060. Local Government Review In Lancashire

APPENDIX 'A'

Local Government Review in Lancashire

DRAFT

Stage 3 Response to the Boundary Committee for England

Lancashire County Council

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CONTENTS Page Foreword – County Councillor Hazel Harding Leader of the County Council

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Chapter 1- A New Vision for Lancashire

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Chapter 2 – Introduction & Overview

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Chapter 3 - A New Council for Lancashire in the Community

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Chapter 4 – Connecting with Local People

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Chapter 5 - Local Service Access

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Chapter 6 - Managing the Business

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Chapter 7 – Service Delivery & Integration

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Chapter 8 - Conclusion

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Appendices List of County Council Public Access Points in Ribble Valley

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Foreword In preparing this document for the Boundary Committee’s consideration I believe that we have been given both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity is that of having the chance to envisage local government as it could and should be for the people of Lancashire in the 21st century. The challenge is to translate our vision and ambition in a way that enables the reader to share them. In doing this we have been informed by widespread consultation that allowed Lancashire residents to tell us what they expected of a new Council for Lancashire. The clearest message that people have given us is that they want and expect local government leadership to stand up for and articulate the needs of the County at regional, national and international level. They look for representation for Lancashire. Alongside this they want to engage with councillors at the most local level and for services to be delivered appropriately. This is not an impossible dream for Lancastrians – indeed our document shows just how far the existing Council has come in terms of its current working. We know there is more to do but the progress so far gives us the confidence to continue. In terms of the strategic “voice for Lancashire” we are already recognized as a powerful force, with the ability to deliver, by sub-regional, regional and national bodies. At local level we have 78 councillors, all of them rooted in their communities, and supported through development programmes, partnership officers and the community engagement team. Cabinet members serve as school governors, lead community associations, run surgeries, clerk Parish Councils and are members of 101 different organisations in their areas. The same is true of every councillor – some in rural areas attend dozens of Parish Council meetings every month – and many also serve on District Councils. They are truly in touch with their communities and available to them through e-mail, published phone numbers and addresses and now, websites. Our Vision for a new Council would more than double the elected County representatives but would equally build on the hundreds of local service points we already provide to prove that Lancashire is big enough to count and local enough to care. Hazel Harding Leader of the County Council 1

Chapter 1 - A New Vision for Lancashire Our vision is a strategic, innovative and locally responsive New Council for Lancashire, where everyone matters. A new Council for Lancashire would be the largest in terms both of population (1.2 million people) and geographic size (290,000 hectares). It would serve many diverse communities including medium sized cities and towns and closely-knit, urban and rural communities and villages with their own identities and aspirations. So why would these different communities be served better by a new Council for Lancashire than by a number of smaller unitaries? There is no disputing that a single unitary Council for Lancashire would offer: -

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the most powerful capacity, economies of scale and resource base able to afford the full range of scarce professional expertise to deliver high quality services. the strongest voice to speak up for Lancashire people and their communities in the north west, competing as they will for priority and investment with the conurbations of Greater Manchester and Merseyside. a clear and consistent voice for Lancashire in Westminster, Europe and beyond. the greatest flexibility to adopt different service delivery footprints to respond to different communities of interest e.g. rural regeneration, Elevate in East Lancashire, waste management. innovation in ways people can access all services through any service outlets, e.g. schools, and exploitation of 21st century information technology. the full range of support systems to enable all Councillors to fulfil their organisational and community representational roles, including individual training and development.

As well as this strategic leadership, capacity and flexibility we believe that a new Council for Lancashire can effectively represent each and every one of its diverse communities. Structures will be put in place to empower Lancashire people to make a positive difference in their communities. Extensive devolution of budgets and services to locally elected Councillors through Local Cabinets; a voice for villages, towns and neighbourhoods, for example, through community forums; a stronger role for Parish and Town Councils and a new Local Advisory Group of parish, community, voluntary, public and business representatives to sit with, and offer views to, local Councillors before they take local service decisions.

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Structures alone cannot empower communities. Through strong leadership centrally and locally a New Council for Lancashire would build capacity to empower people at grass roots level and would commit resources to make it happen. Size is not an obstacle to successful community engagement. It is a matter of culture and organisation. This response demonstrates how a New Council for Lancashire would be responsive to the local as well as the strategic services needs of all Lancashire people, as individuals and communities in villages, towns and neighbourhoods. It provides evidence of how the County Council already meets that challenge for 85% of local government services in Lancashire. Building on that performance and the best practices in community engagement that exist across the County, our model will give everyone in Lancashire a voice, a real opportunity to make a difference to their future wellbeing, and access to high quality services.

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Chapter 2 - Introduction and Overview The County Council's Position The County Council welcomes the opportunity to submit views to the Boundary Committee on their Report on draft options for a unitary structure of local government in Lancashire. Option 1 largely reflects the County Council's proposal for a New Council for Lancashire. Of the options out to consultation, the County Council, therefore, would favour Option 1. However, it is extremely concerned that in all options there are parts of Lancashire i.e. Cleveleys, Fleetwood and Whitworth, where residents are not offered any choice of a new Council and hopes that this will be rectified. On a general point, as the options currently stand without Option 1, Options 2 and 3 would not give most Lancashire people a choice of structure which would appear to be contrary to the intention of the legislation. The Council welcomes the views of the Boundary Committee on the advantages of a New Council for Lancashire, mainly that it: -

provides the lowest cost option for Lancashire.

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preserves Lancashire as a single entity. [Last Summer's MORI Poll shows the highest level of affinity amongst Lancashire residents for their County compared with elsewhere in the North West. Lancashire also has a powerful identity nationally and internationally.]

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provides the setting for a high-performing unitary authority, building on the current County Council's "good" CPA rating and its strong political and corporate leadership.

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has sufficient capacity to provide the full range of local government services with economies of scale that would extend to functions currently delivered by District Councils.

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preserves existing partnership working, with many partners' boundaries being coterminous with the County Council area and enabling subcounty partnerships to continue to operate.

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embraces a substantially stronger role for Parish and Town Councils, including delegation of services to those that acquire Quality Parish status.

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seeks to reflect local community identity and interests through a network of Local Cabinets with local Councillors responsible for local service delivery and representing the needs of local communities.

The Council shares the Boundary Committee's view that one of the most important challenges for a New Council for Lancashire would be to demonstrate that it could effectively engage with, and be responsive to, people in their communities. The Committee acknowledges that the 4

proposals for Local Cabinets could possibly address this although they are seeking further views. This response provides clear evidence of the County Council's effectiveness in addressing the service needs of all Lancashire's many and varied communities. A New Council for Lancashire is not a trade off between strong strategic capacity and local community representation. Our model can deliver both. The Structure of this Response Chapter 3 - A New Council for Lancashire in the Community - Structures can be put in place tailored to local circumstances to give genuine influence for villages, towns and neighbourhoods over the services in, and the wellbeing of, their areas. They will also enable the area’s needs and aspirations to be effectively represented when determining Lancashire-wide strategies and policies. A large organisation can organise itself to deliver locally, but a small organisation cannot act strategically. A New Council for Lancashire can do both. This approach is commonplace in the modern business world where commercial success depends on both strategic strengths in global markets and the quality and accessibility of the service or product delivered to customers in local high streets. Working closely with communities is not something new for Lancashire County Council. In the 1990's it pioneered a number of innovative local partnerships with service agencies and community groups focussing on social exclusion. Two years ago, the new administration of the County Council committed itself to developing further a 'locality focus agenda' to connect the Authority even more closely with District Councils and the then emerging Local Strategic Partnerships in each District. One of the first steps was an investment in a corporate Community Engagement Team, with a District Partnership Officer located in each of the 12 Districts. This has paid handsome dividends, through greater joint County/District working, a clearer local focus and direction for County services and greater quality of input to partnership working via the local LSPs. Effective community engagement is more than just structures. It is about culture and commitment to make it happen. Size is not an impediment. Chapter 4 – Connecting with Local People – provides evidence that shows we are becoming the type of organisation residents say they want and sets out in more detail the innovative communication and engagement activities we have used to achieve this success.

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Chapter 5 - Local Service Access - shows how the County Council delivers services into the heart of communities, and how a New Council for Lancashire can bring its economies of scale and resources to bear on innovative ways for individuals and communities to access all local government services. A New Council for Lancashire will meet the public's growing expectations for easier and more convenient service access in ways and at times which suit them. That means greater accessibility to all services through outlets such as schools, through local contact centres and maximum exploitation of 21st Century information technology. Chapter 6 - Managing the Business - addresses issues around Council size, and the support systems which exist now and will be developed further to enable all Councillors to manage the business of the New Council, centrally and locally, and to fulfil the important role of effectively representing people in their communities. Chapter 7 - Service Integration and Delivery - provides further evidence on service delivery supplementing our Stage 1 submission. The earlier submission went into some detail about how the strategic capacity and substantial economies of scale of a New Council for Lancashire would benefit Lancashire people through greater integration of services including housing and social care, waste management, cultural and leisure services, planning, highway maintenance and support for older people, young people and people from ethnic minorities. This time our response focuses on how a New Council for Lancashire:-

can be effective in combining the local dimension of the housing function with other neighbourhood services to improve the quality of life for residents at a grass roots level ie. peoples' liveability agenda.

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offers the best prospect of securing greater prosperity for all Lancashire people through its strategic capacity to deliver the North West Economic Development Strategy.

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can effectively deliver through its specialisms and expertise the Government's major policy objectives in its Green Paper “Every Child Matters”.

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would meet the challenge of the new licensing functions recently bestowed on District Councils under the Licensing Act 2003.

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Continued Improvement Lancashire continues to be rated a "good" council by the Audit Commission. In the recent CPA qualitative assessment undertaken in November 2003, inspectors found that Lancashire has made further improvements in services over the previous year. In particular educational attainment, recycling and social care services had continued to improve. The CPA 2003 states that the Council has robust plans in place to increase its ability to deliver agreed priorities through working in partnership with other organisations. Our recent Audit and Inspection letter says the County Council "has the potential to be an 'excellent' authority, and the score for the management of resources is even higher than in the initial CPA Assessment; now at the maximum 4/4 rating". Education Performance Indicators show continued improvement overall year on year with 60% of key indicators showing improvement. The overall performance in key areas is "good" with over 70% of indicators in the top two national quartiles and almost 27% in the upper quartile. These upper quartile results reflect the Council’s achievement in primary and pre-school education. Educational attainment has improved with a greater percentage of 16 year olds receiving 5 or more GCSEs, and improvements to the percentage of students gaining level 5 or above at Key Stage 3. Social care PIs show overall improvement year on year with 80% of the key indicators improving. For Lancashire 40% of the indicators are now in the top 40% of authorities. A second 'star' on Social Services would lead to an "excellent" CPA rating for the County Council. In its annual decision letter on Lancashire's Local Transport Plan Bid for 2004/5 the DfT were very complimentary about the progress made saying "…..a well presented and accessible document. It provides evidence of a well-managed programme and continues to make steady progress across a broad front. The programme includes some innovative and imaginative solutions. You have provided evidence of wide-ranging and effective consultation and partnership amendments." The LTP was rated as "above average". A continued improvement in Environment Directorate Performance Indicators puts Lancashire in the top quartile for 29% of all its statutory BVPIs, with 6 PIs moving into the top quartile during 2002/03. Year on year comparisons of outturns also show an improvement in 41% of PIs compared with the previous year. The Inspectors also specifically commented that the Council has worked hard to develop its approach to community cohesion and the older people agenda where there has been development and investment in services to support people in their own homes while decreasing the use of residential care, and has continued to work with the 12 District Crime and Disorder Partnerships 7

within the County and with the Lancashire Youth Offending Team to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. The Inspectors acknowledged that the Council has taken a leading role in establishing the Lancashire Strategic Partnership. The key to the success of the partnership is the commitment of the County Council and its partners to work jointly to achieve agreed goals. This partnership approach will help the Council play a leading role in ensuring there is a Community Strategy in place that reflects all Lancashire's communities. This will be critical to the future success of the new Council and its ability to track improvements in the quality of life of all who live and work in the County.

