Draft V4 July 2009

The following pages contain the consultation draft of the Sustainable Community Strategy

for Daventry District 2009 – 2026. The strategy is the overarching plan for improving the

quality of life in the District over the next 20 years or so. It has been jointly prepared by the

local authority and its partners and is based on a sound evidence base and people’s

perceptions of what needs doing. The consultation exercise runs for 10 weeks from

The strategy contains four high level ambitions and for each of these it describes:

The content of these sections gives rise to a number of high-level priorities for each

ambition. It is important that we get these right. Therefore, we are seeking comments on

the following questions:

1. Are the four ambitions right?

2. Is the content of the four ambitions right?

3. Are the high-level priorities right?

4. Should we be doing anything different to improve our District?

5. Are there any other ways that the Strategy could be improved?

Your comments will be taken into consideration when preparing a final version of the

strategy in the Autumn. We would appreciate it if you could also complete the monitoring

form at the rear when submitting your comments. Please send all comments to:

Tim Cantwell

Corporate Strategy Manager,

Daventry District Council,

FREEPOST MID 17452,

Daventry NN11 5BR

All comments will be treated in the strictest confidence and in accordance with the Data

Protection Act 1998. A final version of the strategy will be launched later this year and

copies will be made available on request. Thanking you in advance

If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact 01327

302523, for type talk prefix telephone number with 18001, or email

equalities@daventrydc.gov.uk

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Daventry District is in the west of Northamptonshire and is strategically placed at the

centre of the national road network. It is mainly rural and sparsely populated. Latest

figures from the Office of National Statistics give a district population of about 79,000.

Daventry, the only town, has a population of about 25,000. However, there are a

number of other, larger towns that lie just outside the District which are able to meet

the needs of residents living close to them. Any development plans for our District

must therefore be made with this in mind. As part of the Milton Keynes & South

Midlands growth area, Daventry town is planned to grow significantly over the next 20

years with a population of 40,000 by 2021. The growth of Northampton will also spill

over into Daventry District, so we need to work closely with partners in Northampton to

manage this.

All local authorities are under a duty to consult with their partner authorities (such as

the police and the health service) in order to prepare a Sustainable Community

Strategy. This is the overarching long-term vision for an area, typically covering a 10 -

20 year period. It should contain agreed priorities for improving the social, economic

and environmental well-being of the area in a way that does not undermine the quality

of life for future generations – hence the word ‘sustainable’ in the title. Priorities are

based on a combination of hard evidence and public perceptions about what needs

doing. If you were one of the 1,600 people that completed the Place Survey last

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Autumn, you will have provided us with information about what needs doing. Other

sources of evidence include public health statistics, crime statistics, and socioeconomic

data from the Office of National Statistics (see bibliography at rear).

However, the Sustainable Community Strategy is not a detailed plan containing

specific details about what needs doing. It is the starting point from which such plans

and projects are developed.

The local authority and its partners come together as the Local Strategic Partnership.

Their objective is to agree how they can work better together to make sure priorities in

the Strategy become a reality. By coming together and reviewing what they do, the

Partnership can ensure that public resources are used more efficiently and effectively.

Partnership performance targets will be established and action plans will be developed

by Partners to show how they will meet targets and deliver priorities in the short and

medium term. The Sustainable Community Strategy and Partners’ action plans will be

regularly reviewed and refreshed in order to make sure they take account of new or

changing circumstances and public opinion. There will be regular and ongoing

consultations with local people to gather this intelligence.

Currently, we are in the midst of a recession, so some of our actions will be about

minimising the impact of this on people and businesses. However, the recession

should not lower our ambitions for the longer term.

Our vision is for the District to become a model of sustainable development

as Daventry town and some rural communities grow whilst the charm and tranquillity

of countryside villages is maintained. Daventry town will have a vibrant centre that

complements its built heritage and new housing developments will be interlaid with a

network of green spaces and be supported by improved community facilities. The local

economy will expand and diversify, and a high quality integrated transport system will

connect Daventry to its rural hinterland and to the larger towns beyond. Daventry

District will be a place that people are proud of and a place where they want to live

and work.

