All services
  1. Home
  2. Your council
  3. Corporate plan

Connected communities

In order for the Council to be trusted to shape the local area, and for communities to be empowered to help shape it themselves, we are going to need to listen more carefully and give communities a greater say in their own future.

We want to find more effective ways of connecting with communities. Being visible and talking face-to-face will be vital.  Providing information in a way that makes sense will be important too, as will meaningful consultation and engagement that genuinely make a difference.

We are going to need to respect and engage our local and diverse communities. Everyone’s view needs to count.  We need to find more effective ways of connecting with seldom heard people. Equality of access to services, information and engagement activities will be vital, as will be reaching out to both urban and rural areas across North Northamptonshire.

We also know that we cannot do everything ourselves.  To meet the challenges ahead, we are going to need to make stronger connections with the voluntary and community sector, empowering them to do the things they are often better placed to do.

Our priorities

  • Inform and listen to our communities, giving them a greater say in their future
  • Respect and engage our local and diverse communities and town and parish councils
  • Empower a thriving voluntary and community sector
How will we monitor progress
  • Performance indicators and outcomes for:
  1. Communications and Engagement
  2. Customer Services
  3. Democratic and Legal Services
  • Outcome of place and satisfaction surveys
  • Progress in the delivery of our Service Plans
  • Budget performance of services

We will:

  • Co-produce and co-deliver Levelling-Up Plans for targeted communities.
  • Carry out regular, meaningful consultation and engagement activities that effectively engage local communities and shape local communities and their public services.
  • Encourage and promote resident and tenant involvement in decision-making.
  • Develop “take action” community teams.
  • Use libraries and community hubs to provide an outlet for local consultations and engagement activities.
  • Work with developers and planning teams to ensure new housing developments deliver more sustainable communities.
  • Develop a Grants Strategy and policies to enable grant funding for small community initiatives.
  • Work with residents, communities, and other stakeholders to make the best use of Section 106 funding earmarked for community facilities including libraries, community centres, woodlands, open spaces and play areas.
  • Develop effective measures for understanding customer satisfaction and pride in the area as well as with services provided.

We will:

  • Support the development of a Cultural Forum for North Northamptonshire.
  • Through partner organisations ensure there is a wide-ranging programme of activities, events and programming to meet identified community strengths and needs.
  • Address marginalised or socially excluded groups, including those from migrant communities or those with poor mental health or substance misuse issues. These groups often do not have a voice in local decisions and are not given as many opportunities to participate in community life as others.
  • Develop improved systems, tools and techniques to ensure inequalities are actively addressed in decision-making allowing seldom heard voices to be better understood.
  • Develop the Council’s Equalities Strategy, ensuring that it remains fit for purpose and that it is owned by all areas of the Council and at all levels.
  • Develop a meaningful dialogue and relationship with town and parish councils, actively engaging with them in future decisions that affect local communities.

We will:

  • Adopt an agreed definition and approach to co-producing service delivery with the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Sector (VCSE), service users and communities.
  • Work with communities and partners to provide the services, activities and events that are needed locally from the library.
  • Review core and devolved grant funded organisations, aligning grants and agree strategic delivery partners.
  • Improve the communication with the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Sector (VCSE) and build a shared understanding of each other’s objectives and barriers to delivery.
  • Put in place arrangements to support and create social networks and volunteering within the community.
  • Actively work with and engage communities to identify the skills and resources required to improve health and reduce inequalities.
  • Share good practice with communities across North Northamptonshire and seek to provide them with more control and influence over conditions that affect their health.

Last updated 17 December 2021