The process for investing up to £20 million in the Warndon West area of Worcester is set to be discussed by Worcester city councillors.
Warndon West has been selected to take part in the Government’s Pride in Place programme, under which the local community will decide where the money should be invested over a ten-year period.
A report to be considered by the City Council’s Policy and Resources Committee on Tuesday 10 February sets out how the Council will help to establish a Neighbourhood Board consisting of local residents and stakeholders.
It is this Board that will decide how the money will be spent, with the aims of building stronger communities, helping Warndon West to become a thriving area and empowering people to have a say over the future of their community.
Councillor Lynn Denham, Leader of Worcester City Council, said: “The Pride in Place programme is an incredible opportunity to give the people of Warndon West, otherwise known as Old Warndon, the chance to control their own destiny.
“It is the people of the area that will make the decisions about where and how up to £20 million will be spent to improve their lives and their prospects for the future.”
The Government has set out that the themes of the investments under the Pride in Place programme should be: regeneration, high streets and heritage; housing; work, productivity and skills; cohesion; community power; health and wellbeing; transport; safety and security; and education and opportunity.
The Neighbourhood Board will be set up by June this year. It will have at least eight members, who all live or work in Warndon West. Membership of the Board is intended to broadly reflect the range and diversity of people who live in the area, and will include at least one local city councillor.
The MP for Worcester, Tom Collins, will sit on the Board to act as a champion and enabler of their local community.
Tom Collins MP for Worcester said: “Pride in Place is about putting power in the hands of local people to shape where they live. Anyone who lives in Warndon knows that in lots of ways the area has been left behind.
"This is about changing that, for good, by putting money, and power in the hands of local people. It's about doing things differently, and I'm keen to make sure that local people genuinely get to decide how this money is spent. I've been meeting with local people and the ideas they already have are fabulous - things that will really make a difference in people's everyday lives.
“If you live in Warndon, look out for letters, surveys and events about Pride in Place, and please take every chance to get involved. This is different and I'm determined to make it count. And if you have a real burning desire to see things change, please do get in touch with me.”
Once established, the Board will create a regeneration plan and bring together local people and those with a deep connection to the area including residents, local businesses, grassroots campaigners, workplace representatives, faith and community leaders and any other relevant organisations.
To raise awareness and to recruit members to the Neighbourhood Board, the City Council will be carrying out a major programme of community engagement in the coming weeks.
This will include a survey promoted through a letter-drop to all Warndon West households and businesses, the launch of a website and social media channels, and face-to-face engagement at community venues and pop-up events. The City Council will also engage with other public bodies, including the NHS and Police, to collect more data and information about the area, and engage with community groups that are already based in Warndon West.
More details of these activities will be released in the coming weeks.