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Why a New Council for Lancashire? The County Council believes that ONLY A SINGLE UNITARY for Lancashire is large enough to gain substantial economies of scale to deliver high quality services; can speak up effectively for Lancashire, and maximise resources for the County from Whitehall and Europe - and yet act locally to represent local communities. It would be a very different kind of Authority - a modern Council fit for the 21st Century. It would bring innovative ways of integrating services, new ways for local people to access services which are more convenient to them and bring these advantages to all Lancashire's diverse communities. Partnership working is critical in tackling major social problems such as poor housing, unemployment, regeneration, health inequalities, crime etc. Partners need to work with a local authority with strong capacity to deliver. Many operate at county or sub-regional level such as the Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority, the Lancashire Learning and Skills Council, Connexions, the North West Development Agency and many more. Engaging with a single Council for Lancashire would simplify joint working. It would increase the effectiveness of partners through the greater flexibility for joint working which a single Council for Lancashire offers on the social and regeneration agenda. As well as strategic partnerships, joint working at a local level is vital to engage local communities in the community planning agenda. Under a New Council for Lancashire, existing Local Strategic Partnerships would be retained as a network of local partnerships together with the Lancashire LSP. Through a network of Local Cabinets based on local communities comprising locally elected Councillors with extensive devolution of budgets and services, a county unitary authority would combine the strongest resource capacity and economies of scale with local service delivery meeting local needs. EVEN MORE LOCAL COMMUNITY FORUMS CAN PROVIDE FOCAL POINTS TO HARNESS THE ENERGIES OF VILLAGES, TOWNS AND NEIGHBOURHOODS TO MAKE THEIR VOICE HEARD. Any local government reorganisation will be disruptive for local institutions, services, and residents and will mean substantial costs. A county-wide authority would be the least disruptive option - the County Council already provides 85% of all local government services in Lancashire. The Boundary Committee's own figures for the 'costs of being in business' show that a New Council for Lancashire would also be the cheapest solution i.e. option 1 would be £12.9m, option 2 £23.1m and option 3 £25.9m. The full cost of reorganisation would reflect these differentials. The complex, inter-dependent characteristics of Lancashire's communities inevitably make the task of devising a structure of multiple unitary local authorities in the County extremely problematic. This is borne out by the 9

Boundary Committee's draft proposals under Options 2 and 3 which, to achieve a 'fit', proposes that West Lancashire and the County town of Lancaster are removed from Lancashire to neighbouring areas! The County Council especially rejects the proposal to divide the current West Lancashire District between Wigan and Sefton Metropolitan Borough Councils. There are very few real community links to justify that and the proposal would reduce and not enhance community cohesion. It would create substantial upheaval in West Lancashire and the neighbouring metropolitan boroughs for no tangible benefits. In response to specific questions posed by the Boundary Committee, the County Council also opposes any suggestion to modify the New Council for Lancashire option by separating the County town of Lancaster from the administration of the County of Lancashire. Surveys undertaken clearly demonstrate that people travelling to and from Lancaster are far more likely to have destinations or origins in the remainder of Lancashire than in the South Lakes. There is also a very significant movement of traffic between the Port of Heysham and locations through East Lancashire and on to the East Coast. The Council also notes the additional costs that would be incurred under Options 2 and 3 to create joint Cumbria and Lancashire Police and Fire Authorities. OUR PROPOSAL WOULD PROVIDE THE STRONGEST AND CONSISTENT VOICE FOR LANCASHIRE IN THE NORTH WEST, TO MATCH THE ‘CLOUT’ OF NEIGHBOURING GREATER MANCHESTER AND MERSEYSIDE CONURBATIONS, AS WELL AS IN WESTMINSTER, BRUSSELS AND GLOBALLY. This is increasingly being recognised by bodies such as the Education and Business Partnership (contracted to the Learning and Skills Council to deliver, inter alia work experience opportunities, teacher placements, and enhanced learning in schools involving local businesses), Business Links and the Lancashire East and Lancashire West Partnerships. They are all now restructuring themselves on a pan-Lancashire footing so that they can more effectively deliver from a position of strength outcomes to benefit all Lancashire people and communities. A structure of multiple unitary authorities goes in the wrong direction. That would create counter-productive competitive pressures between communities over relatively small distances. Lancashire's closely spaced communities, have a high level of inter-dependency. Investment needs in one area can often be met more economically and effectively by development in another. NOW MORE THAN EVER, THE WHOLE OF LANCASHIRE NEEDS TO PULL TOGETHER TO SECURE, FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH, LANCASHIRE’S PRIORITIES AND INVESTMENT RESOURCES.

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Chapter 3 A New Council for Lancashire in the Community Introduction Our Stage 1 submission explained how the model for a new Council for Lancashire would be underpinned by extensive devolution to local Councillors of budgets and aspects of a very wide range of local services. Through structures tailored to suit each locality, individuals and communities will be empowered to influence service decisions and take more control of the wellbeing of their diverse localities. This response explains more fully how a New Council for Lancashire, through devolved arrangements, will engage with, and represent the interests of, all the diverse communities of Lancashire. The New Council for Lancashire will ensure that the key ingredients for effective community engagement are put in place, in terms of structures and, probably more important, the right culture, driven by strong community leadership.

Community Leadership Community leadership is about empowering people to make a difference to their wellbeing in the cities, towns and villages of Lancashire and developing effective processes for doing so. It is also about the role of a New Council for Lancashire in representing Lancashire people nationally and regionally to ensure the County's voice is heard to secure the County's rightful share of investment resources. Community leadership is also about developing and fostering a sense of place. The people of Lancashire already have a strong sense of place. Surveys conducted by Mori for both the Boundary Committee and for Lancashire County Council are testament to the identity and pride which the people of Lancashire have towards their Red Rose County. Lancashire is a county that is readily recognised all over the world with a strong historic tradition in both textiles and food production. Lancashire communities face a complex and diverse set of challenges. Local people need to know that all the relevant organisations in their area – public, private and voluntary – are working together in a common direction. Councils have a key role to play in developing a community strategy for their area, but this is not something they can do alone. Good community strategies need to reflect the needs and aspirations of local people. A shared understanding is needed with local partners about how they are going to be met. Developing a vision is not easy. Different aims and interests can give rise to competing demands for resources and action. The County Council already addresses those demands for 85% of local government services. The New Council would have a leadership role to play on the Lancashire Strategic 11

Partnership in managing these tensions, reconciling different views and working towards shared goals and priorities. The County Council has demonstrated its appetite and considerable capacity to undertake its community leadership role. Last year the County Council recognised its unique position to take the lead in developing a vision for Lancashire and provide a focus for partnership in delivering that vision. The Lancashire Partnership was formed. Bringing together the most senior civic Leaders, key public sector agencies and a broad spectrum of partners, the Partnership’s first task was to exchange ideas and sharpen a collective vision for the future of Lancashire. ‘Ambition Lancashire’ is the Partnership’s long term strategic vision for the future of Lancashire. It is underpinned by a comprehensive analysis of the social, economic and environmental pressures and needs of Lancashire, together with an analysis of the common and strategic issues emerging from the Community Strategies of the County’s 12 Local Strategic Partnerships. The County Council believes that by taking the lead in developing a community planning process for the County, there is considerable potential to improve the delivery of high quality public services. Our partners agree and the Partnership is now exploring some innovative projects to strengthen the delivery of public services and to tackle inequalities through a strategic and co-ordinated programme. The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) network and the emerging community strategies that reflect local priorities will be sustained through the Lancashire Partnership. The County Council's Locality Focus Agenda In the 1990's the County Council pioneered local community-based partnerships in the most deprived wards in Lancashire - in the inner areas of Preston, Hyndburn, and Skelmersdale. (Different support structures were developed in Pendle and Burnley.) Focussed on social exclusion the Partnerships brought together service providers to work alongside community representatives to identify local priorities for action and to 'bend' mainstream budgets to tackle deprivation in these areas. The County Council invested heavily in building capacity to ensure the community sector could participate fully in articulating local needs and aspirations and to help identify and act on solutions. A dedicated budget and professional policy and research capacity was provided to the Partnerships by the County Council. The partnerships later became incorporated into the framework of the Local Strategic Partnerships in these areas. Two years ago, the County Council launched a programme of activities designed to bring Lancashire County Council closer to the people. This Locality Focus Agenda is proving successful in joining up county services at local level and working closely with the District Councils and LSPs to reflect the diversity of needs of Lancashire people. 12

This exciting and challenging agenda is led by a dedicated and innovative corporate Community Engagement Team, from which a District Partnership Officer (DPO) has been appointed to work in each of the twelve Districts in Lancashire. Based in their district, the DPOs are senior and experienced officers. They provide a highly visible and unique interface between the County Council and partners, principally the District Councils, but also other partners at sub-regional, district and sub-district level. This ensures partners have a “route” into the County Council, leading to better mutual understanding and more effective relationships. As lead County officer representatives on Local Strategic Partnerships, the DPOs are responsible for co-ordinating the County’s input across all service directorates to key local issues including local Community and Neighbourhood Renewal strategies. The DPOs also organise County representation at LSP Working Groups and other multi-agency bodies at district level. The County’s investment in the Community Engagement Team is already paying dividends, with much greater co-ordination of services, support for local Councillors and greater engagement with local communities. This approach is continually developing and the County Council is currently holding talks with Hyndburn, Rossendale, South Ribble and West Lancashire district councils to pilot devolved decision making to local level and to pursue further opportunities for ‘joined up’ service delivery. It is not intended to prescribe a “one size fits all” approach. Activities to be devolved will be agreed locally to address issues pertinent to each District. The first pilots will become operative in the four district areas later this year, with the remaining eight being phased in during 2005 and 2006. A 'locality focus' will be at the centre of a New Council for Lancashire's policy objectives, building upon ours and District Councils' experience and best practice in community engagement. The necessary culture, organisation and resources will be brought to bear to ensure individuals and communities are empowered to make a difference in their quality of life.

