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Your Questions Answered about Belonging Communities

 

Q - How are you going to make sure that everyone gets a chance to tell you what they think?

A - Forums would build on existing networks and be guided as to the best ways in which to work alongside the members of communities. We would hold Forum meetings but are very aware that only a minority of the population attend meetings such as these and so would look for ways to engage people where they meet, online and in whichever way possible to ensure equality of opportunity

 

Q - We’ve heard all this before.  We’ve offered our views but you do what you’re going to do anyway! How will things be different this time?

A - It can be very frustrating dealing with a council that seems remote, where it’s difficult to find the right person to contact and where you don’t think you have been heard.
The overall aim is to create a structure that brings the council nearer to communities. The views of local people were very much taken into account when developing this model and we need the continued input of communities.

 

Q - I heard there would be a budget delegated to Belonging Communities.  Who would decide how it was spent?

A -The forum would have a small administration budget. Each frontline councillor would have a small investment budget that could be used to match fund local projects and initiatives. In consultation with the forum, councillors would be aware of the concerns and priorities of local people and would be guided by that knowledge. 

 

Q - I’m a member of a voluntary community group which covers two parishes. Over the last few years we have established a constitution and managed to get some projects off the ground. Is there much point in us continuing under the new arrangements?

A - It would be vital that groups like yours should have an influence on the shape and structure of the Community Forum. While some belonging communities do not have existing community infrastructures, many others do. It is important to build on existing structures and expertise, and we are very keen to talk to operating groups to try and build on what's on the ground. (Some existing groups could be well placed to provide the basis of the Community Forum.)

 

Q - The Parish Council is a democratically elected body. Would this new Community Forum undermine the community leadership role of Parish Councils?

A - The Parish Council would be a key partner in the Forum. If anything, the role of the Parish Council would be enhanced, building on existing services, by providing expertise and guidance to the Forum, and delivering fundamental elements of the area action plan. The Forum would ecourage Parish Councils in the Belonging Community to work jointly in partnership on initiatives, and add value and scale to projects.

 

Q - A lot has been said about the role of the Elected Member. Is there a danger that most decisions will be made by one person? Will young people have a say?

A -Elected members will act on your behalf and would feed views and concerns into the Belonging Community and single council. Their main role is to represent local residents, and they would be accountable to the Community Forum.

The Community Forum would be a partnership comprising a range of views and interests. For instance young people have often been under represented.
The strongest belonging communities would benefit from a cross section of local people and partners, including the public and private sector.

 

Q - We’ve never had anything around here. All the money and support has always gone to other parts of the county. How would this new structure change that?

A -The Belonging Communities would provide an opportunity for local residents and stakeholders to address local issues. An area based action plan would provide the foundation to apply for funding for projects that are specific to the area.  Rather than competing with other communities, there would be opportunities to work together to deliver common aims.
A dedicated Locality Officer would work with local groups, and provide a resource to assist with funding bids.

 

Q - There will be fewer Councillors under a Unitary Authority – will this have an adverse effect on my representation?

A - The new council will have fewer councillors; however this will not have an adverse effect on an individual’s representation. Under a unitary authority, councillors will have an increased frontline role so they can act as better community champions. They will be able to wield real influence over how services are delivered locally through the devolution of funding and scrutiny and members will have the ability to engage with, and represent, local residents across the entire range of local authority services. They will be well connected and better supported community leaders.

A package is being developed to support councillors to enable them to effectively represent their wards and manage their workload, from training to administrative support.

 

Q. Are the forums a blueprint for the future, in relation to working with the belonging communities?

A. The forums are a vision as to how the belonging communities would be engaged with the new authority.

 

Q. Would there not be a clash between the roles of parish and town councils with the proposed forums?

A. Parish Councils and Town Councils would have different functions to the Forums but would be part of the same process and would have representation at the Community Forums to ensure communities are more widely engaged. Further consideration would be given as to how the role of parish councils will be fully incorporated into the new forums by the new Council.

Some specific Q & As raised in Allendale

Q Are the boundaries now finally decided because there should be a query over Plenmeller.

A There may still be a couple of minor changes and Plenmeller is one of the parishes that is in this category.

 

Q -  Why is this Belonging Community being called Allendale – it is not just Allendale it is Allendale & Haydon Bridge.

A -  At the outset of the Belonging Communities consultation, Haydon Bridge was in the Hexham & Hexhamshire Belonging Community but opted to move to Allendale and the name has stayed the same.  There is nothing to say that the name can’t be revised.

 

Q Are the Belonging Communities a ‘done deal’ ?

