Community deals to solve local problems

Adam Branson, Regeneration & Renewal, 16 May 2008

Sue Ebery and Ruth Reeves

Q: Why are the agreements required? Don't local public services already have targets?

A: It's a way of helping residents understand who is responsible for which service and having a single document that details what is expected of each provider. We have a three-tier local government system in Staffordshire, so people understandably get confused as to who is responsible for what. But the agreements are also a way of identifying local issues that need attention. We've been running two pilot projects for the last 18 months, one in a former mining town and the other with a rural community. In the former mining community, people were concerned about the condition of alleyways that run between houses, so a key priority was sorting out the lighting and graffiti in the alleys.

Q: What systems do you use to measure whether targets are being met?

A: We commissioned consultancy MRUK at the start of the project to survey residents about what they feel about their environment and the standard of local services. MRUK will repeat the survey every two years and report on progress. Our environmental services team will carry out similar regular audits of the standard of green spaces, and residents are conducting their own audits of their local areas as well.

Q. What action is taken if service providers fail to meet the standards required of them?

A: There is no system in place to punish failing service providers, but we want the agreements to act as a catalyst for renewing interest in local democracy. Councillors are heavily involved in the agreements, and if they or their constituents feel that a service provider is not meeting targets then it's for the councillor to say: 'Hey, what's going on here?' We want the agreements to help build stronger relationships between residents and elected representatives.

Q: How do you ensure that the priorities identified in the agreements genuinely represent the view of the community as a whole, rather than a handful of active residents?

A: There are certainly always some people who like attending meetings! So, in addition to public consultation events, we use information from the MRUK research, which is based on views from a randomly selected group of residents. We're also developing a website for the project as a way of interacting with residents.

THE PANEL

Questions were composed with help from Sharon Clarke, town centre manager for Worthing, and Alan Dean, housing customer services manager at housing association Severnside Housing.

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If you know of an innovative scheme that merits closer scrutiny, email Adam Branson at adam.branson@haymarket.com