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Devolution and Localism Structures To provide the necessary structures and processes to facilitate devolution and localism, a New Council for Lancashire would establish a network of Local Cabinets based on communities; a stronger role for Parish and Town Councils, and for each Local Cabinet area a Local Advisory Group to offer views before local Councillors take service decisions, and would support Community Forums to facilitate opportunities for individuals and communities in villages, towns and neighbourhoods to participate in local democracy. Local Cabinets Locally elected Councillors through Local Cabinets will lead the development of local community governance as well as being responsible for decisions on aspects of a wide range of budgets and services. The range of devolved devolution possible under a New Council for Lancashire was set out in some detail in our Stage 1 submission. It is not intended to repeat that here. The County Council recognises that Lancashire people and our partners may wish Local Cabinets to be based on other community footprints rather than existing District boundaries. Views will inevitably vary across the County and different solutions may be needed in different areas. If the outcome of the referendum in the autumn is that an elected regional assembly is to be established and the new Council for Lancashire is the unitary structure to be implemented, the County Council will ask the Lancashire Partnership to undertake an extensive and inclusive consultation to find out local people’s wishes for the areas upon which local Cabinets and the even more local Community Forums should be based. Extensive devolution of budgets and services to Local Cabinets needs to be based on areas of a sufficient geographic size for effective service delivery. At the time of our Stage 1 submission, it was felt that making use of district boundaries for Local Cabinets that had been in existence for 30 years and which many have come to identify with, was an appropriate starting point in developing the concept of local decision-making and influence. That model would also build upon established partnerships, particularly Local Strategic Partnerships and Crime and Disorder Partnerships in each District, and capitalise on the work undertaken on District-based community strategies. District areas also provide the building blocks for the local boundaries of many of our key partners. With so much structural change elsewhere - a new elected regional assembly and unitary local government - people may prefer, at least initially, the stability of local partnership working and decision-making based on established boundaries. But these are matters that will be put out to consultation and we will listen to what Lancashire people say. 14

Community Forums Across Lancashire there are numerous local forums/action groups of one sort or another which address people's service needs at the level of villages and neighbourhoods. These are more developed in some parts of the County than in others. A New Council for Lancashire would not be prescriptive nor adopt a rigid bureaucratic approach, and would want to build on what exists at present and develop local representative forums in areas that do not have them at present only if local people feel they will be of benefit to them. There can be 'no one size fits all' approach and there will inevitably be a variety of local groups/forums depending on local circumstances. But for simplicity, the concept of community groups/forums in all their various formats is described in this response under the generic term 'community forums'. However configured, it would be the aim for community forums to have the capacity to identify local service issues, priorities and potential solutions and make their views known to the Local Cabinet as well as to the Local Strategic Partnership. Parish and Town Councils Our earlier submission included proposals for embracing a stronger role for Parish and Town Councils where they so wish. This includes service delegation to those which acquire Quality PTC status. Parish and Town Councils are an important element of devolution and localism and there will be liaison processes which ensure maximum engagement between Local Cabinets, Community Forums and Parish and Town Councils. A New Council for Lancashire would ensure that Parish and Town Councils are given support in terms of information and, if appropriate, training and development to help them play their full part in local governance. The County Council already has a strong relationship with Parishes. Annually, it meets with the Executive of the Lancashire Association for Parish and Town Councils to discuss matters of common interest. In the mid 1990's, the Association and the County Council agreed a protocol for enhanced consultation between the Authority and Parish and Town Councils across all services. The Council's Champion for Parishes has, through his annual £10,000 allocation, contributed substantially to the Association in strengthening their staff support and enhancing IT systems. The Association's Secretary has now been provided with accommodation at a nominal rent within County Hall. Corporate County Officers have for the last 10 years attended Area Parish Committees to respond to issues on County services and to act as a conduit into the Authority. This is now undertaken by District Partnership Officers.

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Area Parish Committees There is an Area Parish Committee in each District - in one case two Districts are combined - comprising representatives of all Parish and Town Councils. District Officers and the County Council's District Partnership Officers attend. The Committees address issues of common concern to Parishes across the District area. This arrangement would be replicated under a New Council for Lancashire for each Local Cabinet area. Local Service Forums Currently in each District area of Lancashire the County Council has established District Liaison Committees for both Education and Social Services. These bring together service providers and user groups to discuss topical services issues. These could be continued and developed further to cover other service areas if local people felt that worthwhile. They are advisory in nature and are useful mechanisms for airing issues and putting forward views to the Council. Local Advisory Group There will be a Local Advisory Group for each Local Cabinet area. They will ensure that local views and opinions are clearly presented to Local Councillors before they take service decisions affecting their area. Membership will be determined locally not centrally, and include representation from Parish and Town Councils, and the voluntary and business sectors, Tenants and Residents Associations, Community Groups, Local Action Groups etc. The Group will sit with the Local Cabinet at all its meetings and express views directly to Local Councillors on all matters on their agenda and participate fully in debate. Because they are 'un-elected', they will not, in law, be able to vote. But they will be 'representative' of many aspects of local society. The Group will be perfectly placed to draw up and present shades of local opinions and views to Local Councillors.

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Officer Structure To implement Local Cabinet decisions and provide advice, an extensive Officer support infrastructure will be in place in each Local Cabinet area, headed up by a Local Director. He/she will be responsible for ensuring the co-ordination and integration of all local government services in the area and ensuring that their impact delivers the New Council's strategic objectives and local priorities as determined by the Local Cabinet. The Local Director will be supported by Local Service Heads and the full range of professional staff and specialists to deliver services.

Empowering Communities - 'Liveability' Devolution and localism under a New Council for Lancashire will expand the opportunities for individuals and communities to take a more active part in local democracy and the decision-making process. Local Cabinets and Community Forums can provide the vehicle for effective community engagement. Structures are the beginning not the end of community engagement. Innovative and imaginative ways will be needed to encourage participation especially by the 'hard to reach' groups. Most people, in fact, do not find 'sitting on committees' a meaningful form of engagement for them.

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Local Cabinets will be required to engage fully with local partners and communities, recognising the host of different communities of both place and interest within their areas. Different areas face different problems and have different opportunities. There will be parallel communities of background, interest of concern, for example, elderly people, young people, people with disabilities, local business people, all belong to many such communities. Local Cabinets will recognise this, and develop ways of engaging with these various groups and find ways to enable them to have an effective voice. People will need clear and consistent messages about what the New Council means by engagement and the expected outcomes. To ensure this is done effectively each Local Cabinet will be required to consult upon and publish a Community Engagement Plan. This Plan will show how the Local Cabinet and local communities will engage with each other and with local partners to develop and sustain best practice in community engagement and reflect the priorities for community cohesion. More local people than do now would like to have a say in how to improve their local neighbourhoods and communities. The 'trick' is to test and experiment with many different ways of engaging with people. Local Cabinets would seek to engage local people either individually or through community groups/forums in the following ways: § § § §

Asking them to identify local needs and priorities Seeking their ideas and solutions to tackle local problems Providing feedback on action taken Enabling them to implement specific actions or services

The techniques used should reflect the variable circumstances concerned such as the target audience, the issues involved, and the capacity of those involved. In some areas the local infrastructure required to support community engagement may be less developed than in others and will take time to build. As communities become more confident they may well press to extend the levels and types of engagement. Local Cabinets will be able to respond to this locally. Local Cabinets will engage with both communities of place (village, suburb, neighbourhood) and interest (younger people, older people etc). Within communities of place there are often minority communities of interest. To capture the diversity of views that exist within the communities of Lancashire, it will be essential to identify the groups that are not being engaged. To facilitate this, Local Cabinets will undertake an Equality Impact Assessment as part of the development of their Community Engagement Plans. Each Local Cabinet will have dedicated officer and other support mechanisms to help develop, co-ordinate and sustain local engagement.

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Through Community Forums based on smaller localities people will be able to influence decision making at a very local level, enhancing local democracy and community identity. Community Forums could be consulted by, and feed issues up to the Local Cabinet. Community Forums could:· · · · · ·

Respond to local cabinet consultation on local schemes Have the powers to influence local grant allocation Have the potential for some delegation subject to meeting quality criteria Have the powers to influence local cabinet decisions on schemes affecting their area Be able to raise items for discussion at the local cabinet Receive support for information, training and specialised community projects

Each Community Forum could have organisational representation on their LSP Board and direct representation on the LSP task groups. Local Role of Councillors The role of Councillors is key to community engagement. They know and understand the dynamics of their area - its problems as well as its potential. Their active participation not only through the formal machinery but also through informal contacts with local people is critical. County Councillors already engage actively with their local communities in many ways - formally on local groups and through action flowing from their local representative role. For example, County Councillors serve on: · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

School Governing Bodies Environmental Forums Environmental Local Liaison Committees Environmental Countryside Bodies Colleges Education District Liaison Committees Social Services District Liaison Committees 27 Councillors also serve on District Councils Theatre Bodies and Organisations Sure Start Bodies District Youth and Community Service & Connexions Advisory Committees Youth and Community Centres Patient & Public Involvement Forums (formerly Community Health Councils) District Carers' Forums Controlled and Assisted Community Homes Day Centre Forums 20

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Councils for Voluntary Services District Integrated Commissioning Boards Primary Care Trusts Local Strategic Partnerships District Highways Maintenance Partnerships Social Inclusion Partnerships Crime and Disorder Reduction (Community Safety) Partnerships Coastal Zone Planning Bodies Community Legal Service Partnerships Religious Bodies Trusts Housing Associations Community Forums and Associations Credit Unions Charities Arts Groups Pensioners’ Associations CABs Trades Councils Samaritans Ethnic Groups Road Safety Committees/Action Groups

The case studies below illustrates the sort of actions County Councillors take as part of their local representational role.

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Case Studies – Local Roles of County Councillors (Continued) Whinney Hill landfill site Two County Councillors established a joint county/district working group to look at ways of resolving longstanding and complex problems in respect of the Whinney Hill landfill site. These include waste management, planning, traffic and environmental issues. The group has now developed a number of options for consultation and has opened channels of communication with local residents via the Area Council and via a local pressure group. The establishment of the group headed off growing tension between residents, Hyndburn Council and the County Council. Supporting a Credit Union A West Lancashire county councillor was asked by the local Credit Union for help in obtaining funding and premises. He worked with Lancashire County Developments Limited (the County Council’s economic development company) to arrange funding for a support worker, and with the DPO to identify a central location for the Credit Union to locate a cash desk. Developing Community Resource Centres in redundant school buildings A County Councillor has been instrumental in helping two local community groups in the Springhill Ward, Hyndburn, to take over soon to be redundant school buildings to use as community resource centres. She liaised with appropriate Cabinet colleagues and used the District Partnership Officer as “project manager” to pull the initiative together. Springhill has suffered from a lack of community buildings for many years and this initiative will not only provide meeting/event facilities but also a base for local services such as youth development, adult education and community wardens. Finding a site for a sports club The Hussainia Cricket Club in Burnley wants to compete in the local cricket league but cannot do so without a cricket pitch they can use regularly. A Burnley county councillor is working with the group to identify a suitable site. Supporting Parish Councils’ Action Plans County councillors are actively supporting Parish and Town Councils in producing local action plans and in identifying how the County Council can play its part in delivering those plans. Supporting local residents A Wyre county councillor was approached by residents concerned that their efforts to have the alleyways behind their properties gated to prevent anti social behaviour were not being progressed. The Councillor has liaised with the County and the District Council to ensure that a proper procedure is followed to progress alleygating in the District.

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Case Studies – local roles of county councillors Street lighting A South Ribble County Councillor was approached by residents regarding the lack of working street lighting on a new housing estate in Leyland and why they were not properly installed. The County Councillor liaised with the District Partnership Officer to establish what the status of the highway was (it was not adopted). It was established that the developer was in breach of the agreement to adopt the highway (Section 38 agreement) and appropriate action was undertaken to resolve the situation. Traffic calming A South Ribble County Councillor has worked with concerned local residents to ensure that a traffic calming study was undertaken to establish the most appropriate method of reducing traffic speeds on the lane in question. A traffic calming scheme has now been designed and is currently the subject of a community consultation exercise. Road Improvements A Lytham county councillor has become involved on behalf of local residents on road improvements throughout Fylde these have included; the state of some of the roads in Lytham; access to Lytham Hall Gardens and to Blackpool Road. Further involvement has related to resurfacing work on Ballam Road. School Travel Plan A local primary school in a rural area is situated on a road with no footpath, no designated crossing area, and no public transport system to serve the school. As a successful primary school with a good reputation serving a wide catchment area 50% of pupils are obliged to travel by car. A local County Councillor was able to resolve the problems by establishing a school travel plan which went on to win the Best Primary School Initiative at the National Sustrans Travel Awards. Community Involvement County Councillors are involved in their communities in a variety of ways including voluntary work. Examples include roles such as WRVS organiser, Chair of Citizens Advice Bureaux and delivery of meals on wheels.