A - The ‘Natural Communities’ model was agreed by central government as laid down in the blueprint. It does have a statutory duty to deliver the approved bid, but this is not so tightly drawn as to overly constrain how the new council achieves delivery. 

It is up to the new councillors, groups such as parish councils and communities to work together to determine the exact way forward.

 

Q  How would Belonging Communities be funded – is there any plan to give the Parish Councils a larger budget?

Two Locality Officers have been appointed so far and the plan is to appoint a further 6.  This would mean that each locality officer will be responsible for 3, possibly 4 at the most, Belonging Communities.  The Locality Officer will be there to give support and advice and help with funding applications and other issues. 

Q Could we just put our Parish Councils together and form the Belonging Community Forum – would this be allowed, because there seems to be a strong feeling that unelected people should not be part of these Forums?

A - These consultation exercises are being held to get feedback and all comments and questions will help shape the way forward.  This may also be an issue that the new elected members will want to address.

 

Q  Would there be a general template for all the Belonging Communities?

A - There would probably be a general template or basic framework, but it would be very much for each Belonging Community to develop their Forum depending largely on their willingness and capacity.

Q -  What proportion of the new Council will be Rural Councillors and what proportion Urban Councillors?
The representation will remain the same as they are based on current ward boundaries. However it is possible there will be a boundary review within the next few years.  

 

Some specific Q & As raised in East Tynedale

Q What happens next?  Are we a Belonging Community?  Do we wait until someone says to go ahead and do something? 

A - The next steps are that you will get feedback from this meeting.  The new councillors will need to be brought up to speed with the results of this consultation too and decisions will need to be made as to the way forward.

 

Q -  We already have a Parish Council Forum here – this meets quarterly and Belonging Communities will be on the next agenda.  I would like to see how this develops. Would we move from a Parish Council forum to a Belonging Community Forum? 

A - This is possible if that is what this belonging community thinks is the way forward.

 

Q - Is this a consultation?  If so, then we need feedback. Are we getting our own feedback from this meeting or from all over Northumberland?  We don’t want structures related to other communities because each area is different and we have given you our own views for our area.

A - Feedback will be given from all these meetings.

 

Q - Would we be given a template that we could customise rather than a framework?

A - Probably – it is likely that each forum would be tailored to the local community depending on needs, issues, existing working arrangements etc.

 

Q - If we had a forum that involves people other than elected representatives, ie: Parish councillors, what accountability would these individuals have to represent the community?

A - It is important that there would be a code of conduct as an integral part of the terms of reference or constitution of the forum.

 

Q -  Both central and local government agendas are to delegate more decision making to localities. If Belonging Communities were set up and their capacity grew, would the responsibilities of area committees decrease?

A – This would be an evolving process dependent on the commitment and capacity of organisations and individuals in each belonging community.

 

Some specific Q & As raised in Haltwhistle

Q - How do you decide how they are going to work when we don’t have any Terms of Reference?

A – The answers to the questions that have been set for these Belonging Community events throughout the county would help to shape the terms of reference.  This is a genuine attempt to consult with the communities to seek their views on how they would want these Belonging Communities to look. The input of new members will also help shape these.

Q – With this new unitary set up, a tier of government has been taken out – the Forums should not come above the Town Councils and the elected people should come first.  But surely we can’t be responsible for emptying the bins or planning?

A – Not all services could be devolved down, although it is possible that some services could be carried out at Area level.  It will be up to new members to decide.

 

Some specific Q & As raised in Bedlington

Q - Would Community Area Partnerships (CAPS) and Forums come together or will one be dismantled?

A. The process envisaged will be that CAPs could become forums over the next 12 months.

 

Q - Is there a budget for the Forum process?

A - Initially out of the district council budgets but from April 2009 the new council will pay for the process

 

Q- What about encouraging more residents to get involved in meetings?

A. Work will be done to ensure open partnerships and encourage new membership

 

Q - What will happen to groups affiliated to Wansbeck District Council e.g. Town Twinning groups?

A. These issues are being dealt with by one of the many workstreams planning the new council and they will decide how it affiliates to groups and resolve the charter issues involved. 

 

Some specific Q & As raised in Castle Morpeth

Q - What would be the partnerships and committees above belonging communities? 

A - Within the proposals for a new unitary, there are three Areas and it is proposed that a Council Committee will operate within each of those three areas.  There may be a partnership that runs alongside that and the belonging community forums would feed into that structure.  Within the new unitary, there will be one Local Service Provider. 

 

Q. How would these be appointed?  Who would be on these new committees?

A - Councillors will make those decisions on behalf of the authority.  The elections in May determined who the decision makers are for the new unitary.