District blueprint is unveiled

District blueprint is unveiled

18 October 2017

A NEW initiative aimed at improving the quality of life for local residents has been launched by Newry, Mourne and Down Council.

Living Well Together is the council’s first Community Plan, designed to improve the delivery of public services in the district between now and 2030.

Community planning, which gives more decision making power to local councils and their residents in Northern Ireland, is the result of government legislation passed in 2014.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council is fulfilling its statutory obligations in launching the plan, though it is as yet unclear how much overlapping will occur between its work and other statutory bodies.

Living Well Together sets out an idealistic vision of Newry, Mourne and Down as a place with strong, safe and vibrant communities, where everyone has a good quality of life.

It identifies five key objectives whereby all people in Newry, Mourne and Down get a good start in life and fulfil their lifelong potential; enjoy good health and wellbeing; benefit from a clean, quality and sustainable environment; live in respectful, safe and vibrant communities and benefit from prosperous communities.

Among the guest speakers at Thursday’s major launch at the Downshire Estate’s Great Hall were Dr Claire Bynner, from  What Works Scotland and Mary Capplis, from Louth County Council, who outlined how community planning worked in their areas.

Dr Bynner said decision making bodies such as citizens juries and schemes such as participatory budgeting had helped to tackle issues such as community bonfires, wind farms and health inequalities. 

She said she hoped Northern Ireland would take on board some of the lessons they learned along the way. She warned of the need for inclusivity and diversity among those taking part as well as ensuring a good quality of dialogue.

“Those who already have the confidence to voice their opinions will make the most of their opportunities,” said Dr Bynner.

“If you are not really careful you can end up empowering those who are already empowered.”

Ms Capplis also warned against groups with too narrow a focus making decisions.

Johnny McBride, the council’s Assistant Director with responsibility for community planning and performance, said community planning was not about “reinventing the wheel” but aligning existing activities and assisting with priorities. However, he stressed there was also to be a two year action plan.

“We need to demonstrate we can deliver real on the ground improvements,” he said.

Liam Hannaway, council chief executive, said Newry, Mourne and Down Council were meeting obligations with the community plan but that he wanted to “put the blood and sweat and tears into community planning”.

Warning of the potential impact of Brexit on local businesses, Mr Hannaway also said: “There are challenges ahead.”

Amidst such a wide geographical council area he also pointed out: “Cullyhanna will be affected by totally different things than those affecting Ardglass and Saintfield.”

Newry, Mourne and Down Community Planning Partnership chair Roisin Mulgrew outlined the background to community planning.

“Under the programme of reform in 2015 when the two councils amalgamated, the council was given a new responsibility to develop and implement community planning. Since then we have been working hard, together with statutory, community and voluntary partners to identify the outcomes we want to see for all in the district, and we have begun to establish how we will get there.

“Community planning depends upon the active involvement of all of us, and that involvement must extend to everyone in our community irrespective of age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious or community background. I recognise the value of extending and deepening the local democratic process to develop engagement with communities, particularly with those communities that are hard to reach and whose voice is not always heard. 

“We need our communities to help identify and where possible, to help deliver solutions to these difficult issues.”

Ms Mulgrew added: “This year I will be focusing on raising the profile and supporting the work of a number of charitable organisations: Women’s Aid, Davina’s Ark and the Mental Health Forum, which undertake phenomenal work in our district and beyond, which cut across many of the themes of our community plan.

Councillor Mulgrew also drew attention to involving and promoting the area’s local food businesses as part of the Living Well Together community plan, some of whom catered at Thursday’s event.