Purpose of the Strategy

This Community Strategy is a positive force for change which aims to improve the quality of life of all those who live, work or visit the Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham. It seeks to do this by promoting and improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the area, both now and in the future.

Firstly, it is important to be clear about what constitutes a community. In this strategy when we talk about communities, we are not just considering the places where we live (communities of place), we also include communities of interest (groups of people with a common interest, such as environmental or business groups) and communities of circumstance (groups of people with a common circumstance, such as their age, gender or race).

This is definitely not just another glossy brochure produced by 'bureaucrats' deciding what is 'good' for the Borough, to be consigned to the back of the bookshelf. This is a strategy for the people and the involvement of local people has, and continues to be, central to its development. We have been talking and listening to a wide range of communities within Shrewsbury & Atcham, giving them the opportunity to speak out about their hopes, needs and priorities. This strategy is based on what those communities have had to say.

Guiding Principles

Although it was never going to be possible to please everybody, we have tried to find the broadest balance amongst the wide range of interests, views and opinions found within the Borough, recognising the needs of different communities and harmonising them with the needs of the Borough as a whole. To achieve this, we have worked within a framework of 'Guiding Principles', our two driving values being equality of opportunity and environmental sustainability. These issues come up again and again, but we make no apologies for that. We must ensure that everyone, regardless of class, culture, age, sex or ability feels included in their communities and their futures and has the opportunity to become involved. We must also ensure that our approach and actions are sustainable in the long term. While we are aiming for high and stable levels of economic growth, we cannot afford to do so at the expense of the environment (local, national or world-wide). We are very proud of the Borough's fantastic natural environment, which we do not wish to spoil. We are also acutely aware that environmental issues are worldwide. If climate predictions are correct, global warming will increase the amount of rainfall in Britain, leading to more storms and more flooding (a real concern for Shrewsbury). We are probably more aware than most, therefore, of the importance of sustainability.

Next steps

This is very much a first step. The process will continually evolve as more partners bring their own hopes, ideas and enthusiasm. We are also aware that as time moves on people's aspirations change. To ensure that we 'keep our finger on the pulse' we will continue to listen to your views and concerns. Inevitably some people and organisations are more confident and vociferous than others. In the past, the way we have consulted people has not always allowed those who are less confident to put forward their case. To overcome this, we intend to use a variety of consultation methods. A selection of these are listed below, although we also intend to develop new and innovative ways to hear your views.

• Community Activities. Making use of existing community activities to reach local communities on their terms.
• Community Strategy Steering Group Meetings.
• Community Strategy Sub-group Meetings.
• Participation events and presentations (open to all).
• Participation events and presentations (targeted at specific groups, particularly those that are hard to reach e.g. focus groups).
• Shrewsbury E-Government Consultative Network.
• Feedback from groups holding meetings where the community strategy is discussed in addition to, or as part of, other business e.g. parish council meetings.
• Formal responses from Councillors.
• Identification of key issues from existing and plans and strategies and those being developed.
• Individual interviews.
• Media involvement.
• Patient participation groups.
• The People's Panel
• Representations received by Councillors at their surgeries, by telephone contact, e-mail etc.
• Surveys - e.g. village appraisals and street surveys.

Delivery

Although the Borough Council has taken a lead in preparing this strategy, it cannot possibly deliver all of the objectives itself. There is a need to work in partnership with the many other individuals and public, private, voluntary and community groups and organisations whose activities have an impact on the quality of life in the Borough.

Each theme sub-group has identified and prioritised some of the actions required in the shorter-term to deliver a better quality of life for everyone and these are highlighted within the document. Of course we recognise that different people have different priorities and that they change, sometimes rapidly. However, as the strategy will be constantly evolving, this should not be a problem. In addition to ongoing review, over the coming year we will be developing specific targets, so that we can measure whether the actions have been achieved. We will also be looking further into the future and we will be aiming to develop actions and targets for the longer-term.

You may already have noticed the use of the term 'we' and may be wondering who this refers to. In short, it is all the partner organisations with an interest in the particular issue(s) being discussed or one or more of the groups which will be undertaking the actions identified. These 'Partners in Delivery' are listed at the end of each section, although at this stage it should be noted that inclusion does not necessarily place any duty on those listed to take part. The coming year will tell the level of commitment that those partners are willing and/or are able to devote to this document and the actions set out within it.

Monitoring

As well as measuring progress by identifying whether we are achieving the set targets, we must also identify whether our actions are having the desired impact on a wider scale. Within each section we have identified a number of indicators which we will use to measure, simplify and communicate important issues and trends. As time goes on, we will also be able to use these indicators to measure progress.

Many of the indicators are based on the quality of life indicators highlighted in the Government publication 'Local Quality of Life Counts', which aim to measure sustainable development and quality of life in local communities. In addition, we have started to develop specific indicators which aim to measure issues relevant to our own local circumstances. The whole process is very much still in its infancy, however, so you will notice that monitoring arrangements are more advanced in some sections than in others. We will continue to work with our partners to develop further indicators and to refine monitoring arrangements.

Issues Requiring Further Debate

There are a number of issues affecting the Borough where there is as yet no consensus about the best way forward; opinions tend to be polarised and debate is often heated. As discussions and negotiations are still at a very formative stage, we did not feel that it was appropriate to include these issues within the main framework of the Community Strategy. However, it would be quite remiss to disregard them altogether - for some people they are burning issues, so we have highlighted these issues here, with recognition that further debate is required:

• Flood alleviation schemes.
• Relocation of the football stadium and re-development of the Gay Meadow.
• Re-development of the Flaxmill.
• Development of an entertainments centre
• Development of new council offices.
• Re-development of the Square and West End.
• The future of the Market Hall.
• The future of the Music Hall.
• Relocation of Shrewsbury's Livestock Market.
• Car parking and road development in the town centre.

Conclusion

For the vast majority of people, Shrewsbury and Atcham is already a fantastic place to be. However, we cannot afford to sit back and be complacent. You have told us that there are problems and we intend to do our best to solve them - conserving what is good requires effort too. This is what the community strategy is about.

By pulling together, we can deliver far more than they could ever achieve by working alone.

For further information on Economic Wellbeing please call:
David Griffiths at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council on 01743 281015

For further information on Community Wellbeing please call:
Andy Goldsmith at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council on 01743 281017

For further information on Environmental Wellbeing please call:
Geoff Harrison at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council on 01743 281316

For further information on Lifelong Learning please call:
Peter Boyd at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council on 01743 361196

or if you prefer, send an e-mail to: policy@shrewsbury.gov.uk