Agenda item

The Cabinet considered a report of the Corporate Director of Regeneration, Economy and Growth which provided an update on the community engagement review project, in particular proposals for the governance, funding, and branding arrangements to replace Area Action Partnerships with a Local Network model.

The report also provided an update on the outcomes of the Local Network Boundary consultation exercise and sought approval on proposals to change the current 14 Area Action Partnership (AAP) boundaries to create 12 new Local Networks (for copy of report see file of minutes).

Councillor C Lines, representing Sedgefield Division, asked a question with regards to proposal to link Sedgefield and Newton Aycliffe and that there was an imbalance in the size of the two settlements which could impact funding allocation due to representation on the Local Network Panel.  He was not satisfied that his concerns had been addressed and asked the Cabinet for reassurance that there were robust safeguards in place to prevent a single area from benefitting from Local Network Funding.

Councillor A Shield, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for responded to confirm that one of the key principles driving the move to a new Local Network model was to ensure that funding was spent in a strategic way, and used to address locally agreed priorities. The Local Network plans would guide spending over 4 year periods. This would ensure that funding was used to tackle issues identified as priorities across the Local Network area, and safeguard spend disproportionately going to a single area, unless already agreed as a specific priority for investment.

The four year funding cycle would also allow more time to be spent understanding an individual area. The Local Network approach would ensure that prior to any use of funding, local networks would have the strengthened information through the alignment to new electoral boundaries. This would be combined with wide reaching community engagement to ensure a full picture of the opportunities to improve the whole area for all those who lived within it. It should also be noted that Neighbourhood Budgets were aligned to individual local ward members, meaning that there was already a healthy proportion of funding that was likely to be spread across the whole geography.

As a final point, whilst the Local Network budgets provided a very useful level of local investment, Local Networks were much more than funding vehicles, they were about harnessing the resources within a community. Although Durham County Council was offering a level of funding and devolution not available in most local authorities, the funding was modest when set in the wider council and partner investment that took place in every area of the county, but was about added value. By guiding funding through four year investment plans it would allow the Council to better align different funding strands and maximise the outcomes for communities, this would also help in resource planning for the interventions to support delivery.

Councillor Shield moved the report on behalf of Councillor E Scott, Portfolio Holder of Economy & Partnerships.  The report highlighted proposals for a new engagement mechanism for the Council to effectively engage with communities.  The new structure addressed the concerns raised in relation to the operating procedures Area Action Partnerships and revisions had been made to strengthen governance, terms of reference and improve guidance and processes in relation associated Local Network funds and County Council grants.  To promote further engagement with communities, there were increased opportunities through enhanced and targeted community development activities.

He thanked all partners and stakeholders who had taken part in the engagement and consultation process and the AAP staff who had continued to maintain a high level of service delivery.

Councillor S McDonnell, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Digital, Customer Services and Procurement confirmed that the community engagement review had been carried out with substantial work undertaken to understand the Councils main community engagement function of the AAP’s and provide an improved arrangement to engage with part stakeholders and communities.  The new structure would improve community engagement and provide better opportunities for wider and more effective engagement.  The measures outlined in the report would build on the strengths of AAP’s and provided improved ways of working.

Resolved:

That the recommendations in the report be approved.