New plan launched to improve Wellingborough

The annual meeting of the Wellingborough Partnership - which is made up of representatives from the council, the police, other public sector organisations, voluntary organisations, businesses and individuals - will be held at Sir Christopher Hatton School at 5pm, and will mark the launch of a new strategy that plans to make real improvements to the social, environmental, and economic wellbeing of the area. Members of the public can then take part in discussions on how the strategy may be put into practice.

The Sustainable Community Strategy is a three-year plan that all councils have a legal duty to prepare, and Wellingborough's was last written in 2008. Following public consultation a new strategy running from 2011-2014 has been drawn up. The strategy focuses on five key themes - money, skills, health, safety and neighbourhood - and sets out how the public, private and voluntary agencies will work together to improve the quality of life for people in Wellingborough. The priorities in this new strategy include working with schools to improve academic standards and skills, reducing antisocial behaviour, criminal damage and domestic abuse, improving housing and health, and helping businesses to develop in order to improve the economy.

Councillor Paul Bell, leader of Wellingborough Council and chairman of the partnership's steering group said: "This is our fourth community strategy and it reflects what the people of Wellingborough have told us matters to them. It features some recurring themes such as safety and environment, but also reflects the increased economic pressure that we know families and businesses are facing.

"Quality of life in Wellingborough depends on so many different organisations - tens of thousands of people have an impact on what it's like to live and work here - and we must all work together and all play our part to make sure that our aims are achieved. Previous strategies have had considerable successes such as reduced crime levels, establishing a skills centre and easy access to leisure facilities, but times change and so must our priorities. We have talked to the public and set the priorities based on what we've been told, and now the strategy is ready to be launched. The event on 27 June will be the opportunity for both organisations and individuals to take part in discussion groups and get their views heard on how these priorities become reality."

The Sustainable Community Strategy is set to be endorsed by members of Wellingborough Council's community committee on 20 June and then officially launched at a public meeting on 27 June at 5pm. To attend the event people should contact Barbara Grimmitt on 01933 231 901 or email bgrimmitt@wellingborough.gov.uk