Communities as 'place'
Part of a sense of ‘community’ is feeling proud of where you live and feeling as though you can thrive, personally and professionally. Gloucestershire County Council’s Strategy for 2022-26 ‘Building Back Better in Gloucestershire’ articulates the vision for how we will work to achieve the aims of the UK Government’s Levelling Up Agenda. It outlines an ambition to “work with communities across the county to reduce inequalities, regenerate high streets, market towns and neighbourhoods; improve infrastructure, jobs, skills and education provision; and help residents to achieve their ambitions for the places they live”.[i]
As part of the ambition to level up Gloucestershire communities, the county council aims to:
- Work with local partners to attract national Levelling Up Funding to regenerate Gloucestershire’s high streets, market towns and neighbourhoods.
- Listen to local communities about what they want to achieve and how.
- Work alongside neighbourhoods to develop plans that build on their strengths, as well as attracting local and national investment to help deliver them.
- Support residents to develop new skills, careers and job opportunities.
- Link local people to jobs by providing sustainable transport solutions and reducing barriers to employment.
- Shape local community services to make sure they can adapt to the needs and aspirations of residents.
- Working with local schools and academies to improve the quality of local education provision.
A total of £1.5 million has been made available for the levelling up agenda and used to support some of most vulnerable parts of the county.
- Funding will be used to support the twelve Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Gloucestershire which fall into the top 10% ‘most deprived’ in England, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.[ii]
- Collectively, these twelve areas make up 3.1% of the Gloucestershire’s population, which equates to 19,435 Gloucestershire residents.[iii]
A conference was held Quayside House in Gloucester City Centre on Thursday 19 May 2022 with the aim of continuing the conversation with communities to better understand their needs, and what action can be taken to reduce inequalities. Videos from this event can be viewed here www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/levelling-up-conference
In June 2021, Forest of Dean District Council, working in partnership with Hartpury University and Hartpury College and Cinderford Town submitted a multiple project bid containing three interrelated projects and successfully secured £20 million capital grant support. The successful bid aims to:
- Build connections across the Forest, helping to join communities
- Help local entrepreneurs and homegrown talent find a home in the Forest, growing the local economy and providing jobs by developing new, suitable space for businesses
- Provide more and better leisure opportunities, helping people stay active and healthy through new leisure facilities and active travel options
- Provide new further and higher education opportunities so that young people have more choice to get a good education
From the outset, all three project locations are being designed with carbon reduction, renewable energy and electric vehicle/bike charging points in mind to help to tackle the climate emergency.
Investment at Five Acres
The £9m proposal for the Five Acres site will create a new leisure and community hub and brings a derelict site back into use providing modern leisure, community, and business facilities for the area. The wider site will be developed in partnership with West Dean Parish Council and will also include modern workspaces for local businesses and help promote active travel by connecting existing walking and cycling routes.
University, Careers and Enterprise Learning Centre at Hartpury campus
The flagship University Innovation, Careers and Enterprise Learning Centre, will use £10m to build on the current Hartpury University and Hartpury College site. The centre would focus on encouraging and supporting local young people to stay in education or start their own business in the area.
Regeneration in Cinderford town centre
A total £880,000 will be spent in Cinderford town centre, regenerating a number of key buildings, bringing them back into use to provide modern co-working spaces for start-up businesses and new community facilities, arts, and events space. It will create great spaces for residents to meet, work and socialise in, boosting town centre footfall.
More info can be found at Forest of Dean Levelling Up Fund Success - Forest of Dean District Council.
In June 2021, Forest of Dean District Council, working in partnership with Hartpury University and Hartpury College and Cinderford Town submitted a multiple project bid containing three interrelated projects and successfully secured £20 million capital grant support. The successful bid aims to:
- Build connections across the Forest, helping to join communities
- Help local entrepreneurs and homegrown talent find a home in the Forest, growing the local economy and providing jobs by developing new, suitable space for businesses
- Provide more and better leisure opportunities, helping people stay active and healthy through new leisure facilities and active travel options
- Provide new further and higher education opportunities so that young people have more choice to get a good education
From the outset, all three project locations are being designed with carbon reduction, renewable energy and electric vehicle/bike charging points in mind to help to tackle the climate emergency.
Investment at Five Acres
The £9m proposal for the Five Acres site will create a new leisure and community hub and brings a derelict site back into use providing modern leisure, community, and business facilities for the area. The wider site will be developed in partnership with West Dean Parish Council and will also include modern workspaces for local businesses and help promote active travel by connecting existing walking and cycling routes.
University, Careers and Enterprise Learning Centre at Hartpury campus
The flagship University Innovation, Careers and Enterprise Learning Centre, will use £10m to build on the current Hartpury University and Hartpury College site. The centre would focus on encouraging and supporting local young people to stay in education or start their own business in the area.
Regeneration in Cinderford town centre
A total £880,000 will be spent in Cinderford town centre, regenerating a number of key buildings, bringing them back into use to provide modern co-working spaces for start-up businesses and new community facilities, arts, and events space. It will create great spaces for residents to meet, work and socialise in, boosting town centre footfall.
More info can be found at Forest of Dean Levelling Up Fund Success - Forest of Dean District Council.
[i] Gloucestershire County Council (2022 ) Building Back Better in Gloucestershire (available from https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/building-back-better-in-gloucestershire/) [accessed on 01/09/2022]
[ii] Gloucestershire County Council (2019) Indices of Deprivation 2019 Gloucestershire (Inform Gloucestershire): (available from https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/2094524/gloucestershire_deprivation_2019_v13.pdf (PDF, 998.9 KB) ) [accessed on 01/10/2022]
[i] Gloucestershire County Council (2022 ) Building Back Better in Gloucestershire (available from https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/building-back-better-in-gloucestershire/) [accessed on 01/09/2022]
[ii] Gloucestershire County Council (2019) Indices of Deprivation 2019 Gloucestershire (Inform Gloucestershire): (available from https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/2094524/gloucestershire_deprivation_2019_v13.pdf (PDF, 998.9 KB) ) [accessed on 01/10/2022]
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