. In old age they may have to rely on benefits for most if not all of their income and may suffer ill-health due to fuel poverty.
"This is unacceptable and has gone on for too long. We must focus our attention to improve the lives of people who have been blighted by the consequence of social, economic and physical disadvantage associated with where they live."
The Minister said that the vital elements of the Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal would be to:
Target the most acute deprivation by concentrating on the worst 10% urban wards and enumeration districts as measured by the Noble Multiple Deprivation Measure;
Promote partnership with key political, statutory, private, community and voluntary sector organisations in each area;
Commit for the long term;
Adopt an integrated approach;
Improve public services;
Respond to local circumstances.
The Minister signalled a move away from the previous short-term, project-based approach to a longer-term strategy based on well-planned programmes that will work in concert to achieve sustainable renewal. He continued:
"I believe the Strategy can act as a catalyst for the transformation of our most deprived urban areas and provide genuine opportunities for developing the potential of local people, many of whom have suffered the worst effects of more than 30 years of conflict and social exclusion.
"To show my personal commitment I will lead a Ministerial Group to ensure that all of us in Government make Neighbourhood Renewal work."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The publication of the Government’s Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal marks both the end of a long process of research, review and consultation and the beginning of the process of implementation. It builds on work initiated by the Executive in its Programme for Government and taken forward under the Secretary of State’s Building on Progress – Priorities and Plans 2003/06 document. It is underscored by the April 2003 Joint Declaration by the British and Irish Governments which contains a commitment to bring forward a strategic and integrated approach aimed at regenerating areas of greatest disadvantage, particularly those that have suffered the worst impact of the troubles.
In order to make the Strategy a reality Government will:
Target the Most Acute Deprivation – The focus will be on the worst 10% urban wards as measured by the Noble Multiple Deprivation Measure and the worst 10% Enumeration Districts as measured by the Noble Economic Deprivation Measure. This will mean that 1 in 7 of the population in urban areas will be targeted. Primary target areas will form Neighbourhood Renewal Areas.
- - Neighbourhood Partnership Boards representative of the key political, statutory, community / voluntary and private sectors will be identified in each Neighbourhood Renewal Area as the vehicle for local planning and implementation.
Promote Partnership
- - Significant public resources already go into deprived areas. Neighbourhood Renewal cannot be solely an exercise about additionality. A central focus of the Neighbourhood Action Plan will be to maximise the effectiveness of public services and resources. This will involve developing genuine partnerships with, and between, those delivering services, and the communities who rely on them to such an extent. To supplement mainstream funding DSD intends to utilise some of its existing regeneration expenditure and allocate it to support the Strategy. DSD will also endeavour to secure further funds for Neighbourhood Renewal.
Improve Public Services
- – The Strategy will roll out over a 7-10 year period. A Neighbourhood Vision Framework will be developed which sets down the aspirations for each of the Neighbourhood Renewal Areas for this period.
Commit for the Long-Term
- - The Neighbourhood Renewal Frameworks will generate Neighbourhood Action Plans containing integrated community, social, economic and physical programmes covering a 3-year period. These programmes will be delivered by a range of statutory, private and community organisations.
Adopt an Integrated Approach
- – Baseline information will be developed for each Neighbourhood Renewal Area so that progress can be measured from a definitive starting position and best practice disseminated between neighbourhoods and to other areas.
Focus on Results
- - The Strategy does not promote a ‘one solution’ fits all approach. We will work closely with local communities to ensure our approach reflects the specific needs of each community.
Respond to Local Circumstances
This document is the first of several that will collectively map out DSD’s approach to Urban Regeneration and Neighbourhood Renewal. Collectively these documents will be known as People and Place to emphasis their inter- linked nature and common themes. Additional copies of the Strategy Document can be had by contacting the Department’s Neighbourhood Renewal Unit Tel: 028 9056 9282: Fax: 028 9056 9291: E-mail: nru.dsdni.gov.uk
In researching and developing this Strategy, DSD has developed a large body of evidence to support a more focused approach to tackling endemic spatial deprivation. This information is presented as a series of Working Papers that support the rationale for the Strategy. The full family of supporting materials will be hosted on the DSD website www.dsdni.gov.uk
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