Pillar 1 sees a shift away from a policy and investment culture which is ‘place blind’ to one which is ‘place aware’. We have identified 30 Equality Opportunity Areas, based on evidence of multiple indices of deprivation, community needs index score, and households with multiple deprivation characteristics, where we will target measures to reduce inequality.
Working across Council departments and with Councillors, partners and community groups, we will identify the lack of physical and community assets, alongside other barriers to equality, and consider opportunities to guide new interventions and investment to the neighbourhoods. Central to the process will be engaging with residents to develop a full understanding of issues and effective solutions to improve the prospects of these areas and communities.
Equality insight reports will be developed for each area, detailing the issues faced. Measures will then be identified and agreed, in partnership with these communities and associated partners. The success of these actions will then be evaluated, and adapted or changed if it’s found they aren’t having the desired impact. Actions will vary between place, but likely examples of focus include public transport, education, training and employment, housing, digital connectivity, crime and environment.
Alongside the targeted work in these Equality Opportunity Areas is a range of other measures we’re taking which will help address various inequalities across the borough, regardless of where people live. These include Delivery Plan programmes and new strategies.
WHAT YOU SAID
WHAT WE WILL DO
PROGRESS MEASURES
Buildings and spaces accessible to all.
Improve quality of green space and inclusivity of leisure offer.
Improve transport links, traffic design and disabled parking.
Improve communication and engagement with communities.
Promote culture and community cohesion and celebrate diversity.
Improve local high streets.
More and better housing.
Improve access to employment and skills.
Promote safety for all residents.
Promote digital inclusion.
Create community wealth and support local businesses
Adopt program of equality intervention projects in the thirty most unequal areas, starting with the most left-behind.
Establish Community Hubs to connect people to advice, support and activities near where they live.
Improve access and quality of council support and services through the Transforming Community Experience programme.
Embed better, more accessible and preventative community services through the Independent Living Programme.
New and improved engagement methods through the Radical Overhaul of Engagement programme.
Co-created town centre masterplans for Brentford, Chiswick, Feltham and Hounslow.
New Assets Strategy so buildings are fit for purpose and meet community need.