Making things happen Community leadership must involve more than just having a sense of direction and effective partnership working – it needs to make things happen. It involves strategic intervention. The new Council will be uniquely placed to initiate intervention, with its strong strategic capacity and responsibility for all local government services in the whole area. This does not mean that it would act alone, but it does mean that it would have first responsibility to step in and ensure the right thing happens. 23

The geographic size of the proposed new Council for Lancashire means that it would encompass a wide variety of communities, from the urban to the highly rural, with very different needs. The County Council tackles that diversity now and is able to respond quickly and positively to the needs of different communities. Two good examples of how the County Council is able to provide an immediate response and then develop long term strategic solutions, are: -

The foot and mouth outbreak in Lancashire and the longer term rural regeneration strategy. The County Council played a pivotal role in tackling the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Lancashire. Particularly in issuing animal movement licenses, and the heavy concentration of our staff 'on the ground' ensured the proper application of Defra guidelines. Our local knowledge and flexibility was a critical factor in addressing the issues that arose.

-

The serious disturbances in Burnley, and the Council's bid for major restructuring of schools in Burnley and Pendle - details of the bid are given below and are just one component of our response in addressing Burnley's difficulties. We are working with the DfES to progress our bid.

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BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE – EDUCATION IN BURNLEY AND NELSON Lancashire County Council and the Salford RC Diocese have submitted a bid for inclusion in the first wave of investment under the Building Schools for the Future initiative. The bid covers the replacement of eight secondary schools in Burnley and three secondary schools in the Brierfield and Nelson areas of Pendle. The proposal provides for replacement secondary school provision by construction of seven new 11-16 (mixed) secondary schools (five in Burnley and two in Pendle) and a new 1619 centre in Burnley. In addition the County Council wishes to provide for the integration of children with special educational needs into mainstream schools and the establishment of generic learning difficulties provision co-located with two of the proposed secondary schools. Separate Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) provision will also be developed. On one of the new sites the County Council wishes to establish a 0-16 campus that would include a Children’s Centre and primary and secondary school provision. Social services and healthcare services would be located on the campus. The facilities of all the new schools would be available for wider community use, including adult learning networks. On two of the sites public library facilities would be developed to replace existing provision. The overall objectives of the bid represent a clear and positive response to the 2001 disturbances in Burnley through raising pupil attainment, enhancing learning opportunities and promoting and supporting community cohesion. The proposals have been developed following extensive consultations involving the whole school community in the area, the Salford RC Diocese and other faith groups, Burnley and Nelson and Colne Colleges of Further Education, Burnley and Pendle District Councils, Local Strategic Partnerships and the Lancashire Learning and Skills Council. As a result of this consultation, all the existing school and District Council Stakeholders support the bid. The bid is a significant initiative, addressing local needs across two District areas, and Lancashire, as a strategic and well resourced LEA, has the flexibility to deliver quality outcomes for children and the local communities.

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RURAL REGENERATION The County Council has been awarded Beacon Status for ‘Supporting the Rural Economy’ in recognition of its long and consistent tradition of establishing, leading and evolving policy and action partnerships to formulate and implement rural regeneration strategies and action programmes. These strategies have evolved in nature from an emphasis on countryside management through to the development of an integrated rural regeneration strategy, which encompasses all aspects of the Council’s service delivery. In 1999, the County Council commissioned a research study into the local rural economy. This study provided a comprehensive analysis of Lancashire’s rural economy. The main issues identified were: · · · ·

That the rural population was not well equipped to respond to changing labour markets. That some marginalised rural groups were becoming socially and economically isolated. The key importance of access to employment and services, the provision of efficient transport solutions and delivering cost effective support services such as training and education. That rural tourism was a largely underdeveloped resource.

This study informed the development of the Council’s vision for its rural areas. It included a recognition that addressing these issues holistically would require a coordinated, intra-departmental and multi-agency approach Collectively the knowledge of the connections between the issues facing rural Lancashire, together with the experience of local integrated strategy development and project delivery, has given impetus to the County Councils work in bringing together a partnership of organisations from across rural Lancashire to work together to generate holistic and sustainable solutions to rural problems. The County Council began a programme of consultation with rural delivery organisations in early 2001, in advance of the FMD outbreak. Partners recognised the need and value of joint working and began the development of the Lancashire Rural Partnership. The Lancashire Rural Partnership is a concerted attempt to bring a much greater level of coherence and co-ordination to the ways in which support for communities and business in rural areas across Lancashire is planned, managed and delivered. In its capacity as lead partner of the Lancashire Rural Partnership the County Council has been a key player in developing the Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan (LRRAP) which identifies a series of Strategic Objectives which collectively will promote rural regeneration in Lancashire. Priority projects were identified by a series of consultation sessions held with partners from within rural Lancashire. These were organised by the Council on behalf of the Partnership and took place in November 2001. They included representatives from the agricultural sector, business sector and the tourism sector. Other sessions took place bringing together organisations from the environmental and community sectors.

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RURAL REGENERATION (Continued) The Action Plan seeks to address the long term structural issues faced by rural Lancashire. The Action Plan reflects many issues identified by the Lancashire FMD Taskforce. The Action Plan was launched at the Lancashire Rural Partnership’s Conference in March 2002 and sets out a clear framework for a programme of activity worth over £67M to be delivered over the next 5 years aimed at regenerating rural Lancashire. Through further consultation, the plan was refined by the Partnership and in August 2002 was formally submitted and has now been approved by the NWDA. The Action Plan identifies in excess of £16m of NWDA funding for Lancashire and provides a comprehensive and inclusive vehicle for the delivery of a shared vision for the prosperity of Lancashire’s rural areas. It will ensure that the work of all agencies in the County is co-ordinated and directed to the achievement of agreed and identified common goals and targets. The County Council is the Accountable Body for the Action Plan.

The New Council for Lancashire would: ·

improve responsiveness further. Within the policy, strategic and financial frameworks set by the new Council, Local Cabinets will have decision-making powers and budgets for aspects of the most significant range of devolved functions listed in our Stage 1 submission.

·

be best placed to promote the characteristics of cohesive communities where people feel empowered, have high levels of self esteem and where strong and positive relationships exist between people in neighbourhoods, in schools, in the workplace and in wider dispersed communities including rural areas. A strategic yet community focussed authority can apply its strong service and resource capacity to particular areas where much still needs to be done to achieve higher levels of community cohesion. As the provider of all services across the County, it would be in a position to co-ordinate and lead in this key area of policy and service provision, working in partnership with all public, private and voluntary, community and faith sector organisations. This approach is in keeping with the recommended approach to community cohesion as outlined in government guidance. Through economies of scale, and capacity a new Council for Lancashire would be able to respond to this agenda efficiently and effectively.

·

tackle problems at different layers i.e. working with communities of interest and of place, and with different community and service footprints if that is necessary to deliver effective and robust solutions. A current example is the Elevate initiative in East Lancashire, a major initiative bringing all services to bear on improving the quality of life in the sub-region. 27

This Chapter highlights the strong community leadership, which the County Council brings to bear to meet Lancashire's strategic and local needs. This evidences the capacity of a New Council for Lancashire to effectively represent all Lancashire's communities and ensure everyone has a voice.

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Chapter 4 Connecting with local people In response to concerns about the potential remoteness of a New Council for Lancashire we have examined the research we commissioned from Mori at the end of 2003. In particular we have explored how the views of Lancashire residents about the County Council compare to the national climate of public opinion towards local government. Nationally, Mori’s omnibus data demonstrate that public satisfaction with local councils has deteriorated significantly in the last seven years with a markedly steeper decline since 2000. In contrast, satisfaction with Lancashire County Council flies in the face of this national trend. In this climate of worsening public opinion we are extremely pleased to note that satisfaction with Lancashire County Council has remained steady. We also looked at the kind of council that Lancashire residents say they want. In 2000 we discovered that Lancashire residents wanted to be kept more informed about what we are doing and they wanted us to be less remote and impersonal as an organisation. These were recognised as crucial corporate goals and led to the strengthening of both our communications activities and our local engagement. In 2003 we have been pleased to discover that our significant efforts to connect with local people in their daily lives are producing the type of organisation residents say they want. · ·

We have successfully increased the proportion of people who feel well informed about what we do. This proportion has grown by over one third between 2000 and 2003. We have also reduced by one quarter the proportion of people who perceive the County Council as remote and impersonal. Now fewer than one in eight people strongly agree with this view.

Making the connection These achievements have been delivered through an integrated array of innovative communications and engagement activities all designed to open up the council and make us accessible through a range of channels. New technology has been harnessed as part of this process and this has enabled us to deliver at the forefront of the Government’s modernisation agenda. Fundamental to our success here in Lancashire has been our success at making communications and engagement relevant to the lives of local people, which relies on skilled and professional production and effective branding to ensure visibility.

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Our multi-channel approach to communicating and engaging with local people means that different people can find the level of engagement and the type of channel which is best suited to their daily lives. In this way we have been able to reach out to the widest range of people in the most relevant ways. A number of innovative and high profile initiatives have been introduced since 2000. Each was specifically designed to provide opportunities for communicating with and listening to local people. Each was designed to suit the needs and lives of different people. Cabinet in the Community These evening events are similar to BBC 'Question Time' and are held in communities right across the county around 15 times each year. Members of the public are able to ask questions and put their views to a panel of cabinet members in a format that is familiar to them. To enhance the process we use the skills of a local television news presenter as the host. There are no papers, no agenda and no presentations but there is full professional staging, lighting and sound. The public dictates the flow of the evening. The events are promoted locally using direct mail, newspapers, posters in local shops and radio advertising where appropriate. We make a point of notifying the local Youth Council and local youth groups to encourage young people to attend. These events are very well attended by people of all ages, they are lively debates and audience reactions are extremely positive. People find them both entertaining and enjoyable and they continue to be held right across the county providing a direct interface between the Cabinet of Lancashire County Council and local residents. Mobile Unit From our countywide research, we know that more than anything else, local people want County Councillors to listen to them and deal with their problems and queries. We needed to find a way of bringing the County Council in the shape of local councillors, right into the places where local people spend time. We realised this would mean having the facilities to hand for councillors to address problems and queries as well as providing information. The mobile unit is staffed on every visit by officers from Corporate Communications who support the County Councillors. Our solution was to acquire a mobile unit, which could be taken to town centres, and shopping centres around the county. The unit is equipped with state of the art mobile internet access so that even in the most rural parts of the county councillors can access the information the public is seeking and can email officers or other organisations on behalf of the public. The unit stocks a wide range of Lancashire County Council publications and has a DVD which shows videos of services. The presence of the unit is publicised in the local media. Evidence of our success in making the County Council both local and relevant is that we are currently handling in the region of 5000 specific enquiries each year through the mobile unit. 30

We plan to continue to schedule key venues for county councillor visits March 2004 onward including events like festivals and agricultural shows and we are improving publications available for younger children. Member Training and Development Lancashire County Council’s clear commitment to modernising its political processes and structures is also evident through its recognised Member Development Strategy. This offers all County Councillors access to an annual programme of training and development activities informed by Councillor consultation and individual Councillor development plans. For Cabinet members this includes the IDeA's Leadership Academy and the ‘Back to the Floor’ initiative (Members shadowing the work of Officers). Backbench councillors have observed House of Commons Select Committees and completed IDeA training on Chairing skills, Health Equalities and understanding local government finance programmes. Webcasting of Council Meetings Our internet site receives over 40,000 visitors each month and we have been screening our Monthly Cabinet meetings on the internet for over 12 months. Audiences have increased three fold since we began this initiative and following this success we now screen Development Control and Regulatory Control Committee meetings and will continue to extend this facility throughout the democratic process. We believe this use of the internet helps increase transparency, accessibility and brings the democratic process closer to the people of Lancashire. Technology to enhance the constituency role Lancashire is a large and diverse county. We understood early in the drive to e-government that technology provided the means to support our County Councillors in their local constituency role. All County Councillors are provided with laptops and ISDN lines which, together with our other online initiatives, means they have faster and more efficient means to access information and services as well as faster means of communicating with officers, other councillors and their support staff. Together this initiative is making real improvements to the ability of County Councillors to deliver their constituency role. County Councillor websites We are participating in the "Councillor.info” initiative which is organised by the LGA. Each County Councillor will have a website that contains generic information managed by the Council but which also enables the Councillor to add their own material which can then be viewed by local residents. County Councillors portal An internal tool, this pulls together relevant information from various websites into one area under a variety of headings and topic structures. County Councillors can then access the site which contains secure areas for use by political groups as well as a more general discussion forum area. Each District Partnership Officer also produces a monthly electronic newsletter for Councillors in each District which sets key local issues in policy contexts. 31

