Sustainable Communities ::
To establish multi-use community owned and run facilities that act as a catalyst for the development of sustainable rural communities
- Since 2005, the RCP have funded the capital for the establishment of 6 multi-purpose community facilities in Cornwall. Through SW RDA Rural Renaissance, MRD and Capacity Building, supported by the LSC Neighbourhood Learning in deprived Communities (NLDC) funding, the RCP has been assisting with the development of community capacity to manage these facilities, learning from best practice. Through a number of capital investments, the RCP has enhanced the physical fabric of towns and villages in more than 20 projects, each ranging from £40,000 to £4,000,000 in value.
- The RCP has funded over a thousand projects during its 20 year existence, all of these have been achieved with active engagement of the community and the majority have demonstrated economic growth.
no. multi-purpose facilities within coverage of network
In 2003 the RCP produced the first Rural Economic Strategy and has since ‘rural proofed' and responded to Strategy & Action and a number of other significant local, regional and national strategic consultations. MCTi town plans and Village/Parish and Community plans all contribute to the planning process. Bill Holliday has been representing the RCP and Cornwall Enterprise on the Regional Assembly working group, ‘Planning for Sustainable Rural Communities', developing a toolkit to assist communities and professionals with an assessment of the current performance of a community against defined sustainability characteristics. Although this analyses current performance, it is important to assess the potential for positive change in terms of the purpose and function that rural communities may have in the future. The RCP has invested nearly £20,000,000 towards rural projects of £100,000,000 value. Through the creation of training and work in rural areas, better access to services and improved transport, the RCP has provided an opportunity for the deprived in rural areas to improve their prospects.
Opportunities
Bill Holliday (RCP Manager) has met with Lucy Harris to discuss the development of the RCP business plan and the potential for development of a ‘Sustainable Rural Communities' Outcome for the LAA. Bill Holliday has gained a Post Graduate Certificate in Leading Sustainable Communities (2008). The RCP is developing a delivery plan for ‘Sustainable Rural Communities' in line with Strategy & Action, the Sustainable Communities Strategy and the LAA. This plan will focus on the key elements of the local economy and the requirement for development, where appropriate, including workspace and housing for local needs. As the SW RDA no longer has a rural programme this is a speculative bid to them, the local authorities and other funding organisations. The RCP is confident that they can manage a significant programme that will ensure a successful delivery of a number of LAA targets, assist the SW RDA to meet its carbon neutral targets, develop a stronger and more resilient rural economy and working in partnership, provide greater security of food and energy for people in Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly.
Future funding for sub regional delivery! Need to identify alternative funding as SW RDA no longer has a dedicated ‘Rural' or ‘Community' initiative that covers the whole of Cornwall
31/07/08
The SW RDA will no longer run any delegated rural schemes from their ‘Central Pot' funds. This will be the first time for 22 years that the RCP and partner organisations across the south west, have not been invited to deliver a programme or scheme. Sub regional delivery has been successful and we must look for opportunities to build upon this track record. The RCP will remain actively engaged in the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly delivery of the SW RDA controlled Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
Through a number of capital investments, the RCP has enhanced the physical fabric of towns and villages in more than 20 projects, each ranging from £40,000 to £4,000,000 in value.
- 900,000 families (2,500,000 people ) in rural areas live below the poverty line. (Commission for Rural Communities 2008)
- Deprivation in rural areas is dispersed and often masked by affluence.
The RCP has always recognised this and has focussed resources in rural priority areas to tackle rural deprivation
Development of draft Communications Strategy for the Town Partnership
The 'draft' has been achieved within a consultative framework of the Partnership and external support such as the Retail Skills task and finish group and the St .Austell Partnership (both of whom have representation on the TCP). This is an ongoing, working document which is intended as a real tool for the basis of future milestones (for example development of the marketing strategy and Convergence delivery.
By end September 2007 but development ongoing
Website presence being developed
02/10/08
Provide opportunities for rural businesses including provision of workspace, training and business advice. These businesses may be private, or social and community enterprises where there is market failure, with the primary focus on local opportunities.
Since 2005, under this objective, the RCP have funded:
- 12 projects creating 1823m2 rural workspace with 1566 more in development
- 82 jobs with 50 more anticipated
- 247 people provided with employment support
- Skills development, 200 people assisted
- 540 businesses to improve their performance
- 480 agricultural SMEs connected to broadband
31/07/08
Future funding for sub regional delivery! Need to identify alternative funding as SW RDA no longer has a dedicated ‘Rural' or ‘Community' initiative that covers the whole of Cornwall.
Baselining of floorspace supply & demand within key town centres and assessing the contribution made to quality and overall employment.
