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ITEM EX6

EXECUTIVE – 16 MARCH 2004

OXFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY STRATEGY

Report by Head of Sustainable Development

1. Part I 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 (OCP). The draft Strategy has been sent to all members of the Council.

Background

2. 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.

3. 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
4. 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.

5. The 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.
6. 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 1).
• 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.

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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.

Ambition groups

11. 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

Key areas of Oxfordshire Community Partnership’s work

12. 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

13. 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

14. We have developed 2 primary consultation mechanisms:
    
    

1. 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

b. 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

15. 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.

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

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

• The on-line consultation form
• OCC freepost address
• Specific OCP e-mail address

16. At the writing of this report the consultation had only recently opened. The results will be reported at the meeting.
17. However, to date 38 responses have been received via the on-line form and the freepost address. The table at Annex 2 (download as .rtf file) details the responses in more detail.
18. 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

19. The consultation on the draft strategy finishes on the 1 March. The OCP Steering Group will meet on 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. The strategy will be amended as a result of the consultation and a final draft will be launched at the end of June.

RECOMMENDATIONS

23. 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:

1. subject to (b) below, recommend the Council formally to adopt the Strategy;
2. 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

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