PART 1
(OPEN TO THE PUBLIC) / ITEM NO. A2
REPORT OF THE LEAD MEMBER FOR REGENERATION
CABINET MEETING
24hAUGUST 2010
TITLE:Charlestown/Lower Kersal New Deal for Communities (NDC) Succession Strategy
RECOMMENDATION:
That Cabinet:
  1. Approve the final New Deal for Communities Succession Strategy for submission to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In October 2009, Cabinet approved the direction to be taken for the New Deal for Communities Succession Strategy and agreed wording for an 'in principle' letter of support, which was subsequently sent to the Department for Communities and Local Government together with the draft strategy.
Since that time, a considerable amount of effort has been put into further definition and implementation arrangements for the strategy. Feedback received from government has been acted upon and the final draft of the Charlestown/Lower Kersal Succession Strategy is now presented to Cabinet for approval. The strategy contains a number of clear strands including:
  • Mainstreaming selected projects.
  • Community hubs and groups.
  • Social enterprises.
  • Local neighbourhood action planning arrangements.
  • Community facilities.
  • Continuing physical development framework.
Many of these strands are well established and are in place. Key to their operation will be the continued community empowerment and involvement of local residents through proposed local neighbourhood action planning arrangements set within the existing neighbourhood management arrangements. These will be supported by a legacy agreement based on the Partnership’s residual assets which was considered and approved by Lead Member for Regeneration in May 2010. The proposals contrast with most other New Deal for Communities across the country that have established separate, independent successor vehicles.
The final strategy, which was approved by the New Deal for Community’s Partnership Board at its meeting in June 2010, is attached at Annex 1.Taking in to account the views of the Council’s Cabinet, thefinal Succession Strategy will be submitted to Government later in July 2010. It should be noted that a number of letters of support have been received for the strategy from key agencies involved in its delivery. Copies of these letters will be sent to Communities and Local Government with the strategy.
It is hoped to receive a formal sign off from Government for the Succession Strategy early in the autumn of this year.
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
(Available for public inspection)
  • Annex 1 - Draft final New Deal for Communities Succession Strategy - June 2010.
  • NDC Succession Strategy – Annuity Arrangements – Report to the Lead Member for Regeneration – 24th May 2010.
  • CLG Programme Notes 34, 38 (succession and use of assets), 44 (succession guidance), 46 (roles & responsibilities) and,in draft, 48 (closing down the programme).

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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND IMPLICATIONS
The New Deal for Communities programme works across all the diverse groups of the Charlestown and Lower Kersal area. Community development activity specifically targets hard to reach groups, empowering their participation in local community activity and democracy. The Succession Strategy contains a specific section on how this work will continue post March 2011.
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ASSESSMENT OF RISK:
Key risks are likely surrounding follow on funding arrangements, particularly for the capital programme and community empowerment. At the current time, the full implications of recent public sector budget cuts have not been able to be fully assessed in relation to the New Deal for Communities Succession Strategy. The capacity to deliver also features as a risk and the final strategy contains a detailed account of these risks, along with appropriate mitigation measures. These risks are likely to have implications for the Council and therefore Council officers have been closely involved in the drawing up of this strategy.
Please see section 3.1 below for a fuller statement.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
The sources of funding to support the succession strategy will be widespread. The majority of the strands of the strategy (e.g. community enterprises, community hubs, community facilities, and some projects) have funding sources earmarked from contracts and/or mainstream funding. However, some do not, and further work is ongoing in order to access commissioning processes.
Some activity will require continuing investment from major programmes such as those available via the Homes & Communities Agency and therefore, will have implications for the Council’s capital programme and,under the current Government, will increasingly be reliant on continued private sector investment in the area through the agreed Development Framework.
A modest amount of funding is also anticipated from legacy arrangements (please see section 2.3 below).
LEGAL ADVICE OBTAINED:
There will be legal implications surrounding the implementation of the Succession Strategy and the process for managing the future of the asset base and any legacy arrangements will be finalised by the Council and New Deal for Communities following approval of the final Succession Strategy.
FINANCIAL ADVICE OBTAINED:
The Council is the Accountable Body for the New Deal for Communities Programme in Charlestown and Lower Kersal.
The Strategy has been prepared in consultation with the Council’s City Treasurer.
Approval of the Succession Strategy will qualify and quantify the financial liabilities that the City Council must bear and take into account and protect the Council from any subsequent clawback processes.
CONTACT OFFICER (Finance):John SpinkTEL. NO.extn: 3230
CONTACT OFFICERS:
Paul Walker – Strategic Director for Sustainable Regeneration, Tel: 0161 793 3110
Tim Field, Deputy Director of Community, Health and Social Care (formerly New Deal for Communities Chief Executive), Tel: 0161 793 2817
Rob Pickering, Assistant Director Economic Futures, Sustainable Regeneration, Tel: 0161 793 2818
WARD (S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE (S): Irwell Riverside, Kersal
KEY COUNCIL POLICIES:
  • Connecting People to Opportunities – Salford’s Sustainable Communities Strategy.
  • The Council’s Corporate Plan.
  • The Council’s Medium-term Financial Strategy.

