Community Partnership sets the agenda for Belfast
The Belfast Community Planning Partnership has agreed priority actions to drive forward delivery of the Belfast Agenda – Belfast’s plan for delivering long-term improvements in quality of life and economic growth that everyone in the city can benefit from.
The Partnership has committed to delivering a range of changes by 2021, including creating up to 15,000 new jobs; supporting 4,000 new business startups; and investing £25million in health improvement initiatives.
Members of the Community Planning Partnership deliver services to city residents and businesses across a wide range of areas including, education, health, housing, transport, police, tourism, sport, and economic development, and those attending this week’s meeting agreed to focus collaborative efforts over the coming year on the following priorities:
Inclusive growth – working with existing employers and anchor institutions to harness their collective power in maximising their significant contribution to the economy so that everyone can enjoy in the success of the city.
Health inequalities – developing a whole system approach to ensure integrated planning that delivers better health outcomes for all especially in relation to mental health, drugs and alcohol as well as integrated planning to address winter pressure on health services.
Area working and planning – improving local area outcomes by integrating services, assets and investments.
Housing that meets the needs of all.
Belfast workplace – supporting people into employment and harnessing collective recruitment powers of Community Planning Partners and anchor institutions to improve employability and skills.
Improving educational achievement – initiatives focusing on how we join up services to improve educational attainment
Over the next few months, partners will be working intensively to develop the programmes of work required to deliver improvements for all citizens of Belfast.
Alderman Jim Rodgers, Chair of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, which oversees delivery of the Belfast Agenda said: “It is important that people across Belfast see results from the Belfast Agenda particularly in areas that affect their daily lives.
“The outcomes we want for local people require all of us to work together. It is vital that city services and communities work in partnership developing innovative ways of working that create positive change in areas such as health and education, job creation and entrepreneurship.
“The Belfast Agenda will help transform our city and that means tangible outcomes that are visible to all who work, live in or visit Belfast,” said the Alderman.
“Every party in council backs the Belfast Agenda and we are confident that Belfast will continue to be a healthy, economically vibrant, and attractive city for investors and our citizens.”
More information on the Belfast Agenda is available on our website www.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfastagenda
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