Return
to Agenda
DRAFT
ITEM CG7
EXECUTIVE
– 16 MARCH 2004
OXFORDSHIRE
COMMUNITY STRATEGY
Report
by Head of Sustainable Development
- Introduction
Part
1 of the Local Government Act 2000 places on local authorities
a duty to prepare a community strategy for promoting or improving
the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area,
and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development
in the UK. This report outlines the response to consultation on
the draft Community Strategy for Oxfordshire prepared by the Oxfordshire
Community Partnership. The draft Strategy has been sent to all
members of the Council.
- Background
A
community strategy must have 4 key components:
- A long-term
vision for the area, focusing on the outcomes that are to be
achieved;
- An action
plan identifying shorter-term priorities and activities that
will contribute to the achievement of long-term outcomes;
- A shared
commitment to implement the action plan and proposals for doing
so;
- Arrangements
for monitoring the implementation of the action plan, for periodically
reviewing the community strategy, and for reporting progress
to local communities.
The
government believes that the most effective way of ensuring
the commitment of other organisations is for local authorities
to work with other bodies through a local strategic partnership
(LSP). This brings together at a local level the different parts
of the public sector as well as the private, business, community
and voluntary sectors so that different initiatives and services
support each other and work together
LSPs
will increasingly be the key bodies for a range of initiatives,
including:
- Preparation
of the community strategy
- Local
Public Service Agreements – agreeing local priorities for inclusion
in local PSAs, through which local authorities commit to particularly
demanding performance targets in return for grants and operation
flexibilities
- Co-ordination
and rationalisation of existing partnerships and their activities
- Co-ordinating
partnerships for new initiatives, and
- Providing
a forum for debate and co-operative decision-making and sharing
of local information and best practice.
- The structure of
the Oxfordshire Community Partnership
The
Oxfordshire Community Partnership (OCP) is the Countywide Local
Strategic Partnership for the area and was established in February
2002. The partnership is chaired by Professor Graham Upton (Vice-Chancellor
Oxford Brookes University) and the Leader of the County Council
is its Vice-Chairman.
The
structure of the partnership consists of:
- The Oxfordshire
Community Partnership Forum – over 120 stakeholders meet once
a year and act as the consultative arm of the partnership. Anyone
can join the forum and contribute to the work of the partnership.
- The OCP
Steering group – this acts as the strategic development and
co-ordinating arm of the partnership and meets three times a
year (membership is shown at Annex
2).
- OCP ambition
groups – ambition groups have been established in the 8 priority
areas and these are the drivers for the achievement of the priorities
in the community strategy.
- OCP ambition
group facilitators network – the chairs of the ambition groups
meet every 2 months to discuss cross cutting issues and to identify
areas for partnership working.
- Oxfordshire Community
Partnership Priorities
Building
on the work involved in preparing the ‘Issues Paper’, the partnership
has identified through various means of consultation 8 priorities
in which to focus its work. These are:
- Affordable
Housing
- Safe and
Supportive Communities
- Transport
- Economy
- Recreation,
Culture and Leisure
- Environment
- Education
and Lifelong Learning
- Health
and well-being
The
Partnership agreed that work is focused firstly in the 3 priority
areas (the top priorities voted by the Oxfordshire Community
Partnership Forum), which are:
- Safe and
Supportive Communities
- Affordable
Housing
- Transport
Although
the eight ambitions highlight areas for action, everyone recognises
that there are other key things that play a part. These are:
- IT:
widening access to IT and Broadband communications
- Community
Development: enabling everyone to participate in public
decision making and increasing the strength of community life
- Social
Inclusion: reaching out to ensure everyone is included
- Rural
and Urban Aspects of Oxfordshire: balancing the needs of
rural communities with the needs of towns
- Children
and Young People: ensuring children and young people are
consulted on issues, which directly affect them, or might affect
them, in the future
These
have been identified as key issues, which cut across each of
the ambitions, and all of the ambition groups have been asked
to consider these issues in developing their areas of work.
3.1 Ambition
groups
The
drivers for the achievement of the priorities in the Community
Strategy are the ambition groups. Ambition groups provide
the focus for OCP activity. Where possible existing partnership
groups have been integrated into the OCP by becoming a part
of the relevant ambition group or by becoming the ambition
group itself. In some new instances new groups have had
to be formed.
Existing
groups that have taken on the role of ambition groups:
Education
and lifelong learning – Oxfordshire Learning Partnership
Economy
– Oxfordshire Economic Partnership
Environment
– Oxfordshire Environment Group
Health
and well-being – Chief Executives’ Board
Recreation,
Culture and Leisure – Oxford Inspires
New
groups have been developed around:
Affordable
housing
Transport
Safe
and Supportive Communities
3.2. Key
areas of Oxfordshire Community Partnership’s work
In
preparing the draft strategy the Partnership has been involved
in a number of key areas of work since its establishment.
