The first step in a process which could transform public buildings and the way public sector organisations work in an area of Carlisle will take place tomorrow evening.
The Longtown and Bewcastle Neighbourhood Forum will kickstart the 'Longtown moving forward' project, which will be asking local people how and where they want the council to deliver services in their community. Tomorrow's meeting will be the first stage in the process and is designed to help lay out the parameters of how the Longtown moving forward project will work and how local people and community groups will be involved.
The project is being led by Cumbria County Council and Carlisle City Council and will eventually lead to a set of recommendations on the services to be provided and the property that supports service delivery in Longtown which will be considered by both councils later in the year.
Longtown is the first in a series of area reviews which will take place across the county. The reviews will ensure joined-up thinking among public sector organisations so that they're co-ordinating resources and delivering the best possible services.
The county council has already set aside £1m in its draft capital budget to deliver a series of new 'one-stop shops' which will offer the public a single point of contact for council and other public sector services. Longtown moving forward will be examining opportunities in the Longtown area, particularly as the secondary school, Lochinvar, will close this summer.
Councillor Gary Strong, Cabinet Member for Community Development and Safety, said:
"Councils are often seen as remote, inflexible organisations that don't understand local needs. Longtown moving forward is all about listening to local people and finding out whether the way we work in their community can be improved. We want to hear people's ideas about the services they need and the property from which these services will be delivered. Tomorrow's meeting will help set up the framework which will ensure we're listening to what people want."
Councillor Geoff Prest, County Councillor for Longtown Bewcastle, said:
"This stage of the project is about gathering thoughts and ideas from as many people and groups as possible. At the end we want to have a strong picture of what the local community wants and thinks is important. It might not be that everyone agrees with each other but we’ll be able to understand the different opinions. There won't be changes overnight, similar projects have taken over three years to finish, but we'll be ensuring the Longtown community is involved from the outset."
Councillor John Mallinson, Portfolio Holder for Finance & Performance Management at Carlisle City Council, said:
"This is the ideal time to bring together all the stakeholders in Longtown and surrounding areas to pool the thoughts and resources with which to develop and deliver services to reflect local needs."
ENDS
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Notes
The Longtown and Bewcastle Neighbourhood Forum will take place on Wednesday 16 January at 7pm in Longtown Community Centre. The following meeting is scheduled for March 12.