Revisits the Countywide Sustainable Community Strategy and requests Council’s decision on whether or not to endorse.
2
Recommendation
2.1
Council is recommended to consider whether, in light of the report on Local Government Reorganisation elsewhere on this agenda, it would wish to endorse the Countywide Sustainable Community Strategy.
3
Report
3.1
Final consideration of the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) was deferred until the outcome of the Government’s review on the future of local government in Northumberland. That announcement has now been made and the Strategy is, therefore, brought back to Council for that final consideration.
3.2
The first versions of the SCS were in outline and did not encompass the wide range of different communities within Northumberland. Subsequent versions added considerably so that the final version addresses most issues pertaining to this area. The one significant outstanding issue related to definitions of Belonging Communities. The countywide definition varied along District lines and is different from the communities identified in the District Councils’ submission for two unitary councils for Northumberland, which very much reflected the ways in which different communities align themselves.
3.3
The importance of the SCS for this Borough cannot be over-stated. Without it and without the locally generated version through Berwick Borough Local Strategic Partnership, the Local Area Agreement will not be able to articulate local needs and targets and inward investment from public services will be fettered.
4
Implications
4.1
Comments from the Council’s Section 151 Officer
No comments.
4.2
Comments from the Council’s Monitoring Officer
No comments.
4.3
Comments from the Head of Paid Service
None arising directly from this report.
4.4
Local Agenda 21
None arising directly from this report.
4.5
Equality
None arising directly from this report.
4.6
Crime and Disorder
None arising directly from this report.
5
Report Author
5.1
Jane E. Pannell, Chief Executive, telephone (01289) 301701, email: jep@berwick-upon-tweed.gov.uk