For example:
- Establishment
of ambition groups and clear remit
- Establishment
of the OCP forum in June 2002 – consulting on the priorities
for OCP
- Targeted
consultation work with young people, older people and ethnic
minority groups
- Affordable
housing workshop held in July 2003
- OCP
forum 2003 – the forum is consulted on the priorities of
the ambition groups
- Action
for Safer communities conference held in October 2003
The
Partnership is working towards the following timetable:
- Consultation
on the draft community strategy from 19 January
until 1 March
- OCP
steering group on 15 March to analyse the consultation results
- OCP
forum 13 May – last phase of the consultation before the
strategy is officially launched in June
- 15
June - Oxfordshire County Council formally adopts the strategy
- End
of June – the strategy launched
- Current Consultation
on the draft community strategy
We
have developed 2 primary consultation mechanisms:
- The summary
version which outlines:
- The
8 ambitions and the key priorities within each one
- The
feedback form and the opportunity for people to get further
involved in the work of the partnership
- The longer
version which outlines:
- Some
of the key problems faced by Oxfordshire
- 8
ambitions outlining the key priorities within these
- Some
of the ambition group actions
- Key
facts relating to the priority areas
- Information
on the partnership
- How
people can get involved
- Quality
of life indicators
- Feedback
form
5.1 Mechanisms
for consulting and consultees
Consultation
on the draft strategy runs from 19 January until 1 March.
In accordance with good practice guidelines, Oxfordshire
Community Partnership has developed a wide-ranging consultation
programme to consult on the draft strategy. The consultation
programme has been designed to ensure that a cross-section
of stakeholders have been consulted.
Consultees:
- OCP
forum members (150+ private, voluntary, community and public
sector organisations)
- OCP
Steering group
- OCP
Ambition groups
- OCC
Cllrs
- OCC
Directors and key officers
- OCC
All Users – e-mail alert
- District
council LSP contacts
- District
Council Chief Executives
|
|
- Business/development/tourism
sector
- OCVA
members
- Town
and Parish Councils
- Libraries
- One
stop shops/community centres
- Doctors/dentists
surgeries
- Ethnic
minority reference group
- Faith
community
- Health
and Well-being Network
|
Methods
used included the following:
- Full/summary
versions of the draft strategy are available
- Available
to download and comment online via the Oxfordshire County
Council website
- Targeted
consultation exercises with the County Older People’s Panel
and the Ethnic Minority Reference Group
- Formal
Council Process
- Spired
Website (Oxfordshire Youth Services Website)
|
|
- OCC
Countywide magazine
- The
Post (OCC internal newsletter)
- Chamber
of Commerce Newsletter
- Press
release
- Oxford
Times
- Radio
interviews
- OCVA
newsletter
- Town
and Parish Councils Newsletter
|
Feedback
is coming in via:
- The
on-line consultation form
- OCC
freepost address
- Specific
OCP e-mail address
5.2 Level
of responses to date
At
the writing of this report the consultation had only recently
opened. The results will be reported at the meeting.
However,
to date 38 responses have been received via the on-line
form and the freepost address. The table at Annex 1
(download as .rtf file)
details the responses in more detail.
Some
of the key issues raised so far are around:
- The
majority of consultees agree with the 8 priorities that
are outlined in the draft strategy
- Consultees
are supportive of the transport and affordable housing ambition
- There
needs to be a reference needed to people with disabilities
- Climate
change
- No
mention of where local environmental groups can buy into
the strategy
- No
mention of road safety
5.3 Next
steps:
The
consultation on the draft strategy finishes on the 1 March.
The OCP Steering Group will meet on the 15 March to analyse
the results from the consultation exercise and discuss any
amendments that need to be made to the draft as a result.
The
Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee is considering the
consultation responses on 4 March and any comments on its
part will be reported at the meeting.
The
OCP forum will meet on the 13 May as the last phase of the
consultation, where forum members will be given the opportunity
to feedback their views on the draft.
The
strategy will be amended as a result of the consultation
and a final draft will be launched at the end of June.
- RECOMMENDATIONS
The
Executive is RECOMMENDED to consider the outcomes of the consultation
exercise together with any comments from the Corporate Governance
Scrutiny Committee and, subject thereto:
- subject
to (b) below, recommend the Council formally to adopt
the Strategy;
- authorise
the Chief Executive, in consultation with Leader &
Deputy Leader of the Council and the Chairman of the Oxfordshire
Community Partnership Steering Group, to make any textual
amendments to the draft taking account of the views expressed
at the Forum in May.
CHRIS
COUSINS
Head
of Sustainable Development
Background
Papers: Nil
Contact
Officer: Claire Evans, Oxfordshire Community Partnership Manager
(01865 816077)
February 2004
Return to TOP
|