Neighbourhood Renewal - Making A Difference Says David Hanson

4 December 2006
NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL - MAKING A DIFFERENCE SAYS DAVID HANSON
Neighbourhood Renewal (NR) is beginning to make a real difference to communities across Northern Ireland, Social Development Minister David Hanson MP said today.
Speaking at the first regional Neighbourhood Renewal conference in Armagh, the Minister revealed that the Department for Social Development had invested over Ł17m in Neighbourhood Renewal areas across Northern Ireland. "This is in addition to the considerable investment by other Government Departments in the 36 Neighbourhood Renewal areas," he said.
Outlining the aims of the Neighbourhood Strategy, Mr Hanson said: "Neighbourhood Renewal is unique and different to anything that government has done before. It is a long term commitment and is based on communities working in partnership with the public, private and political representatives to tackle the real causes of poverty. The short term and uncoordinated approach of the past has to change if we are to make the necessary improvements on the ground.
"Real benefits and improvements will only come if we tackle the core causes of deprivation over a realistic timescale and in a sustained and co-ordinated way. We will only get economic regeneration if we harness and develop the potential of all our people including tackling basic educational problems that exist in many areas."
The Minister said he would expect continued improvement to be made to the quality of life of people living in Northern Ireland's most deprived areas, saying
"Since the launch of the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy in 2003, we have made considerable strides towards making the Neighbourhood Renewal vision of a better life, a reality for many people.
"Over 280,000 people live in NR areas and we need to make sure that they have access to the best possible services and opportunities including the best possible public services. The private sector also has an important role to play in breaking this cycle of deprivation. This investment is the means to create opportunities in local neighbourhoods, generate employment, contribute to and promote the development of sustainable community enterprise. This needs to be done in harmony with the local communities, helping them to look positively to the future."
Making clear his expectations for the future implementation of Neighbourhood Renewal David Hanson went on to say: "I want to see measurable change in the conditions within Neighbourhood Renewal areas. I will expect that the policies being pursued by statutory bodies, and the actions being implemented through the Neighbourhood Renewal action planning process, are making real differences and improvements across these issues and that those core causes of deprivation are being addressed. The impact of our collective work must be able to point to improved outcomes in the quality of life in these neighbourhoods."
The conference was attended by a mix of community, statutory and locally elected representatives from across Northern Ireland's urban neighbourhoods sharing a common ambition to work together to improve lives.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy 'People and Place' can be obtained from the DSD website - www.dsdni.gov.uk
2. The strategic aims of the strategy are to:

develop confident communities that are able and committed to improving the quality of life in their areas;

develop economic activity in the most deprived neighbourhoods and connect them to the wider economy;

improve social conditions for the people who live in the most deprived neighbourhoods through better co-ordinated public services and the creation of safer environments; and

help create attractive, safe, sustainable environments in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

3. Neighbourhood Renewal Areas have been created around the urban areas shown in the official deprivation measures to be among the most disadvantaged 10% of areas in Northern Ireland.
4. The 36 areas identified include 15 in Belfast, 6 in North West and 15 in other towns and cities across Northern Ireland.
5. This is the first Regional Conference for Neighbourhood Renewal.
6. For media enquiries please contact the Information Office 028 9082 8078.

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