Cabinet to consider priority neighbourhoods
29 June 2009
The council’s ruling Cabinet is to consider providing better support for communities in west Yate and Dodington by designating it a ‘priority neighbourhood’.
At its next meeting on Monday 6 July, Cabinet members will consider proposals for west Yate and Dodington, which would see the area receiving more targeted support from the council and its partners.
In recent years additional investment and resources have already been put in to Yate, including revamped sport and leisure facilities, an extra police community support officer, a planned secondary school rebuild and anticipated town centre revitalisation.
Construction is continuing on Yate’s new health and children’s centre and on the refurbishment of Yate library. There is also a commitment to improve the town’s youth provision.
The support proposed by South Gloucestershire Council would focus on raising and improving the education, skills and training residents receive to increase economic prospects.
Research carried out has shown that West Yate and Dodington are likely to need more coordinated support in the current economic climate.
The proposals have the backing of partner organisations including NHS South Gloucestershire, CVS South Gloucestershire and Merlin Housing Society.
Councillors will also be asked to review the ongoing work which has been carried out in the other priority neighbourhoods of Kingswood, Staple Hill, Patchway, Filton and Cadbury Heath.
The Priority Neighbourhoods Policy was passed by Cabinet in October 2006. The policy sets out to target work under the Strengthening Communities Strategy (2008) and the Local Area Agreement in geographical areas of greatest need.
Cllr John Calway, Leader of the Council, said: “In the last two years, there has been nothing short of a mini-revolution in the the quality of the services that local residents can access in the Yate and Dodington area.
“Yate Leisure Centre and Yate Outdoors Sports Complex have both been transformed, construction work is continuing on a new combined health and children’s centre and on the refurbishment of Yate library.
"Yate’s local police team has also been strengthened thanks to council investment to help residents to feel safer.
"Not only is the council contributing to the re-building of King Edmund Community School to drive up education standards in the area, but we are also determined to improve youth provision in the town.
"These service improvements in the Yate area and in our other priority neighbourhoods are down to excellent working relationships between the council and its partners.
"But we are not complacent and recognise there is always room for us to improve the way we and our partners target the use our existing resources.
"This is even more important in the tough economic climate that we are now in.”
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