This has been partially achieved but resources are required to more thoroughly go through existing retail surveys and concentrate linkage with the sites and premises outcome in order to look at the full range of quality and employment issues in towns. This is ongoing work to inform the development of build and marketing strategy and links strongly to improving the 'vacant floorspace' indicator. Due to availability and collectivity of information this indicator is tied to THI and HERS measurements only at the moment.
It has not been possible to assess this further due to staff sickness.
A need has been identified to address commercial and residential floorspace.
Ongoing
Key areas enhanced
New m2 in town centre - office / retail
Town Centre yield (annually)
None in this quarter
Resource and capacity required to further the outcomes.
02/10/08
Establishment of a technical sub group of the Town Partnership to draw upon the Truro experience of BID development; the purpose being to help inform the process in Falmouth and provide support and encouragement for other towns such as Liskeard and Penzance to consider the BID model for their town centres.
This is being achieved through the formation of a town 'manager' working group.
The group meets quarterly to share good practise and pursue joint project development. This will feed into progress on the local government review and development of community networks.
Ongoing
Centre Audit (annually)
Updated 25/07/08
Town Partnership workshop on best practice in the use of civic spaces with input from the Carrick DC Open Spaces Manager, CABE and Creating Excellence.
Lined to above and currently being planned. Launceston MCTi a major partner: their project has majored on town centre workspace.
No further progress has been made in this quarter due to lack of resource and capacity.
Ongoing
Monitoring baseline of CSUS through a six moth/annual photographic survey, backed with analysis
Lack of capacity and resource to develop work.
02/10/08
Awaiting further discussions with SWRDA to unlock issues on public realm and civic spaces
6 private-public sector funded area based projects: Hayle THI/HERS, Penzance THI, Camborne THI, Launceston THI, Penryn THI, Redruth HERS
Achieved and ongoing
Milestone achievement date by end of March 2009. Included in this report as the milestones are already achieving outputs but most of the remediated space will be achieved toward the end of the THI and HERS reporting programmes.
02/10/08
Regeneration of 4,500 sq m of vacant floorspace through these 6 area based projects and the redevelopment of key sites (e.g Vospers in Penzance) monitored through the TP project database.
Currently being rolled out.
Milestone to be achieved by end of March 2009.
Approximately one quarter of target regenerated by January 2008.
02/10/08
Proposals for improving town centre management submitted by town centre managers for Falmouth, St.Austell and Newquay to their local councils; TP role to support and disseminate ideas.
This is being achieved through the formation of a ‘Town Manager' working group. The Group has been formed and meetings are taking place regularly.
By end of March 2008 but ongoing.
Actions from the first meeting achieved.
02/10/08
Development work for bespoke marketing of all towns as part of the broader Cornwall brand.
A meeting with Lucy Hunt (Cornwall Pure Business) and Teresa Timms (VisitCornwall) of Cornwall Enterprise discovered common ground to start developing a pre Convergence Commissioning paper (subject to further advice) to start grouping a number of emerging projects under the Towns Partnership banner (the word 'centre' has been dropped by agreement of the Partnership as it gives an inaccurate impression of the role and functionality of Cornish towns). Further work has been limited so far due to lack of human resources, the pressure of wider work and work on the Sustainable Community Strategy.
The ability to develop this work further is hampered by lack of resource and capacity.
ongoing
Lack of capacity and resource are preventing this from being progressed.
02/10/08
To enable people in rural areas to have access through local provision or improved transport, to basic services including doctor, training, transport, shop etc
Since 2005, to deliver this objective, the RCP has funded 13 projects:
- Two new community owned shops and Post Offices (currently NOT threatened with closure).
- Confidential space for Doctor visits and alternative therapies provided
- Two Community Cafés developed
- Two new nurseries and 50 childcare place provided
- 6 new rural transport services and 1300 additional passengers per year
- Two rural transport partnerships supported
No. of new public transport routes established
No. of new community based transport schemed approved
Rowdy/nuisance behaviour (six monthly)
Toolkit developed by the World Heritage Site partnership to be made available to assist towns to raise awareness and promotional work in Redruth, Hayle, Camborne, Pool & Liskeard.
Met with Veryan Heal and Deborah Boden (Historic Environment Service, CCC) to discuss how we approach this and we have collectively scoped a number of ideas
By end of March 2008 but will require resourcing to develop approach. Likely to be ongoing.
£ Invested
Town Partnership workshop on best practice in the use of civic spaces with input from the Carrick DC Open Spaces Manager, CABE and Creating Excellence.
Lined to above and currently being planned. Launceston MCTi a major partner: their project has majored on town centre workspace.
Although an event would be beneficial, a lack of resource means this has not been progressed to date.
It is hoped that work can take place with the SWRDA on Public Realm access. Discussions need to take place to progress through the LAA and Convergence.
Event likely to take place later in the year
31/07/08