Neighbourhoods seem to be having a bit of a policy moment. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's Plan for Neighbourhoods identifies 75 ‘left behind' areas that will each receive £20m over 10 years to fund locally-identified improvements.
The Government's plan for a ‘neighbourhood health service' intends to strengthen community-based health and social care. Meanwhile, the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods is raising the profile of the hyperlocal level in policymaking across Whitehall.
This all aligns with how many councils are evolving neighbourhood working, aware of sharp, persistent differences in outcomes of different geographic communities within borough boundaries. Moving beyond common practice of ward budgets and co-located services, many are developing locality-based multidisciplinary hubs which deeply engage communities through asset-based practice, and rethinking corporate strategies to be more responsive to varying community needs.
This is all promising – the postcode lottery of life chances, whereby life expectancy can vary significantly even between proximate localities, has persisted for decades. Yet from the neighbourhood renewal strategies of the 2000s to the renewed focus of today, there is a risk that more single initiatives won't get us much further.
For real impact at a hyperlocal level, we need to consider neighbourhoods as a core convening level for organising the services of the state and connecting these with the assets and energies of communities. This would mean currently disconnected initiatives coming from different departments need to be better aligned around a single vision for place. Within that, a shared definition of ‘neighbourhoods' is important – currently the NHS sees them as much larger than do local authorities, for example.
There is an opportunity within devolution, reorganisation and public service reform more generally, to consider how we can integrate activity at a meaningful level for people and really begin to shift the dial on outcomes.
Jessica Studdert is chief executive at New Local