Together, the improved organisation and provision of information will contribute to enhancing the constituency role which is crucial to a more open and accessible organisation. Democratic Information System Lancashire residents are able to find out about council decision making and future plans through our comprehensive online information system. This provides access to the Forward Plan and the key reports and decisions of Cabinet, Cabinet Members, Chief Officers, Full Council and Committees. It is designed to be highly accessible and is available publicly via the internet, or via the intranet within the organisation. The system has been identified as an example of national best practice and is currently being enhanced to allow the public to track the progress of individual decisions and to identify issues by electoral division. Connecting young people and democracy As a major part of the Council’s contribution to Local Democracy Week 2003, the Council screened live over the internet a debate between the Leaders of its three political groups and three Members of the Lancashire Youth Parliament. The topic for the debate was the Government’s consultation on the lowering of the voting age and age of candidacy. An audience of 60 students and teachers was present with an online audience of over 3000 in Lancashire schools. At the end of the process a referendum was held on reducing the voting age to 16. The success of this event means that over the next 12 months the Council will host a series of debates on topics of interest to young people. SMS Consultation We have had success in encouraging responses to specific topics through including text message consultation alongside other techniques for consulting local people. We have found this offers yet another channel through which to engage with local people, one which proves particularly attractive to younger residents. Citizenship CD-Rom In conjunction with Lancaster University we are developing a CD-Rom to stimulate interest in local democracy and political processes amongst students at Key Stages 3 and 4. The CD-ROM uses cartoon characters to guide viewers through various sections. Topics covered include how councillors are elected and the importance of voting; what services are provided; the budget process; virtual tours of committee rooms/county hall; interviews with leading councillors on how and why they came into politics and interactive games.

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Chapter 5 Local Service Access The previous Chapters demonstrated that the County Council can effectively represent communities at the most local level and that we are connecting with local people. This Chapter describes how the County Council delivers services into the heart of communities and how a New Council for Lancashire would seize opportunities to be even more innovative in the way local people access services. In the Autumn of 2003 we commissioned Mori to conduct representative research with 2500 residents across Lancashire. This enabled us to compare current views of the County Council and its services with a similar exercise conducted in the Autumn of 2000. In the original research we were pleased to discover that many of our services received satisfaction ratings from service users that were in the top third of those collected by Mori from councils across the country. At the time, Mori commented that our services were receiving some of the highest ratings ever recorded. Our current evidence demonstrates that we have surpassed our previous performance. For example, 94% of users are satisfied with our library services that are locally delivered across the county. The extensive range and widespread coverage of existing County and District Council service access points, even without anything further actions would provide an effective infrastructure for service delivery and public access. Importantly this widespread coverage is also in place in rural communities as shown in the example of Ribble Valley below. Whilst these existing service access points (schools, libraries, information centres, registrars offices, etc) provide a comprehensive geographical coverage of Lancashire they also provide the basic infrastructure to develop an innovative and local approach to the interaction between community and the authority. MAPS Map 1 See Attached Colour Map at end of document

[Map of Lancashire showing all County Council public access points]

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Map 2 See Attached Colour Map at end of document

[Map of Ribble Valley showing District and County public access points including mobile services]

ANY street, anywhere:

The accompanying figures are all for Lancaster. 1,032 older people helped to live at home ; We marry XXX couples each year; 324km of road salted in winter ; 15,473 streetlights ; 1.76M annual miles on subsidised buses; 85,768 tonnes of waste disposed of or recycled; 19,970 pupils educated by 1,087 teachers; 3,162 pupils receiving extra support ; 1.177M items loaned from libraries; 393 people attending day care sessions; 682,529 children eat school lunch each day; 42 ‘lollipop patrols’ helping on the roads; 440 people receive ‘meals on wheels’, £2.67M gained with welfare advice 34

The County Council is also in the vanguard of innovative developments to make service outlets truly local community facilities. Community Use of Service Outlets Extended Schools Lancashire has a long tradition of encouraging and supporting its schools to become community or extended schools. Such schools work in partnerships with a range of agencies providing services beyond the ‘normal’ school day to help meet the needs of pupils, their families and the wider community. Many Lancashire schools are already providing extended services, including preschool groups, before and after school groups, holiday programmes, parent and family learning programmes, study support, information and computer technology (ICT) facilities and community arts and sports programmes. Partnerships with various organisations, including health, the police, adult and youth and community service providers, the Early Years and Childcare Partnership, District Councils and Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs), have enabled community use of school premises for leisure/sports, ICT, study, adult/lifelong learning, childcare, youth clubs and on site health care and advice services. There are clear benefits of schools offering extended activities and services. For pupils and schools there are wider opportunities for learning and specialist support which in turn increase pupil motivation and self-esteem, improve their behaviour and social skills and lead to higher levels of achievement. Families have better opportunities for involvement in their children’s education and to participate in adult education and family learning. They also benefit from better supervision of their children outside school hours and specialist support services on the school premises. The wider community can access essential services and facilities locally and have opportunities for learning and development. In recognition of the successful work already undertaken in this field, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) selected Lancashire as one of 25 Pathfinder LEAs in 2002 to develop extended schools with a particular focus on areas in receipt of neighbourhood renewal funding – Preston, Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle and Lancaster/Morecambe. Over £200,000 has been invested in supporting the further development of extended schools in these areas, following a service mapping exercise, and the production of guidelines and good practice case studies for schools, governors and community partners. Lancashire will receive further significant investment in 2004/5 of some £2 million to develop four full-service schools providing a range of core services, including childcare, health and social care, lifelong learning, family learning, parenting support, study support, sports, arts and ICT access, and to undertake local and strategic co-ordination and support of full-service and extended schools.

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Lancashire is well placed to respond to the Government’s agenda set out in ‘Every Child Matters’ to develop integrated children and family services, and to play a leading role in local regeneration in areas of neighbourhood renewal. The aim is for every school to become an extended school acting as a hub for all year round services to children, their families and the wider community. Services will go well beyond core educational functions and will include childcare, adult and family learning, health, social care, advice and community facilities. This vision will provide opportunities for the full range of council services to be accessed and delivered through extended and full-service schools, with IT links to the contact centre for the County.

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Rishton Norden High School According to Ofsted Rishton Norden High School has good links with the local community, industry, and with other schools and colleges. The Primetime Community Association and the Hyndburn Leisure Trust on behalf of the Borough Council provide leisure activities to enhance the opportunities available for out-of-school activities and support for pupils.’ The school provide a range of activities which include: counselling and mentoring sessions, drop in centre for health and sexual issues, summer schools and out of school learning support. Primetime also offer a range of activities which include: photography clubs, information technology and childcare facilities. A community beat manager has been based at the school since September 2002 for the Rishton area. One of the schools focus areas is teenage pregnancy issues and one of Primetimes focus areas is disadvantaged groups within the community. The school currently has a community use arrangement with charitable status between themselves and the LEA’s Youth and Community Service for community use. The school also has a dual use arrangement with the LEA and Hyndburn Borough Council where school premises are used jointly. The school use the ‘shared’ facilities during term time in the day time and Hyndburn Leisure Trust provides a community programme at evenings, weekends and during school holidays.

Deepdale Junior School The school is located in the Deepdale area in the centre of Preston and ranks 299 in the DETR deprivation indices. The local community has a high percentage of residents from the minority ethnic community, primarily Indian and Pakistani which is reflected in the makeup of the school. The school provides a programme of sports, leisure, health and educational opportunities. The lack of opportunity locally to access sporting activities by the target group prompted the school and a local football team to come together to address this issue.

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Deepdale Junior School (Continued) The scheme delivers a wide range of activities such as football, cricket, baseball, cycling, improvised games and after school clubs. It provides relevant educational and training programmes to enhance community capacity building. Local parents and volunteers are recruited and provided with relevant training opportunities for them to become community sports leaders, resulting in the improvement of the social and mental well being of young people. There has been a regular mothers and daughters activities group set up at the school that meets once a week (including during the summer holidays) to take part in a variety of activities. Many of the ladies are from the minority ethnic community and for most of them it is the first time that they have had the opportunity to take part in such activities. It is very well attended and is run in partnership with the Primary Care Trust's Parenting Project.

Libraries as a community resource: Libraries are at the heart of every community with 85% library buildings across the county meaning that 94% of the population of Lancashire live within two miles of a library building. For those people who do not live within easy reach of a library building, there is a fleet of eleven mobile libraries which visit rural and outlying areas of the county. Libraries deliver services to all parts of the community, ranging from the Bookstart project for babies to the individual service to people who are housebound and the Library Link service to elderly people who live in care homes and sheltered accommodation. In between we offer services to nurseries, schools, childminders, people with special needs, and people from minority ethnic communities, to name but a few. Recent developments have seen over 950 computers installed across all 85% public library buildings in the county as part of the People’s Network which offers free internet access to all members of the community. People use it for a wide range of purposes. A recent survey revealed that 48% of use has been in connection with seeking employment and study. Contacting relatives abroad is another popular activity. The People’s Network has also enabled libraries to offer a wide range of learning opportunities to the people of Lancashire – over 3000 learning opportunities have been offered across fifty libraries in the last year to date.

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Library buildings are being increasingly used by different organisations to deliver their services and information to local communities – welfare rights, education information, tourist information, inland revenue, councillors surgeries – amongst others. In addition they are host to a wide range of cultural events, from music recitals to multicultural activities some, but not all, organised by local staff in the local library for the local community.

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Information Technology 1.

To improve Service Delivery

The County Council has grasped the opportunities afforded by ICT for improving the quality, range and accessibility of local services. Communities and client groups as diverse as those across Lancashire demand a local focus, with services tailored to local circumstances, and this is reflected in our e-government strategy. The County Council endorses the statement in The National E-government Strategy, published in 2002, that e-government is “not just local e-government – but good local government.” Our vision for modernising services is based on the following principles: · · · · ·

·

Public access to a wider range of information and services, at times and in locations convenient for the public, including 24 hours a day; The ability to access services in a seamless way, irrespective of the different service providers involved; A better informed public, with communities and citizens empowered to take advantage of enhanced democratic processes; Greater public confidence in data security and confidentiality; Raised awareness of the opportunities afforded by these technologies; The development of new skills across the workforce as students have greater access to ICT, and it is used more extensively in the workplace.

To achieve this vision, we are concentrating on: · · ·

Providing a choice of access channels for contact based upon peoples preferences and demand offering electronic channels as they become stable and widely accepted; Creating and shaping demand for self and assisted service, by making it genuinely easy and convenient; Enabling multi-agency channels, working jointly with other service providers

We have come a long way since 2001/2, when we established our corporate intranet and computerised Geographic Information System, and equipped all our Councillors with PCs and email addresses. Following the roll-out of the People’s Network across Lancashire, around 94% of citizens are within two miles of a free, public internet access point, and this is consistent with recent national figures that 47% of citizens are online. Over half of our services are now delivered electronically. We have implemented a single telephone number for the County Council, through which we are starting to direct more services and the Highways Partnership is already demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach. The cornerstone of our e-government strategy is the development of a network of one-stop shops and a contact centre, which in some areas is in partnership with District Councils. The network, based on a shared infrastructure, will mean that seamless service delivery across these Councils 40

can become a reality. The network will support electronic service delivery, consistent standards of service delivery regardless of access channel, significant improvements in the provision of information to staff and to the public, and the implementation of a Customer Relationship Management system that will transform the Councils’ relationships with customers and citizens. This will be extended across all Lancashire under a New Council for Lancashire. Set out below are several examples that show how the County Council is using new technology to deliver a range of improved and accessible local services. Improving Service Delivery using ICT ·

Schools have fast and secure access to the internet, through the CLEO broadband network, and an extensive range of educational material is available through the National and the Lancashire Grid for Learning.