DETAILS:

1.0 / Background
1.1 / Following extensive stakeholder engagement, the New Deal for Communities Partnership Board agreed its broad aspirations for succession in May 2008. A considerable amount of work has since been undertaken on how the strategy can be implemented.
1.2 / In October 2009, Cabinet approved the direction to be taken for the New Deal for Communities Succession Strategy and agreed wording for an 'in principle' letter of support, which was subsequently sent to the Department for Communities and Local Government together with the draft strategy. Since that time a considerable amount of effort has been put into further definition and implementation arrangements for the strategy. Feedback which was received from government has been acted upon and the final draft of the Charlestown/Lower Kersal Succession Strategy is now presented to Cabinet for approval.
1.3 / Annex 1 provides the final draft of the main strategy document. The final Succession Strategy will be supported by a number of other documents which provide details of delivery, continued community empowerment, performance management and evaluation proposals, and risk assessment.
2.0 / Final New Deal for Communities Succession Strategy
2.1 / The final strategy was prepared using the guidance provided by Government and aims to tackle 8 key aims:
  • To provide appropriate future outcomes for the New Deal for Communities area and its community.
  • To continue empowerment of local people.
  • To provide a sustainable split of responsibilities for future delivery.
  • To safeguard New Deal for Communities assets into the long term.
  • To provide appropriate governance arrangements.
  • To identify and manage risks.
  • To demonstrate support from the Accountable Body and key stakeholders.
  • That any successor body should be financially independent in the long term (NOTE: the Charlestown and Lower Kersal New Deal for Communities has agreed not to set up any such successor body).

2.2 / Key to the Succession Strategy for Charlestown and Lower Kersal will beLocal Neighbourhood Action Planning (LNAP) arrangements.The Partnership Board has agreed that it would like to establish local neighbourhood action planning arrangements for the Charlestown & Lower Kersal area to oversee the New Deal for Community‘s legacy and influence the continuing regeneration programme. This would not be a separate charity or other legal entity but would fit within the city’s existing neighbourhood management arrangements and, as with the current New Deal for Communitiesarrangements, the City Council would act asAccountable Body.
It is proposed that the Local Neighbourhood Action Planning arrangements take the form of 2 open community forums, which have already been established to serve the residents of Charlestown and Lower Kersal, and a Development Framework Group. The latter groupwill be fully constituted in August of this year, and will go on to champion the local community in the ongoing physical regeneration of the area, have oversight of any community involvement in the governance arrangements of local community facilities such as the SalfordSportsVillage or Beacon Centre, and also lead promotion of local community activities.
Supporting these proposals, a community empowerment strategy has been incorporated in the final draft, which aligns closely with the Salford Partnership’s Community Engagement Strategy.
2.3 / Assets and Annuity arrangements - As a requirement of the guidance received from the Department for Communities and Local Government, work has also been carried out to develop an arrangement for 'locking in' the assets accrued through the New Deal for Communities programme, for the continued benefit of the local area. The New Deal for Communities Succession Strategy includes governance arrangements for a range of community facilities such as the Beacon Centre, SportsVillage and the Salford Innovation Forum.
The Strategy also includes clear proposals for the retention of all the assets listed on the New Deal for CommunitiesAsset register and purchased using New Deal for Communities grant, by the City Council. This will secure their future in the long term.
In order to support the proposed Local Neighbourhood Action Planning arrangements, a proposal for a legacy agreement based on the value of the New Deal for CommunitiesPartnership’s residual assetsand their anticipated income streams was considered and approved by Lead Member for Regeneration in May 2010.
2.4 / Mainstreaming–work is nearing completion in terms of securing the mainstreaming arrangements proposed at a project level. Some projects will come to a natural end as the New Deal for Communities Programme concludes, whereas for others, based onproven effectiveness and evidence of need;it will be useful to continue. For those projects falling into the latter category, succession arrangementsare progressing well. However, the full implications and levels of risk associated with the current budgetary situation will be assessed on an on-going basis as the Council completes its budget planning.
2.5 / Longer term accountability and 'sign up' - Government guidance requires evidence that partners in the Succession Strategy understand and are 'signed up' to their role in its delivery. These partners will include the City Council, NHS Salford, Greater Manchester Police, Salix Homes, the University of Salford, Job Centre Plus and the local community - all of whom are represented on the Partnership Board. A total of 16 letters of support have now been received backing both specific elements of and the overarching strategy.
3.0 / Risk Assessment
3.1 / A risk assessment process has been undertaken which aims to identify those risks which it is anticipated might have an impact on delivery of the Succession Strategy. These have been incorporated into an appendix to the final strategy and include:
  • Lack of funding to realise succession expectations.
  • Individual project succession / mainstreaming arrangements not being confirmed in some cases.
  • New Deal for Communities staff leaving before final succession arrangements are realised.
  • Community governance arrangements not enacted for mainstream community facilities.
  • Changes in local service delivery infrastructure following government cuts
  • Changing local and national priorities
  • Viability of private sector physical programme investments

4.0 / Next Steps
4.1 / The final draft of the New Deal for Communities Succession Strategy (attached at Annex 1) was approved by the New Deal for Communities Partnership Board on 28th June 2010. Following Cabinet approval of the final strategy, it will be submitted to the Department for Communities and Local Government by the end of July 2010 for approval.
It is hoped to receive a formal sign off from Government for the Succession Strategy early in the autumn of this year.
4.2 / The New Deal for Communities Partnership has also put in place transition planning arrangements, which will guide the closing down of the New Deal for Communities programme and the setting up of Local Neighbourhood Action Planning arrangements, in particular the development Framework Group. This work will be overseen by the residual team of New Deal for Communities staff and will include ongoing dialogue with key local stakeholders and a number of working sessions to promote the strategy.

