Hyndburn FIRST Ltd

The Mechanics of a Local Strategic

Partnership

Nigel Rix

Rix Regeneration

(former Director, Hyndburn FIRST)

Health Housing Education Training Economic Development Transport Environment Community Safety Town Planning Social Care

HYNDBURN, East Lancashire, Northern England

Late 1990s view of the dyeing works –deprivation and disconnection

Public services disjointed and under performing

PUBLIC SERVICES IN ENGLAND

Unwieldy governance built on tiers

National

Regional

County

Multi-District

District/Borough/City

Neighbourhood

UK Gov Departments

Regional Dev Agency and Gov. Office

County Council e.g.Ed, Social Care

Health Trusts, Regeneration

District Councils e.g.Housing, Planning

N. Management Agency

Local Strategic Partnership

Joining up loose threads locally

•Political leaders

•Strategic decision makers

•Business leaders

•Regional agencies

•Police Commander

•Fire Chief

•Resident reps

•Voluntary sector reps

•Religious leaders

•Youth Councillors

What is a Local Strategic Partnership?

A non-statutory, non-executive organisation without earmarked funding

Embracing public, private, community and voluntary sectors Borough wide remit LSPs “will bring together key organisations to identify communities’ top priorities and address them” Strategic decision makers but close to communities

Government experiment imposed on councils in 88 most deprived English districts in 2001

LSP’s 4 “Core Tasks”set by Government

Prepare and implement a Community Strategy, keep track of progress and keep it up to date

Provide a forum to bring together and streamline local plans, partnerships and initiatives

Develop and deliver a Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy contributing to national targets to tackle deprivation

Develop and monitor local Public Service Agreements and targets to ensure a minimum level of basic services

Track record in public/private joint ventures

Hyndburn FIRST Ltd. Regeneration Agency/potential LSP

Company limited by guarantee - Sept 2000

Service contract with HBC - £1m per annum“Hyndburn’s Regeneration Agency”

The Globe Centre

Transformation of redundant textile engineering works.

30 businesses

1000 employees

500 new jobs

£8m asset value to fund further investment

Multi-sector partnership board

Hyndburn FIRST – Adaptation, assessment, accreditation!

Hyndburn FIRST unanimously endorsed as “emerging Local Strategic Partnership” subject to

adaptation of Board to ensure inclusivity - 30 persons

Hyndburn FIRST Board engaging in developing Community Strategy and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund approvals

Self assessment required by Government December 2001 Hyndburn FIRST LSP “accredited” by Government - Feb 2002

12 Thematic working groups

LSP Talking Shop or Workshop?!

Action Focus to Meet Local Needs

Sure Start Child and Family Centre

Community Health Centre (LIFT)

Business Park with knowledge based industries

Neighbourhood Wardens

Town Centre Shopping and Market Development

Cinema/Bowl/Drive-Thru

Neighbourhood Regeneration

Hyndburn FIRST - An LSP Pilot but flying where?

Summer 2003 HF Performance Management Pilot

“To monitor progress across the partnership in implementing locally agreed priorities and targets”

Indicators re “Partnership effectiveness, added value and actions for improvement”

Growing concern that LSP is a tool of Government bureaucracy and without the powers and resources to co-ordinate and deliver a step change in local life

Financial and legal capacity essential to HF delivering added value February 2004 Proposed evaluation of staff transfer from Hyndburn Council to Hyndburn FIRST Ltd but for local authorities a step too far

LSP Limitations andlessons

Challenge to community leadership role of local authorities Elective v. participative democracy Monitoring not delivering Discussing not developing Process rather than proaction Culture clashes and conflicts of interest Government recognition of LSPs inconsistent Local partnerships not streamlined Concern re Hyndburn FIRST – the LSP Leviathan! But LSPs non-executive, non-statutory and not funded!

LSPs and Sustainable Communities – the national picture

Marked growth for South East and South Midlands

Doubling Daventry by Development Corporation!

Housing Market Renewal to transform low demand neighbourhoods in North and Midlands

New Partnerships and delivery vehicles

Local Area Agreements – 20 pilots

Local authorities asserting community leadership role

But Local Strategic Partnerships have not been built into the development and delivery processes

Paramount need for co-ordinated delivery of public services and economic development at local level

LSPs – The future? Integration and trust key to sustainable communities

• LSPs a precarious addition to a fragmented pattern of local governance

• LSPs should be integrated, empowered and resourced by Government to co-ordinate service improvement and community and economic development

• LSPs should be empowered to hold to account service providers for delivery of Community Strategy

• LSPs must be accountable to the public and elected councils