·

The county's 650 schools are now linked electronically to "The Schools Portal" system, which enables them to keep in contact with the Local Education Authority instead of having to rely on information sent by post.

·

The implementation of IT training centres, such as D@tabase in Clitheroe, which provide facilities and training for young people;

·

The provision of information targeted at and marketed for young people, through the What Now? telephone and email advice line;

·

Cyberskills centres in PDSI Older People’s Resource Centres are already making significant contributions towards helping older people and physically disabled develop skills to become more independent and integrate better and with more confidence, through the use of technology;

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Our SMILE centres in our libraries are going from strength to strength. These offer opportunities for young people with learning difficulties through multi-media equipment, and are now being extended to socially excluded adults.

·

Continued work with the NHS, to develop a single assessment process for older people, an electronic Care Programme Approach system for adults with mental health needs. We are also developing an electronic social care record capable of being shared with health partners;

·

Developing a pilot for the Integrated Children’s System. This will be a computerised client information system, based on the principles of multi-agency access and single data entry that will enable us to deliver on the proposals emerging from “Every Child Matters”, and at the same time strengthening links with other agencies;

·

ICT facilities are now provided to looked-after children, and we are developing online services with children and carers

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·

We are using telemetry to support more independent living for older and vulnerable people, in partnership with Pendle Borough Council Housing, through the use of smart assistive technologies in conjunction with Pendle’s alarm console in warden controlled units. We have already received positive feedback from clients and carers for this service.

·

15 ICT Learning Centres for rural areas are being developed, in a multi-agency partnership project. They will use the Cumbria and Lancashire Education Online (CLEO) network infrastructure, developed in partnership with Cumbria County Council and Lancaster University.

·

Websites, e.g. www.SaferLancashire.com, are used to raise local awareness of community safety partnerships, and to support the partnerships in their work. The network of kiosks, LINKS, also provides information on these issues, and recently ran a domestic safety campaign in conjunction with the Police and the NHS.

·

We have opened a dedicated telephone hotline for residents across the county to report highways faults. The Highways Partnership covers District Councils as well as the County services, and we have already received feedback from customers welcoming the more accessible, and more responsive service now being provided.

·

The ‘Total Transport Network’ project co-ordinates all aspects of transport through the provision of real-time information, and faster and easier access to public transport information, either through our dedicated contact centre, or through the use of SMS text messaging;

·

The Lancashireatwork.com website provides information and marketing support to over 7000 local businesses, and on the role of Lancashire County Enterprises Limited (LCEL), the county council’s wholly owned economic development company, in providing support services to local businesses, which relies heavily on the use of ICT.

·

Lancashire's national award MARIO GIS system provides a single publicfacing internet-based mapping system into which many services have been integrated. It can be used to: - find an address or a road within the county; - display Public Rights of Way and other countryside information, and find out where schools and libraries are located, along with the location of safety cameras/accidents; - Historic Ordnance Survey maps for most the urban areas, and aerial photographs available for the whole of Lancashire; - it also shows who the County Councillor is at any given location in the County. It has received many favourable comments from residents in the County and won the award "For demonstrating excellence in the effective use of information management for the delivery of public services".

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Case Study LINKS – Bringing Vital Information to Communities The Links project was set up in 1999 to redress the fact that a large number of people do not have sufficient access to electronic information, either because they did not have computers at home, or did not have the confidence to use computers. Now LINKS provides the public with free, easy-to-use, touch screen information kiosks. As a partnership project, it gave local communities a true sense of ownership by involving them in planning the project. Since its pioneering beginnings, the project has grown to include more urban areas and in doing so is reaching a much wider range of needs. The kiosks continue to be widely used by the public and in 2003, the network of 40 kiosks received over 130,000 users. This is a remarkable achievement, as nearly half of the 24-7 kiosks are located in rural areas. Kiosk locations are not restricted to council buildings as many are sited in community facilities that will attract the most usage. Current locations include supermarkets, health centres, bus stations, village halls, and County Information Centres. There are plans to expand the number of kiosks in 2004 through partnership working with various organisations. The first 24-7 kiosk to be installed was in Caton in 1999 following a public meeting to gain people’s views. Local residents have actually been involved in much of the decision making on the future of their project and feedback has been very positive. Members from the local community and businesses have also taken the opportunity to receive IT training to enable them to produce their own content for the kiosk transforming it into a credible and useful community tool.

Multi-Agency Data Exchange The County Council has a led a strategic initiative with community safety partner agencies to develop the Lancashire Multi-Agency Data Exchange facility (MADE). This is an example of how the County Council works at a strategic level with partner organisations (including neighbouring unitary council areas) to deliver a cost effective and efficient means of collating and disseminating data for the purposes of providing analytical services to assist 14 crime and disorder reduction partnerships in their statutory auditing and monitoring processes.

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Multi-Agency Data Exchange (Continued) The project collates, cleanses and processes data from a wide variety of sources such as police, probation, youth offending teams, ambulance service, Drug Action Teams, local authorities, The Fire and Rescue Service as well as census and neighbourhood statistics. Mapping the data enables area profiles and tables to be generated. It also enables monthly performance information from the police to be mapped to wards. The services are web based using a password protected area and integrated with the corporate GIS (Mapzone) on the Intranet, to which other partners are developing access. The project has gained regional and national recognition.

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Chapter 6 Managing the Business Council Size/How it will work It is proposed that the New Council for Lancashire would have 84 Electoral Divisions (which is the draft recommendation in the Lancashire Periodic Electoral Review) with two Councillors representing each. There are currently 583 District Councillors and 78 County Councillors in Lancashire and under any multiple unitary structure for the County the number of Elected Members would be reduced broadly to the same extent. Under our model, all Councillors will serve on Local Cabinets. There will be particular demands on key local service portfolio holders. As well as their local roles Councillors will need to fulfil the organisational needs of the centre i.e. 10 Members to form the Council's Executive, and service Council Committees such as Licensing, Development Control, Regulatory etc. as well as Overview and Scrutiny. Therefore, there will be some Members whose primary focus inevitably will be on local decision-making, especially those with key service local portfolios. There will be others whose primary focus will be at the 'centre' servicing the corporate Cabinet and leading roles/chairing Council Committees/Overview and Scrutiny. In between those 'extremes', with a total of 168 Members, there is capacity to ensure that the organisation's demands on Members can be met. Also with support mechanisms some of which are identified below, Councillors will have the capacity to fulfil a strong role representing their local communities: -

locally based dedicated officer support to help Councillors tackle their representational/constituency functions.

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local secretarial support to Local Councillors especially Local Portfolio Holders.

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locally based professional service staff and Community Engagement staff led by an Area Director and local service heads.

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extensive use of developments in 21st Century information technology to make communication between Councillor and citizen and Councillor and Council Directorates much more streamlined thereby increasing capacity of Councillors to work 'smart'.

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Member training and development.

A particular attraction is the 2 Member electoral divisions that would mean at least one Councillor is able to represent that division whether at Local Cabinet, Community Forums etc if the other is unable to because of other Council business. 45

Overview and Scrutiny The County Council currently has four Overview and Scrutiny Committees, operating largely through a network of Task Groups. They are supported by a dedicated team of policy and administrative officers. Our Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee includes a co-opted Councillor from each of the 12 District Councils, in recognition that health provision and issues around health inequalities have a strategic and local impact. Service review programmes on the Committees include not only strategic County-wide matters but also more local sub-county service issues, for example road safety in particular problem areas. In Lancashire, Councillors have been given considerable training and development to support them philosophically and practically to fulfil their new roles effectively. Good progress has been made and our Overview and Scrutiny Committees now make a strong contribution to reviewing service provision. To co-ordinate review programmes, we have an Overview and Scrutiny Management Panel, and this has proved very effective in bringing greater clarity and structure to ensure reviews progress expeditiously and lead to an outcome. The new executive/scrutiny form of governance introduced by the Local Government Act 2000, has engendered much greater cross-party working in Lancashire. Opposition leaders have a right to participate fully in debate in Cabinet before decisions are taken, although they may not vote. All positions of responsibility are allocated on a cross party proportional basis. Under a new Council for Lancashire, we believe the Overview and Scrutiny function can be even more effective. First, a key component in the role of Local Cabinets will be to monitor the impact of all services in their areas. Service data including performance indicators etc. will be disaggregated to provide good management information to enable local councillors to exercise that role. Monitoring in this sense is not a passive exercise; local councillors will also initiate local reviews of particular services or cross-cutting themes with a view to raising service standards. That local monitoring role means that most service review activity will take place locally through Local Cabinets. That will enrich substantially data available to central Overview and Scrutiny Committees about the impact of all services. As all Councillors will serve on Local Cabinets, their hands-on experience of local services and their enhanced representational role will add value and bring greater clarity and focus to central overview and scrutiny activity. In terms of structure, there will clearly need to be an “area” dimension to overview and scrutiny to act as a check that Local Cabinets are delivering on Lancashire-wide policy frameworks and strategies and are working effectively 46

in the interests of local communities. That could be through either a single Committee charged with overseeing devolved activity or it could be part of each O&S Committee's activity within their particular thematic remits. Or it could be a combination of both. Either way, we believe the overview and scrutiny function overall will be strengthened through the experience of all Councillors' local service and monitoring roles.

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Chapter 7 Service Delivery and Integration As a very different authority in terms of size and the diversity of its communities, the New Council for Lancashire would bring, through its capacity and economies of scale, innovation to service delivery to match people’s growing expectations for ease of access to the services they need at times and locations which suit them. Our Stage 1 submission went into some detail on the opportunities our model presented for greater integration of services to local people, including housing and social care, planning, development control, trading standards, environmental health and the county laboratory, waste management, leisure and cultural services, public protection etc. It is not intended to repeat that in this response. Rather, this Chapter takes the opportunity to show how a New Council for Lancashire would: -

integrate local housing and neighbourhood services to improve people’s quality of life at the most local level.

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meet the substantial challenges of integrating children’s services.

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offer the only real prospect of delivering for all Lancashire's communities the North West Economic Strategy bringing much needed investment to the whole of the County.

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outlines how the District’s new licensing responsibilities would be delivered.

Housing and Neighbourhood Services The Stage 1 submission outlined the benefits of a New Council for Lancashire to address the increasingly strategic nature of a Housing Authority's role. This time we address the opportunities afforded by a New Council for Lancashire to comprehensively and efficiently integrate housing and neighbourhood services to improve the quality of life of local residents. The County Council does not wish to be too prescriptive at this stage, as much work will need to be done to develop the process and build a successful housing strategy. However, it is possible to demonstrate how a Lancashire Strategic Housing Authority could successfully combine its key services to improve the quality of life for its residents at a neighbourhood and village level.