Annex 1

Please note that the 16 appendices to the Succession Strategy are listed at the end of the strategy and are available upon request.

CHARLESTOWN AND LOWER KERSAL NDC

SUCCESSION STRATEGY

… a future that engages everyone.

DRAFT FINAL


Charlestown and Lower Kersal NDC Succession Strategy

Index

Page
Foreword / 3
Summary - addressing the 8 Government criteria / 4
1.0 / Introduction / 7
1.1 / Aim of our Succession Strategy
1.2 / How this strategy has come about
2.0 / Overarching Vision for our succession / 8
2.1 / Vision for the future
3.0 / Baseline / 8
3.1 / Where does this Strategy start?
3.2 / What do we know about how we should deliver the strategy?
3.3 / Changes in the policy and delivery context
3.4 / After 2011, what still needs to be done?
4.0 / Delivery of the Succession Strategy / 11
4.1 / How we intend to deliver the Succession Strategy
4.2 / Delivery plan and outcomes
4.3 / Stakeholder Analysis
4.4 / Community Empowerment
4.5 / Area of benefit
4.6 / Alignment with the Salford Local Area Agreement
4.7 / Asset Management
5.0 / Performance and review / 19
5.1 / Risk assessment and management
5.2 / Transition plan
5.3 / Management arrangements
5.4 / Longer term accountability
5.5 / Review and evaluation
List of Appendices

Foreword

In 2001, the Charlestown and Lower Kersal NDC Partnership set out to improve the local area and make it a place where people would want to live. Working with partners such as Salford City Council, Salford Primary Care Trust, Greater Manchester Police, Salford University, Salix Homes and latterly Miller Homes and Inspired Developments, the communities of Charlestown and Lower Kersal have taken major steps forward in achieving this vision, with this part of Salfordseeing the highest rate of improvement in the satisfaction with the area as a place to live of all NDC areas.

However, there are things that still need to be done to achieve the vision for the area. This Succession Strategy is about commitment of local people and partner agencies to sustain the benefit and changes felt in the area, and address those things that remain to be done.

Building from the successes of the New Deal programme will not be easy, but in consultation with residents, agencies and other partners, we have developed a succession strategy that will see activities and services being taken forwards by a variety of routes including local community groups and enterprises, facilities at the heart of neighbourhoods, and also by mainstream agencies such as the City Council. Underpinning all of this will be the continued participation and empowerment of local residents.

The succession proposals are embedded in local neighbourhood working, and include the continued engagement of local people to take part in planning of what goes on in the area through new Local Neighbourhood Action Planning arrangements. Key also is the community’s role in the oversight of the Strategy, which will happen through each of the delivery strands. The proposals also link to how issues are being addressed across the City, so that Charlestown and Lower Kersal gets the right level of support in the future.

Continued community participation is supported through an annuity agreement secured in the value of the assets of the former NDC Partnership, which will continue to be held for the benefit of the residents of Charlestown and Lower Kersal by Salford City Council.

The original vision remains and local residents still want to make it happen. Salford City Council and its partners are committed to working with local people towards a future that engages everyone.

The Succession Strategy (Submission Draft) was approved by the Charlestown and Lower Kersal NDC Partnership Board on Monday 26th October 2009 and considered at the Cabinet briefing meeting of the City of Salford on Tuesday 27th October 2009. This Final Strategy was approved by the NDC Partnership Board on 28th June 2010, and the City Council's Cabinet on 6th July 2010.

Ann-Marie Pickup MBE
Chair,
Charlestown and Lower Kersal NDC Partnership / John Merry CBE
Leader,
Salford City Council
Tim Field
Chief Executive,
Charlestown and Lower Kersal NDC Partnership / Barbara Spicer
Chief Executive,
Salford City Council

SUMMARY - Addressing the 8 Government criteria for assessment

1: The outcomes to be delivered are appropriate for the NDC area and the community it serves.

The Partnership considered setting up a successor body, but rejected it as being not needed or viable in the local context. Instead this strategy sets out a broad and multi-faceted approach to succession which is a logical progression from how the NDC programme has been managed, and will be what works in the particular context within which Salford’s NDC area will exist post 2011. With no formal successor body, continued community empowerment, local benefit and asset protection will be delivered through enhanced mainstream services and local neighbourhood management, Local Neighbourhood Action Planning arrangements which will focus on liveability, continued physical development in the area, and a strong third sector service delivery infrastructure.