3. GATESHEAD’S CORPORATE OBJECTIVES
TOWARDS 2010
3.1 The Council’s ‘Towards 2010’ document sets out its vision for Gateshead and what it will mean for local people. The overall vision is:
“Local people realising their full potential, enjoying the best quality of life in a healthy, equal, safe, prosperous and sustainable Gateshead.”
3.2 For different aspects of community life this means:
Children and Young people. Children and young people who are empowered and supported to develop to their full potential and have the life skills and opportunities to play an active part in society.
Employment and Economy. Local people who have the skills and opportunities to access rewarding jobs in the public, private and voluntary sectors in and around Gateshead; more businesses locating, forming and growing in Gateshead.
Lifelong learning. Local people who learn throughout their lives and have the life skills to realise their full potential as individuals and active citizens.
Leisure and Culture. Local people who participate in a rich array of cultural and leisure opportunities, including sport.
Housing. Local people who live in good quality affordable homes, which meet their changing needs and are located within pleasant, safe and sustainable communities.
Social Care. Local people supported by a network of caring services appropriate to their needs and wishes.
Health. Local people living longer and healthier lives.
Community Safety. Local people living in a safe, fear-free and tolerant society.
Transport. Local people and businesses who have easy access to integrated, safe and affordable transport which supports economic growth and balances the needs of all users in a responsible way.
Environment. Communities who live in and contribute to a clean, pollution free, attractive and sustainable environment.
THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY
3.3 The Gateshead Community Strategy (2004-2007) is a plan that has been produced by Gateshead Strategic Partnership (key agencies around Gateshead working together to improve the quality of life for Gateshead people) in consultation with local people. It reflects the issues and priorities that local people view as important for the future of Gateshead and aims to promote or improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area.
3.4 The Community Strategy sets out a vision for the future of Gateshead. The ten themes listed previously are further refined in the Community Strategy into key challenges, and as part of these challenges, targets will measure the extent of progress over the next three years. The vision will be delivered through six medium term objectives, these are:
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effective community engagement
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effective neighbourhood management
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better access to services for all
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service excellence
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regeneration, social inclusion, and wealth creation
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capacity building
3.5 Priorities will include making all of Gateshead a place where people want to live and work as well as improving people’s health and helping them to meet their aspirations for education and employment.
3.6 Land use decisions can have a specific impact on these targets. Those with a direct relationship with the UDP are included in Chapter 5 (Measuring Progress) and others have an indirect relationship which will be brought out in the Annual Monitoring Report.
BRIDGING NEWCASTLEGATESHEAD (BNG) HOUSING MARKET RENEWAL PATHFINDER
3.7 NewcastleGateshead housing market renewal programme (Bridging NewcastleGateshead) was established to tackle the most acute areas of low demand and abandonment and to replace obsolete housing with modern sustainable accommodation, through demolition and new building or refurbishment. The market renewal pathfinders represent a new approach focused on taking proactive action that will provide long term solutions in the shape of balanced, sustainable communities. The pathfinders will deliver the government’s sustainable communities agenda in the north and will be an integral part of the emerging Northern Way. The pathfinder has undertaken extensive research on the local area and its housing market, which will be used to identify the required housing type and tenure to regenerate failing areas and attract more sustainable communities sharing the government’s priority that everyone should have the opportunity to buy or rent a decent home at a price they can afford, in a place where they want to live and work.
3.8 The importance of the development of the core of the conurbation to the region is critical. As the regional capital, NewcastleGateshead has a crucial role in driving the growth of the regional economy, research, education and creating cultural assets of international significance. So the success of the Pathfinder will impact on the success of the region as a whole.
3.9 BNG’s vision is to create great places to live - by 2018 the housing market will be revitalised and the population stabilised and starting to increase. There will be a better choice of affordable homes that meet the aspirations of existing and future residents. The area will be attractive to families and professionals working in the expanding cultural and knowledge industries and graduates and first time buyers will choose to move to the area.
3.10 BNG’s key objectives are:
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To enable more people to enter and sustain home ownership, reflecting housing aspirations and to help reduce concentrations of worklessness.
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To provide an improved choice of good quality, well designed homes through new development and investment in sustainable homes whilst replacing obsolete housing.
- To work with partners to improve neighbourhoods to provide a good quality of life and place, where it:
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adds value
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draws in investment
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complements other initiatives that ‘narrow the gap’ between neighbourhoods with concentrations of deprivation and other areas, such as those to provide employment opportunities, raise incomes, and improve health, educational achievement, community safety, services and transport.
3.11 In February 2004 a funding package of £73 million was announced for the first three years of the initiative, with over £20 million identified for projects in Gateshead. In March 2006 an additional funding package of £64 million was allocated for the years 2006-2008 - this will be complemented by a range of further funding, from the public and private sector, which is estimated to be in the region of £412 million, approximately £27 million of which had been identified for projects in Gateshead.
By 2018, the BNG initiative aims to have:
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improved well over 10,000 sustainable homes
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worked with builders to develop around 7,000 new homes, with around 13,900 new homes being built in the BNG area in total
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demolished up to 4,300 obsolete dwellings, having successfully re-housed people to their home of choice
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increased the population to almost 175,000
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increased satisfaction with the area to around 85% (from 70%)
3.12 A series of neighbourhood plans have now been adopted for Deckham, Bensham and Saltwell, Felling and Teams. These will provide the framework for future investment and implementation and are brought together under the Gateshead Area Development Framework. Whilst focussing on housing, neighbourhood planning also provides a holistic view as to the opportunities for neighbourhood management, accessibility, services, environmental quality and employment issues as part of the regeneration process. It allows for the comprehensive understanding of the baseline issues relevant to the community, extensive option appraisal and community consultation which will provide a framework for regeneration over the next 15 years.
3.13 BNG will develop innovative solutions to the problems of low demand, low home-ownership levels, high vacancy rates and high levels of turnover. To tackle these problems BNG will strive to ensure that good quality new homes are built, obsolete housing is demolished when appropriate and with broad community support, and sustainable housing is improved, including the provision of affordable homes for existing residents. BNG will also support communities as their neighbourhoods change. Quality and sustainability will be at the heart of designs for homes and neighbourhoods.
3.14 Over a fifteen-year period it is intended to achieve long-term restructuring and meet changing demand, taking a truly integrated sub-regional approach that effectively links housing, planning and economic policy. This will provide lasting solutions for communities and ensure that housing, job creation, education and employment, transport, crime and public services are improved within an overall strategy to create vibrant sustainable neighbourhoods.
LOCAL AGENDA 21
GATESHEAD’S LOCAL AGENDA 21 STRATEGY
3.15 Gateshead’s Local Agenda 21 (LA21) strategy is concerned with sustainable development, that is, ensuring a better quality of life within development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It provides a local context for protecting the environment whilst contributing to a global strategy.
The strategy sets out a number of important issues for the borough:
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conservation of energy with managing air quality to prevent fuel poverty and to control climate change;
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buying environmentally friendly goods and services and managing waste to reduce excessive consumption;
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maintaining the variety of wildlife to enhance the quality of life of the borough;
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travelling by foot, cycle or public transport rather than by car to reduce congestion and harmful air pollution; and
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considering the environment in all land use planning decisions.
These principles are reflected throughout the plan.
3.16 A number of corporate strategies have been brought forward since the re-deposit draft stage. These would include the Sustainable Community Strategy ‘Vision 2030’ and the Council’s Corporate Plan 2007-2010.