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A New Council for Lancashire would have at its heart a commitment to community consultation and involvement in decisions about the future of homes and quality of neighbourhoods. Local Housing and Neighbourhood Teams: Our new local Housing and Neighbourhood Service would be structured to meet the needs of our local communities in the round. A strong strategic focus would be developed at the centre of our organisation, which will empower an effective local response to the diversity of housing and street scene needs of each of our communities -villages and neighbourhoods. What matters to people is the reality of their daily life: the fabric of their neighbourhood or village; the maintenance and cleanliness of their area, their streets and open spaces; the maintenance of the pavements, footpaths and roads; and street lighting – amongst other things. This is the stuff of life for communities across the breadth of Lancashire. It is the liveability agenda. A new Council for Lancashire would seek to have local housing and neighbourhood teams within each local cabinet area capable of managing these types of issues, and allocating work required to appropriate staff or contractors. The number of teams and their location within each cabinet area would be influenced by local needs, priorities and circumstances. The teams would have clear and consistent service aims, standards and priorities. The teams would respond to reports of failing street lights, inadequate pavements, fly-tipping and fly-posting, the clearance of broken glass or barbed wire dangling by the side of the playground, graffiti removal, and problems of vandalism. Housing and neighbourhood services could be accessed through a range of service access points located within neighbourhoods and communities, including the local Contact Centre, Information Centres and One-Stop shops. These access points would include local housing surgeries held within neighbourhoods and villages, visiting mobile service facilities providing welfare benefit and housing benefit advice and access to services via IT facilities located in community buildings and centres. The new council for Lancashire would look to develop a ‘super caretakers’ scheme for each local cabinet area. We would learn from the best practice identified in similar housing and neighbourhood service schemes across the country. The ‘super caretakers’ would link to the housing and neighbourhood teams located within each local cabinet area and could help to provide an immediate response to tackle problems within priority areas. The priority areas within each cabinet area would be identified by local cabinets in consultation with the community. Our experience in developing the Parish Lengthsman Scheme demonstrates our commitment and success in developing this type of initiative capable of responding to local need.

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The lengthsmans scheme is, in essence, the re-incarnation of an old concept; a locally employed person, maintaining roadside verges and drainage, public open space and pathways. The role also involves tackling small-scale environmental projects directly or jointly with the local community and partners. There are now 10 Parish Lengthsman Schemes operating in 29 parishes throughout the County. The scheme is a joint venture funded by the Parishes involved, Lancashire County Council, District Councils and the North West Development Agency. We will be motivated and driven by local customer needs. We will develop meaningful local performance indicators. We will compare our performance locally, nationally and regionally, building on good practice to ensure we meet the needs of our diverse communities. Tenant Participation and Involvement: A New Council for Lancashire would seek to work with local authority tenants and leaseholders to develop a Lancashire Wide Compact. This is an agreement on how they will be involved in the management of their homes and neighbourhoods, and an agreement on standards of service. A Lancashire Compact would ensure consistent high standards of involvement irrespective of where a person lives in Lancashire. It would set out our commitment for involvement and the way in which we would resource, empower and support tenants and leaseholders at each local level. The key to successful compacts is to ensure that they are a two way communication process. We would involve tenants and leaseholders in the development of the compact and would build on good practice across Lancashire. The Lancashire Compact would be reinforced by local tenant and leaseholder compacts. These would be tailored towards the diverse needs of our communities of interest in Lancashire, i.e. rural communities, particular geographical communities of interest, young people, supported tenants and residents in extra care housing. Local compacts and themed compacts would be influenced by, and inform the Lancashire wide compact. Capacity Building: This is an important aspect of enabling tenants to become involved in local decision-making. The New Council for Lancashire would have the economies of scale to deliver comprehensive ongoing capacity building through community development workers – part of the neighbourhood service team. A Resource Centre could also be developed which could provide up to date information for tenants across Lancashire on a wide range of ongoing issues. This could include a website dedicated to tenants. The work already underway to develop a Community Portal for Lancashire demonstrates the authority’s commitment to the use of technology to support stronger communities. 50

Landlord Forum: We would ensure Landlord Forums are in place to promote good practice across Lancashire in relation to the letting of property. This would form part of our neighbourhood renewal strategy to improve the condition of private sector stock within localities.

Other Housing Related Issues Supporting People: The Supporting People programme offers vulnerable people the opportunity to improve their quality of life by enabling them to live more independent lives in the community. It introduces a new system of planning, monitoring and funding for housing related support services. We have set up a commissioning partnership of the current 12 housing authorities, 8 PCTs, the Probation Service and Social Service Directorate. In our first year of operating the Supporting People programme, we have managed a budget of £30.6m and funded over 150 service providers to meet identified local need. We have identified areas of local need using population profile, deprivation indicators and local intelligence. This has enabled resources to be targeted at localities where need is high. Extra Care Supported Housing: During the past two years, discussions have taken place with partner agencies in ten of the district council areas of Lancashire, to commission and develop extra care supported housing for older people. The result has seen an increase of 91 units across the County in two years (from 16 in 2000/01 to 107). By the end of 2003/04 the projected figure will be in the region of 150. We have commissioned 50,000 hours of care support a year across the county to facilitate these arrangements and respond to local needs. This directly supports the Government’s national priority to promote independence for older people, and reduce the number of admissions to residential care. It demonstrates our ability to act strategically to meet housing related support needs of older people in local communities. Elevate: East Lancashire is part of a national pathfinder initiative to tackle problems of abandoned and run down housing. This initiative is rooted in tackling regeneration in the round, with housing as a key driver. The approach is part of the Sustainable Communities Plan (ODPM 2003) that outlined a new approach to addressing the problems of housing demand.

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Our approach has seen us focusing on a range of local factors that contribute to the quality of life in these deprived areas, in order to improve housing demand. This again demonstrates our commitment and capacity to respond to local needs. A unitary Lancashire council would play a pivotal part in shaping and delivering this initiative to address local issues pertinent to East Lancashire. A new council for Lancashire could also maximise opportunities to passport innovation and good practice around the County and effectively use the lobbying potential created at a regional, national and international level. A ‘New Council for Lancashire’ will seek to develop a comprehensive ‘community empowerment’ approach to neighbourhood management. This approach will help to ensure we are able to respond to the different needs of each local neighbourhood area and village, and improve the quality of life for that area – identifying the local solution through consultation, engagement and participation, and delivering it through a locally based multidisciplinary neighbourhood service team.

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Integrated Children's Service Following the publication of the Green Paper “Every Child Matters” (ECM) in September 2003, the County Council has put in place initial measures to ensure an effective and coherent response to future legislation anticipated in summer 2004. This includes: ·

Creation of a Children's Modernisation Board, made up of the two Cabinet Members for Children and Families and Education along with the Chief Executive and chief officers of all directorates. The Board will in due course receive proposals for the implementation of Every Child Matters.

·

Establishment of an ECM Project Team, with a core and extended membership involving managers of mainly targeted children's services from Education, Social Services and the Youth Offending Team. The Project Team is working up proposals for how current services can be developed and reconfigured to provide an integrated response to the needs of children and their families in Lancashire.

The Government has set out in ECM five outcomes which matter most for children and young people, which are: ·

Being healthy

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Staying safe

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Enjoying and achieving

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Making a positive contribution

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Economic well-being

These are entirely consistent with the County Council’s corporate objectives. The County Council is a major commissioner and provider of services for children and families. The County Council's vision is that these services should be both excellent and innovative and should be delivered in partnership with others. The lessons learned from Lord Laming’s report into the death of Victoria Climbie indicate that avoiding fragmentation of services is one of the underpinning features of a system which safeguards children’s welfare, and results in better co-ordination, improved information sharing and clearer lines of accountability. The implementation of the Green Paper proposals, and the development of more integrated services, represents a challenging, high profile task. The County Council believes it has the necessary capacity, skills, and expertise to be able take forward this agenda over the next months on a scale that would not be possible in smaller authorities. The County Children’s Services Planning Group has a proven track record of multi-agency planning, and engagement of key stakeholders from the voluntary and statutory sectors. By the time a single Council for Lancashire is implemented, it would then be a very good time to look at how the relevant incoming services could also be integrated to add further benefit – housing, sports and leisure services and 53

community services. This would be a radically new way of ensuring the sort of effective collaborative partnership working that is expected, particularly in an arena of such potential high risk. With the benefit of experience the next few years will offer, the new Council would then be in an excellent position to develop a service structure that could become a model of best practice.

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Economic Development There is a strong imperative for a countywide integrated economic development function if Lancashire is to compete in a global market for trade and investment. It is only through an integrated approach to social, environmental and market needs that a truly balanced approach between local and global economies is achieved. This can only be achieved under a New Council for Lancashire. The North West Regional Development Agency believe that the NW Economic Strategy – tackling Business Development, Regeneration, Skills and Employment, Infrastructure and Image – is best delivered by sub-regional partnerships, of which Lancashire is one. The NWDA has moved from its previous policy of recognising and supporting the two sub-regional partnerships in Lancashire (East and West), to one of seeking a unified panLancashire approach, with a single economic strategy and a clear and consistent voice for Lancashire within the North West. The County Council recognises that traditional approaches to economic development do not deliver the overall quality environment in which people and places flourish. Rather, the function of economic development is to build integrated sustainable micro and macro economies. This necessitates a holistic approach that incorporates within the aims and objectives of all local government services an economic development element. It is essential that strategic priorities are set that will better inform innovative approaches to economic development which will not be possible in a structure of multiple local authorities in Lancashire. The organisation and management of economic development will require a strategic network approach to service delivery; building flexible teams of multidisciplinary expertise able to respond to local needs, national, regional & global challenges. This is exemplified in the creation of the model developed by the County Council - Lancashire County Developments Ltd – a trading company that incorporates within an innovative framework tourism, regeneration, property development and community economic action. Our aim is to create an economic environment within Lancashire where: · · · · · · ·

Infrastructure supports the development of the large and diverse economy consisting of a strong mix of over 35,000 registered companies representing all sectors of the UK economy; Planning is flexible and responsive to local needs; Business has the tools and operating environment to trade effectively; Entrepreneurs can flourish; Local people have an individual sense of well-being and self-worth; Inequality is reduced; and Communities are empowered through effective mechanisms of local participation.

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To achieve this we have expanded the operation of Lancashire County Developments Ltd, the County Council’s wholly owned not-for-profit economic development company, which, in conjunction with County Council Directorates, delivers an integrated package of products and services to people who live and work in Lancashire. These include: ·

Integrated area based regeneration: Through working across the diversity of Lancashire, the County Council has built up expertise in creative regeneration solutions. These include physical regeneration of land and buildings both directly and through a range of joint venture or special purpose vehicles. These activities are complimented by a network of partners to ensure that area based regeneration meets local, regional and national strategic objectives. This role is therefore a special one, utilising the cross cutting theme of economic development to bring the comprehensive range of County Council services to bear on local area based regeneration and integrating them with all the local and regional partners.

·

Land Development and Business /Technology Parks Lancashire Business Park, Leyland: Set in the heart of Lancashire with easy access to the motorway network, the Lancashire Business Park at Leyland offers both existing office and industrial premises and development land ready for new builds. With office accommodation available up to 2,550m², and industrial units from 500m² to 42,000m² accommodation on this site is highly sought after. Over the last few years occupancy has risen steadily and currently some 60 businesses have made it their home.

·

White Cross, Lancaster: White Cross, lies at the heart of Lancaster City Centre and boasts over 400,000ft² of high quality accommodation. Currently home to 125 companies ranging from publishers to plasterers, this successful site is close to the motorway network and the West Coast Main Line. In the shadow of the Lancaster Canal and Williamson Park, this stunning complex was created by Lancashire County Developments Ltd from a former mill complex and has been transformed into an area with a character quite its own. A comprehensive £ 0.25 million refurbishment of the office accommodation is nearing completion, offering tenants an even better environment for 2004.

