Local Area Working and Neighbourhood Renewal

When it is rolled out across the Council, Local Area Working will give us the necessary tools to better coordinate our work at a local area level and therefore be able to support neighbourhood renewal work much more effectively - in particular the plans emerging from the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal strategy.

Northern Ireland Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy (2003)

The Northern Ireland Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy (2003) was created to tackle deprivation across Northern Ireland by identifying those local areas with the worst deprivation. This was done by focusing on those areas described as the worst off ten per cent in the Nobel Indices of Multiple Deprivation. The Government worked with local people to define the boundaries of neighbourhood areas and to set up Neighbourhood Renewal Area Partnerships (NRPs). These would develop local plans which would influence the delivery of services by statutory bodies, including all government departments and local councils.

We have been closely involved with the development of NRPs in the city - there are twelve in Belfast - and many of our councillors and staff sit on the boards of these bodies. We have also agreed to adapt our services to meet the requirements of the NRP plans.

Action plan responses

Most NR partnerships are now consulting with partner organisations about their proposed plans. Each present a series of actions that the community would like to see accomplished in their local area.

For each action, the plans identify a number of lead and supporting organisations who can contribute to achieving it. We have been linked with a number of these actions and have begun the process of commenting on our likely contribution to each.

We have developed a draft response to each plan we have received. This response is discussed and confirmed by our Development Committee and full Council. The final agreed responses are then sent to the Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership.

Copies of the latest responses are published below as PDF documents. Others will be added as they become available.

Council responses to Belfast Neighbourhood Renewal Action plans