WHITEHALL has approvedŠa £50m blueprint to improve the quality of life for over 327,000Špeople living in West Cheshire over the next two years.
ŠPublic, private and voluntary sectors will combine under theŠbanner of the West Cheshire Local Strategic Partnership to deliver the Local Area AgreementŠimprovement targets.
ŠThe LSP has identifiedŠ34 designatedŠtargets under the main headings of safer and stronger communities; children and young people; health and wellbeing; environmental sustainability and business enterprise and culture.
Special project groups will immediately focus on the multi effects of alcohol, the credit crunch andŠhousing provision in the area.
LSP Chairman Mike Jones,Šleader of the Cheshire West and Cheshire Council said: “All aspects of these wide-ranging issues will be studied toŠjudge their impact on the community and enable us to decide onŠour actions and target indicators.
“Alcohol with itsŠeffects on crime, health and education, will require a considerableŠresearch on its own but, actingŠ as a single partnership,Š provides us withŠtheŠfar better information base for thatŠ work.“
He added: “We believe that the partnership will bring major improvements in the general quality of life of the people of West Cheshire.
“Bringing all organisations together will combine theŠknowledge, resources and expertise ofŠdifferent organisations pledged to improve our collective performance on a whole range of vital issues.”
Included in the general targets within two years are 1000 less arsons; a 4% drop in repeat cases of domestic violence; a fall in the number of fatal and serious accidents (234 to 204) and a reduction in the number of people living in temporary accommodation from 63 to 49.
TheŠ partnership also wants to seeŠ an increase in the number of affordable homesŠ built in a yearŠ from 249-330 ; a 4% rise in the number of adultsŠ enjoying sportŠ or some active recreation to 27.9% andŠ more social care clients ŠreceivingŠ self directed support- from 7.9% to 60%.
Sara Mogel, Principle of West Cheshire College and Chair of The Business Enterprise and Culture Thematic Group said: “The Local Strategic Partnership is the key organisation in improving the quality of life in West Cheshire.
At this time of recession it is even more important that West Cheshire’s economy is supported to grow and develop and that the cultural life of the area is seen as a contributor to that economic well being as well as the social well being of the area.”