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·

Joint Venture/Partnership arrangements: Lancashire County Developments is currently working with a range of regional and local partners to develop a Technology Centre at the former Michelin Site in Burnley. The Technology Centre will provide high quality managed workspace targeted at new and growing small and medium sized enterprises. The aim is the creation of long lasting jobs, wealth and prestige for the sub region and the region by attracting inward investment in and around the Centre. ·

Environment: Renewable Energy Cluster Development - the County Council is a key partner in the Lancashire Community Renewable Partnership along with the University of Lancaster and Powergen. This Partnership is working to promote the development of micro-scale, community based renewable energy initiatives on a Countywide basis. The Partnership is involved in the design, testing of equipment and processes involving local on-shore wind, biomass and hydro power applications. Projects are designed to promote maximum engagement with local communities and SMEs. In the case of the latter, ‘green loans’ are available through a modified Rosebud scheme by Lancashire County Developments (see 'Finance' below) to encourage maximum engagement of businesses able to exploit opportunities in this emerging sector.

· Integrated waste management initiative: Lancashire County Developments is working with the County Council partnership in the development and implementation of strategies for municipal waste management. The delivery of Lancashire's Waste Strategy is based on a number of strategic sites collectively fulfilling a waste concentration and processing function across Lancashire. The most advanced of these plans is the development of a 'Waste Technology Park' situated Lancashire Business Park in Leyland. To maximise the wider economic potential of this investment it is proposed to create a Lancashire Waste Innovation Infrastructure (LWII) which will support entrepreneurship, innovation, business growth and economic development in the waste technologies market by; ·

Creating commercial advantage for users and developers of waste technology based products and services;

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Supporting an industry led Waste Innovation Centre operating in partnership with the Universities and the private sector to deliver relevant knowledge-based resources and programmes to help create competitive advantage for Lancashire businesses; 57

·

·

Developing and delivering a programme of training and development tailored to the needs of businesses operating in the Waste Technologies market;

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Providing a range of relevant information services in support of the LWII aims.

Education and Training: The County Council is piloting a project to enable 60 young people aged 16-19 who fit into the ‘Neet’ Group (Not in Education, Employment or Training) to enter Employed Foundation Modern Apprenticeships within the trades sector, delivered by local providers. The pilot areas cover the whole of Lancashire. In partnership with an Engineering College and Engineering Employers in West Lancashire, LCC are piloting an initiative to create an Engineering Sector Student Apprenticeship Programme and Engineering Hub. The programme will offer young people in full time pre-16 education a co-ordinated approach to education and workrelated learning leading to a Modern Apprenticeship.

·

Links to Elevate Programme: The economic development team at the County Council will directly contribute to the UK Government funded ELEVATE initiative which is focused on housing regeneration in East Lancashire, as a significant component of the wider community cohesion and development agenda. The County Council support will include working with partners to encourage business investment and growth and to create infrastructure improvements to attract new employers. The County Council will also provide project management expertise and work with local community groups to optimise the benefits of the ELEVATE initiative, improving housing quality, the availability of skilled jobs and quality of life.

·

Finance: County-wide funding applications – with a remit covering the whole Lancashire County Council area, and through working together with a wide range of partners across the county, LCDL is in an ideal position to co-ordinate, submit and manage programmes of funding to deliver support activities on a county-wide basis. This includes submissions to the major funding bodies such NWDA’s Single Programme, Lottery and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Rosebud Loan Fund – more than 97% of local employers are small and medium sized enterprises that can sometimes find it difficult to secure all the finance they need to grow and develop. Through Rosebud they can get financial help by way of loan, equity or a combination of the two. During its 16 years in existence the Rosebud Fund has invested 58

over £4 million in Lancashire businesses helping to create thousands of local jobs. Venture Capital and Community Finance Initiatives – entailing the provision of investment in start-up and expanding small and medium sized enterprises county-wide, both rural and urban. Lancashire County Developments Limited in partnership with Business Link has established a single gateway for accessing all forms of SME development funding, consisting of a cocktail of structured funding incorporating loans, equity and a range of other financial instruments. ·

Social Enterprise: The facilitation and support of effective locally based community services is an important part of the inclusion agenda. The County Council directly creates and improves community service networks, including credit unions and community enterprises. This is achieved through the provision of a range of County wide products that include micro-credits, workspace and incubation provision, training and project management. Working with the Business Links, Faith Groups and local communities’ new ideas are piloted and local ownership encouraged. A range of community assets may then be delivered, including community centres, social enterprise incubators, training facilities and even community gardens and allotments.

·

Community Development: The development of community networks to support social enterprise also includes direct support for minority groups such as the ethnic minority women’s network and disabled people. Working through the Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP’s) and their partners including Sure Start, the County Council ensures an inclusive approach is taken in service provision and in the creation of jobs and improved prosperity. This includes skills development, business finance and workspace building.

·

Promoting and supporting the Lancashire tourism industry: Tourism contributes 7% to the economy of the Lancashire sub-region and in recognition of this the County Council places considerable emphasis on supporting this key sector. The County Council is a founder member of the Lancashire Tourism Partnership formed in 1996 and has worked since then with over 40 partners to bolster the tourism product across areas such as workforce skills, business performance, quality of accommodation, marketing and environment. Along with Blackpool Borough Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, the County Council has formed a new company, the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board Limited. This new organisation will fully engage with the private sector to drive forward tourism development for the foreseeable future. The County Council expects to take a full and direct role through activity covering co-ordinated 59

marketing and image building campaigns, promotion of quality assurance schemes, financial and general business support and the pursuit of external funding. The move to a single Lancashire Economic Development function within a unitary authority is mirrored by the creation of a Lancashire Strategic Partnership; one Lancashire Business Link and one Destination Management Organisation for Tourism. Thus one authority is clearly the most effective vehicle for negotiation purposes with major funders and developers. Creating one unitary authority in effect creates a ‘one-stop’ shop easily accessible to all our partners. Economic development is a cross cutting issue for the New Council for Lancashire. Our holistic approach means that the council works as a ‘whole’ and not in isolation of the other functions. The benefits of a single economic development unit include: ·

· · · · · · · ·

The ability at a sub regional level to more effectively address the strategic objectives of the Regional Economic Strategy: o Business Development o Regeneration o Skills and Employment o Infrastructure o Image Better/ improved communication pathways and analysis through the use of the County Council's corporate communications unit and egovernment site. A genuine strategic Lancashire overview enhanced by the County Council's economic intelligence unit. The ability to link with partners, particularly universities to develop innovation and cluster industries. Decentralisation of power and decision-making to Local Strategic Partnerships, supported by LCDL Regeneration Officers and 12 Local District Partnership Officers. Corporate branding of Lancashire as a quality place to live, work and study, a place that produces quality goods and services and as a place worthy of investment both from the private and state sectors. A co-ordinated support service to Lancashire’s 35,000 Registered Companies. Lancashire’s heritage/ history better supported and sustained. Greater ability to support and attract inward investment into the area.

Delivery It is evident that one unitary economic development function will provide improved economies of scale. One unitary service provides bigger ‘delivery engines’ able to tackle the ED agenda ‘head-on’ through an integrated package of services. These include: · ·

Cash and leverage (matched funding) Project management 60

· · · · · · · · · · · ·

Property development and management Advice and support Training Overall planning/ strategy Speed of response Enhanced community cohesion through a greater understanding of ‘diversity’ across Lancashire Staff – both quality and retention of Broad range of economic development activity i.e. tourism, regeneration, community business and social enterprise Lancashire assets better managed and utilised Ability to provide and manage innovative funding streams e.g. Rosebud Fund scheme Coherent community engagement through our district role in Local Strategic Partnerships Better positioned to respond to and develop supply chain demands/ issues/ expansion of industry.

Quality Assurance The proposed unitary authority will ensure a cohesive approach to customer service, ensuring quality standards are met either through direct provision of economic development services or through the co-ordination of countywide contracts and tenders. Training and development of cross county staff through development of Best Practice, education and dissemination of knowledge will ensure quality delivery. Economies of scale in the technology of knowledge diffusion, through sub regional, regional and trans-European agents will ensure that the county’s residents and businesses trading and intending to trade in Lancashire will have access to the most up to the minute data, advice and support.

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Licensing Act 2003 The Government have introduced through the Licensing Act 2003 new arrangements for a more integrated and unified system of licensing the sale and supply of alcohol, public entertainment, theatres, cinemas, night cafes and late night refreshment. The fundamental purpose is to promote crime and disorder reduction, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm. The Act provides for this licensing function to be transferred to District and unitary Councils. This is a major new role for local government. As the Minister, Tessa Jowell, said in the foreword to the statutory guidance to local authorities "……..the legislation is fundamentally based on local decisionmaking informed by local knowledge and local people". To provide a policy context for these new responsibilities the local authority must publish a policy framework every three years following consultation with licence holders, local residents, the business community, and the police and fire authorities. The policy framework will be an integral component of the authority's overall policy objectives in areas such as crime and disorder reduction, alcohol misuse and the encouragement of tourism and selfsufficient rural communities. The statutory requirement to prepare a licensing policy framework came into force in December 2003. The powers to determine specific licensing applications have yet to come into force. The 2003 Act requires the Licensing Authority to establish a Licensing Committee of between 10 and 15 Councillors. The policy framework will be determined by the Full Council following the consultations referred to above, including Local Cabinets to reflect the diversity of service needs in different parts of the County. The Licensing Committee would determine specific Licence applications (and may discharge other existing licensing functions) and may establish Sub-Committees to manage the workload. Whilst Local Cabinets would contribute fully in formulating the county-wide policy framework, they could not in law exercise these new licensing functions. But a locally based Licensing Sub-Committee could formally be established to determine licensing applications in the area of each Local Cabinet supported by locally based professional officers.

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Chapter 8 Conclusion Size is not an obstacle to successful community engagement. It is a matter of culture and organisation. A New Council for Lancashire is not a trade off between strong strategic capacity and effective local community representation and accountability. Our model delivers both. Indeed, it already does so for 85% of local government services in Lancashire. Building on our current 'locality focus agenda' and best practices in community engagement by district councils, a New Council for Lancashire will give Lancashire people in their many and varied communities a voice to make a difference to their future wellbeing and first class access to services befitting the 21st century. Extensive devolution of budgets and services to locally elected councillors will bring decision-making closer to people, whilst at the same time benefitting from the strategic capacity, economies of scale and resource base of a large authority. Our model represents an exciting opportunity to build a local government structure which benefits all parts of Lancashire, and to ensure Lancashire's voice is clearly heard in the North West, Whitehall, Brussels and beyond.

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Appendix Lancashire County Council Service Points - Ribble Valley Social Services Offices St Augustine's RC High School St Cecilia's RC High School St James' CE Primary School St John's CE Voluntary St Joseph's RC Primary School St Leonard's CE Voluntary St Mary's CE Primary School St Mary's RC Primary School St Mary's RC Primary School St Mary's RC Primary School St Mary's RC Primary School St Michael & St John's RC St Peter's CE Primary School St Wilfred's CE Voluntary St Wilfred's RC Primary School Trinity Youth & Community Waddington & West Bradford CE Whalley Branch Library Whalley CE Primary School What Now? Service

Alston Lane Catholic Primary Barrow Primary School Bolton-by-Bowland CE Bowland High School Brennand's Endowed Primary Brookside Primary School Castleford Home for Elderly Chatburn Branch Library Chatburn CE Primary School Chipping Brabins Endowed Clitheroe Branch Library Clitheroe Castle Museum Clitheroe Registration Office Clitheroe Ribblesdale County Croasdale Drive Residential Edisford Primary School Fell View Home for Elderly Gisburn Primary School Grindleton CE Voluntary Aided Hillside School Hothersall Lodge Field Studies Longridge Branch Library Longridge CE Primary School Longridge High School Longridge Primary School Longridge Youth and Community Mellor Branch Library Pendle Primary School Ribble Valley Resource Centre Ribblesdale High School Ribblesdale Nursery School Roman Bath House Museum Sabden Primary School Salesbury CE Primary School

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