A 'nerve centre' for a four-year £1.6 million regeneration project in the 'Greater Dogsthorpe' area of Peterborough opened in a shop unit. The unit will be the base for a five-person neighbourhood development team and a walk-in centre for local residents to report their concerns and suggestions. It will also be used as an information point and for exhibitions by partner organisations, such as the police and Cross Keys Homes.
The project, supported by the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund, is designed to tackle a wide range of community issues, including teenage pregnancy and care of the elderly. A Greater Dogsthorpe Partnership has been formed, consisting of local residents, ward councillors, and representatives from the public sector, business and voluntary, community and faith groups.
The project will tackle everything from anti-social behaviour and environmental issues to improving people's job prospects, health and prosperity. It aims to lay the foundation for long-term benefits in Greater Dogsthorpe and hopes that lessons learned will bring advantages to the whole city.
The Neighbourhood Director is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of public, private and voluntary sector organisations to help residents achieve higher aspirations in education, employment, health and other 'lifestyle' measures. His team includes a neighbourhood development worker, who will liaise with community groups and individuals; a performance and monitoring officer, who will co-ordinate with agencies and service providers; an environmental enforcement officer; and an administrative receptionist.
A new play area was opened at Ketley Playing Fields, where the play equipment was chosen by local children and will be provided as part of improved community facilities to accompany Telford Millennium Community (TMC), being built nearby.
Selected from a range of playground types by children at Ketley Infant School and Ketley Town Junior School, the new £75,000 play area includes climbing frames, swings, slides, a see-saw and comfortable benches where parents can sit and keep an eye on their children.
Officers from the Borough of Telford and Wrekin visited local schools and asked children which type of play area they most wanted. The results were a landslide, with over 80% of the 208 children surveyed choosing a design from SMP Playgrounds.
Sarah Williams, Senior Regeneration Manager at English Partnerships, on behalf of the TMC partners said, "Building Telford's Millennium Community is about more than just homes and streets - we're also investing in the local community. A new play area is just one part of this investment, along with the local playing fields being improved and the construction of a new community centre. Thanks to the support of the Council and the enthusiasm of local children, a superb play area has been installed that will no doubt provide a lot of happiness for years to come."
The TMC Partnership is made up of national regeneration agency English Partnerships, the Borough of Telford & Wrekin, the developer, Taylor Woodrow, and the Registered Social Landlord, Beth Johnson Housing Agency.
The Millennium Communities Programme was initiated in 1997 with the launch of the design competition for the Greenwich Millennium Village. A range of different types of sites have been chosen to demonstrate that energy efficient, environmentally responsible development is achievable regardless of geographic location. One of the main objectives of the Programme is to influence the house building industry and to encourage higher standards of innovation and energy efficiency. It also aims to deliver 6,000 homes by 2010.