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On 15 January, the Prime Minister launched a consultation process
based upon a report launched at the same time: The National Strategy for
Neighbourhood Renewal. The strategy sets out what actions the Government
proposes to take to improve living standards in the poorest communities.
The report brings together the work of the 18 Policy Action Teams
that have been looking at issues of social exclusion over the past three
years. It argues that in the past the Government has been weak and
ineffective at tackling poverty and social exclusion, focusing too much
on the short-term and small-scale, and that longer term, more integrated
policies are required. The Government has introduced initiatives to
tackle many of the individual elements that the report touches upon
including the Crime Reduction Programme, New Deals, Education Action
Zones, Sure Start, etc., but this report looks at the problem of
deprived areas and social exclusion holistically. The report proposes
four principles that it believes should be co-ordinated in order for the
strategy to be successful, namely:
Reviving local economies; Reviving communities; Ensuring decent services; and Leadership and joint working.
Each of these are explained in more detail in the report.
The strategy recognises that to be successful it will require the
commitment of both organisations and people from other sectors (e. g.
voluntary organisations, local authorities, and the private sector).
Consequently the authors are seeking the views of those who have a stake
in the success of the strategy by asking
Does the proposed national strategy provide the right vision for
turning round deprived neighbourhoods? Are the proposed change the right ones? Will they be effective? Have any important issues been missed? What can residents, local authorities and the community, voluntary
and private sectors contribute to the final National Strategy, and
how can the Government ensure this contribution is harnessed?
The full report and details of how to participate in the consultation
can be found at the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal website
on the Social Exclusion Unit’s website at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/seu/index/national_strategy.htm
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