This vision statement gives rise to four ambitions:

Taken as a whole, Daventry District has a relatively healthy population. However

such figures do mask localised pockets of inequality. Furthermore, in such a

sparsely populated District, access to services can be a real problem for the

young, old and economically disadvantaged. Latest data from the NHS shows that

some aspects of children’s health is significantly worse than the national average,

in particular, the number of physically active children. This could be part attributed

to the lack of play and sports facilities in some parts of the District. If this trend

continues, it could lead to higher levels of obesity in later life and put extra

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pressure on the health service. There is also a higher than average number of

serious injuries and deaths caused by road accidents.

Daventry District will be a place where all people are able to access the services

they require to improve their health and well being. There will be more and better

community facilities available, enabling older people to live more independently at

home, and increasing the participation of all people in the full range of sport,

leisure and recreation activities. The health inequalities associated with our most

disadvantaged communities will be reduced and serious road traffic accidents

reduced.

We will continue to support and develop community and public transport schemes,

particularly for our rural residents, and we will look at ways of bringing services to

the people where this is possible – for example, a wider roll out of the mobile play

ranger scheme. More ‘lifelong’ homes will be included in the new housing

developments and we will create more opportunities for sport and recreation with

particular emphasis on the young. Children’s Centres and Extended Schools will

feature prominently in this process, having a presence in every community and

offering a range of services, thereby helping to reduce inequalities. Planning

policies will demand safer roads and more safe walking and cycling routes.

The recent Place Survey revealed that people are happy with Daventry District as

a place to live and that they have a good sense of belonging to the place.

However, there is some anxiety that these positive feelings may be lost as

Daventry grows. The Office for National Statistics reveals that some of our

neighbourhoods have relatively high levels of deprivation, and anti-social

behaviour is still seen as a priority despite a recent reduction in recorded cases. A

majority of residents say there are not enough things for young people to do and

many residents also feel that they cannot influence decisions that affect their lives.

Daventry District will be a place where all people mix well and get on with each

other. The gap between the most disadvantaged and the ‘better off’ communities

will be narrowed and there will be more things for young people to do in general.

Public areas will be cleaner and smarter and people of all ages will feel safer on

the streets. People will be more able to influence the decisions that affect their

lives.

The Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) will continue to develop a

proactive and preventative approach to improving community safety which may

involve more visible policing such as the new Safer Community Teams. Partners

will open up more facilities for community use and the design of the new housing

developments will make them safer, crime-free environments for people to live in.

In Daventry town, regeneration work will make it a more attractive place, where

people want to be and are proud of. Our public service providers will communicate

more effectively with the people they serve and will aim to involve them more in the

design and delivery of services

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The first two ambitions give rise to three high level priorities:

Priority H1 Improve health and access to healthy lifestyles

Priority H2 Build safer, stronger and more cohesive communities

Priority H3 Reduce inequalities between our most deprived and better off

communities

Whilst current employment levels are above the national average, general skill

levels are lower than in some neighbouring areas and a higher than average

number of local jobs are in the low-skilled warehousing and distribution sector.

Some of our more deprived neighbourhoods have a high number of young people

that are not in education, employment or training (NEETs). Owing to the lack of

employment and training opportunities, a significant number of people travel out of

the District for work and study. Given the likely growth to Daventry town, there are

concerns that it could grow without the facilities that are required to support a

larger population

Daventry town will offer a range of employment, housing, shopping, cultural and

leisure opportunities. The local population will be well skilled and well educated

and will be able to meet the needs of the expanding range of businesses that will

be based in the District. These new businesses will be complemented by the

distribution and logistics industry that is mostly in the north of the District, and by a

vibrant rural economy. An improved local economy will lessen the need for people

to travel outside of the District for work.

