The Government published its Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper on 14^th March 2018 as a response to the Dame Louise Casey Review. Responsibility for the strategy sits with the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The strategy outlined a series of key challenges across the themes of: Strengthening leadership; Supporting recent migrants and resident communities; education and young people; Boosting English language; Places and communities; Increasing economic opportunity; Rights and freedoms.

The Strategic Director, Place will submit Document “J” which reports on the Stronger Communities Strategy and Delivery Plan, produced by the Bradford Stronger Communities Partnership which is a local response to the Government’s Green Paper.

Recommended-

That the work carried out in the development of the Bradford Stronger Communities Strategy and Delivery Plan by the Stronger Communities Partnership be noted.

(Zahra Niazi – 01274 436082)
.

Resolved-

That the work carried out in the development of the Bradford Stronger Communities Strategy and Delivery Plan by the Stronger Communities Partnership be noted.

(Zahra Niazi – 01274 436082)

It was reported that an independent ‘Stronger Communities Partnership’ Chaired by Bishop Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford had been formed to develop Bradford’s Stronger Communities strategy and a delivery plan for the district. The Partnership comprised a wide network of individuals and organisations from across Bradford district with a track record of working on cohesion and integration initiatives. This was supported by a smaller ‘Steering Group’ comprised from the wider Partnership to ‘drive’ work on the strategy.

Board Members were informed that the Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety and the Executive Assistant were represented on both the Partnership and Steering Group.

It was reported that the Government published its Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper on 14^th March 2018 as a response to the Dame Louise Casey Review. Responsibility for the strategy sat with the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The strategy outlined a series of key challenges across the themes of: Strengthening leadership; Supporting recent migrants and resident communities; education and young people; Boosting English language; Places and communities; Increasing economic opportunity; Rights and freedoms.

Members were informed that over the course of the Spring and Summer the Bradford Stronger Communities Partnership developed a local response to the Government’s Green Paper.  A Bradford ‘Stronger Communities Strategy and Delivery Plan’ was submitted to MHCLG on the 29^th August 2018.

It was reported that the Government had asked for a local strategy but Bradford had gone beyond that in that it was a five year strategy which linked with the District Wide vision and the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Members were informed that:

·         Consultation was carried out with district residents through three ‘whole day’ events that took place at City Park, Keighley Town Centre and Shipley Town Centre . Individual meetings with specific interest groups also took place and young people were both consulted and involved in the engagement process through the Youth Service.

·       Over 630 people were engaged in the three events and accompanying workshops, many giving over an hour and a half of their time to share their thoughts. A copy of the Executive Summary of the engagement report is attached as appendix B to the report.

·        New governance arrangements were being developed to formalise the ‘Partnership Board’ and the decision making processes. A copy of the draft terms of reference for the planned governance was attached as appendix C to the report.

·         MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) had committed financial support to the five ‘Integrated Communities Pilot Areas’. Bradford Partnership’s submission, through the local ‘delivery Plan’ sought funding of £4.9 million towards delivering a range of projects. MHCLG had allocated £1,187,101 for year one expenditure. A decision on the residual funding for year two will be announced in January 2019. Funding from MHCLG needed to be committed by 31^st March 2020.

·         Commissioning activity had to be held back until the amount of funding was known.

·         The activities were being informed by a lot of data and good practice  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29