We will regenerate the town centre and increase the shopping, cultural and

recreational facilities on offer. The timing of this is somewhat dependent on an

uplift in the economy, but momentum has already been created by developments

completed or currently underway. Our plans include such things as a new canal

arm off the Grand Union Canal to the town centre, (possibly to include a boat lift),

an associated mixed use waterfront development, and a new learning quarter to

increase and widen the educational opportunities on offer. We will build a Centre of

Excellence for Sustainable Construction called the ICON which has the support of

five regional universities and will contain ‘incubation’ units for new businesses to

work in. It will also include conference and performance facilities that will be

available for the community to use. We intend to regenerate the Marches area of

Daventry which may include a Knowledge Park and a Transport Technologies Park

- the latter could be developed in tandem with a modern, high quality public

transport system. We also aim to attract a Resources Recovery Park to the town to

help make us more environmentally friendly.

This gives rise to three high level priorities:

Priority B1 Regenerate Daventry town

Priority B2 Encourage inward investment to build upon and diversify the range of

business and employment opportunities

Priority B3 Increase levels of skill and education to meet the needs of existing and

new employers

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Our District contains some very attractive villages and some of the best examples

of heritage. Village property prices are higher than the national average which

means many of our young people are finding it hard to get onto the property

ladder. People are also concerned about the state of our roads and pavements.

There is a real risk that the planned growth for Daventry could seriously damage

the environment if we do not manage it properly - for example, through increased

flood risk and increased demands on water supply and treatment. There could also

be an increase in carbon emissions if we do not diversify our energy technologies

and continue to rely on the car.

Villages in Daventry District will keep their distinct character while providing a mix

of housing and tenures that enables people of all ages and incomes to live there.

All housing will have a high energy efficiency rating and our public spaces will be

cleaner and greener. We will have an improved public-transport system within the

town and across the district, which will encourage people to rely less on cars. The

new housing developments will be largely carbon neutral and be able to cope with

climate change - for example, homes will be better insulated to protect against

extreme temperatures. The local environment will be enhanced by increased

biodiversity, i.e. different types of plant and animal life.

Our planning policies will make sure that the right mix of housing and community

facilities are available in towns and villages and we will promote new schemes that

enable people to get onto the property ladder. We will encourage the take-up of

energy efficiency schemes in existing homes and we will look into ways of

producing energy for new housing developments that do not have a negative effect

on the environment - a biomass-fuelled power station could be part of this solution.

We will look into solutions for public transport that will provide a high quality system

which is desirable to use and is also environmentally sustainable. We will send

less waste to landfill by reducing unnecessary consumption and by continuing our

excellent record on recycling. Many of the new developments will help to deliver

the countywide Biodiversity Action Plan, and Local Wildlife Sites across the District

will be brought into positive conservation management.

This gives rise to two high level priorities:

Priority E1 Combat climate change (mitigation and adaptation)

Priority E2 Improve the built and natural environment

The priorities contained in this strategy are the shared priorities of the Local Strategic

Partnership (LSP). Priorities will be reflected in Partners’ service and action plans and

Partners will develop services either individually or in partnership with others in order

to deliver outcomes for people and communities. The LSP will monitor and review

Partner activity in relation to agreed priorities and will use its influence to steer and

maximise the use of resources.

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The LSP Terms of Reference are available on request.

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Do you have a longterm

illness or

disability?

If Yes, does this long term illness or disability limit your activities in any

way?

On a Government supported training programme (such as Modern

Which of these

activities best

describes what you

are mainly doing at

present?

box only

Where do

you LIVE?

Please write in your home post

code or if you do not know this,

write either Daventry or the name

of your village

------------------------------------------------

Where do

you

Please write in your work post

code or the name of the city,

-------------------------------------------

To which one of

these groups do

you consider you

belong?