Contents

1. Foreword page 3 2. Partnership Commitment page 4 3. Introduction pages 5-6

4. Corby Now page 7-8

5. Corby the Vision page 9

Action Plans pages 10-18

6. Economy 10-12 7. Environment 13-15 8. Community 16-18

9. Partnership page 19 10. Developing the Strategy page 20 11. Evaluation Methodology page 21

12. Glossary of Terms page 22

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1. Foreword This Community Strategy for Corby has been developed following consultation with the people of Corby and numerous partner organisations without whom nothing would be achieved. Local Authorities have a duty to develop a Community Strategy but it must be recognised that this duty is in order to improve the economy, environment and social well being of the whole borough. It is not a document for the council to put on a shelf and gather dust nor does it belong to the council. In Corby we have a powerful Local Strategic Partnership that shares a common vision for the town and the whole borough. The partnership includes Catalyst Corby and our strategies and plans are complementary, our actions unified by common purpose. It is this partnership that has developed the Community Strategy. The history of Corby shows what can be achieved in the face of adversity and most recently there have been some significant advances with the development of Rockingham Motor Speedway and the Urban Regeneration Company, Catalyst Corby. But still we need to do more and the time is right to develop a longer-term strategy that links to the Corporate Plan of the Council and the Framework of Catalyst Corby. It is only by working together that we can create real and positive change and meet the aspirations of the people who live, work and enjoy Corby. By working together and listening to the needs of others we will develop action plans that will enable the achievement of our vision. We have listened to what the community wants and we hope that your views are reflected throughout this document. Lynn Aisbett Chair of Corby Local Strategic Partnership

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2. Partnership Commitment Bob Lane Duncan Mills Catalyst Corby Challenge for Corby Cllr. Willie Smith (Leader) Lynn Aisbett Corby Borough Council Corby Borough Council David Watson Mark Howson Corby Business Group Corby Volunteer Bureau Lynn Johnston Mike Jackson FORTAC Government Office for the East

Midlands Sue Wilson Rob Wye Heartlands Primary Care Trust Learning and Skills Council (Corby Local Health Group) Phil Hope Kirstine Storey MP Northamptonshire Chamber Cllr. Mick Young (Leader) Peter Gould Northamptonshire County Council Northamptonshire County

Council Chief Superintendent Ian McNeill Dr Stephen Horsley Northamptonshire Police Northamptonshire Heartlands

PCT John Hill Sian Mcdonald TOPS Estates Tresham Institute

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3. Introduction The Community Strategy has been developed by the Local Strategic Partnership that consists of local and regional organisations that impact on the economy, services and environment of Corby. The partnership is not a statutory or executive body but it does bring organisations together to enable co-ordinated thinking and action. Membership of Corby’s Local Strategic Partnership is shown on page 4 and the strength of this Partnership is its commitment to:

Common Purpose and Unified Action Corby Borough Council has taken the lead in developing the Local Strategic Partnership and currently provides the Chair and administration. The Partnership has evolved from its original inception in 1999 and each organisation has a strong understanding of each other’s role within the community. The development of a Community Strategy does not supersede the work of the partners and each organisation will continue to develop and deliver their plans for their areas of responsibility and expertise. The role of the Community Strategy is to add value to the work of each organisation and other partnerships. This will be achieved by providing:

! Focus on issues affecting the County and the East Midlands that

impacts on Corby and vice versa ! Co-ordination in service delivery improvement to make Corby a better

place to live, work, rest and play ! Integrated service delivery within the Regeneration Framework

! Strategic direction to future investment in the borough

! Linkages to the key plans of other agencies

! Evaluation through performance measures of the achievement of

objectives The Community Strategy has been developed following an extensive consultation exercise that has included the following elements: # Consultation with residents through interviews and questionnaires

(Oct/Nov 2001)

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# The EDAW consultation conducted for Catalyst Corby (March to May 2002)

# A formal consultation process with service delivery providers (March 2002)

# Input from the Corby Community Safety Partnership # Input from the members of the Local Strategic Partnership (ongoing) # The Corby Vision and Policy Audit (December 2001) # Councillors Workshop (April 2002) # Input from FORTAC (ongoing) # Young Citizens Focus Group (March 2003)

Key themes that emerged from the consultation are summarised as follows: ! Reduce violence and anti social behaviour ! Redevelop the Town Centre ! Improve the street scene

! Improve public and community transport

! Provide better education & training

! Encourage new businesses and entrepreneurship

! Improve recreational facilities particularly for the young

The Community Strategy reflects these key themes by structuring the objectives for the Action Plans into three main sections:

Economy Environment

Community The objectives are deliverable and measurable; they have been developed in line with what you told us you wanted as residents of the Borough and will be used to inform the development of specific Action Plans that can deliver year on year progress.

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With the Community Strategy in place, a Local Public Service Agreement has been agreed with Central Government to improve performance to agreed levels across a variety of policy areas including social care, health, crime, transport, education and the environment.

4. Corby Now Corby is a dynamic and resilient place. It has undergone several transformations throughout the 20th Century, growing from a relatively small rural village to a thriving industrial town, and again through a period of economic restructuring following the closure of the steelworks. It is this strength, the town’s ability to adapt and change which provides the basis and confidence for future positive change. Through the consultation process for this Community Strategy and the related Regeneration Framework produced by EDAW for Catalyst Corby, it was demonstrated that public opinion is strongly supportive of the town’s expansion. Local people recognise the need for change and have proved themselves to be adaptable to meet the challenge of a changing economic structure. Corby is ideally situated in the heart of England with excellent road links via the A14 to the M1, M6 and A1. This has helped to attract numerous businesses to the area including Rockingham Motor Speedway that has extended the “Motor Sports Valley” into Corby. Always strong on partnership working, Corby has secured a number of key initiatives in recent years including two integrated Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) schemes operating as the Corby Partnership, an Education Action Zone called Challenge for Corby and most recently, an Urban Regeneration Company - Catalyst Corby. Having survived the closure of the steelworks, it may be wondered why all these initiatives are needed but Corby still has low skills levels, poor health and a tendency towards a dependency culture that has stifled entrepreneurs, particularly among the younger population. Corby is dominated by manufacturing with over 40% of the employees working in this sector. With 250 manufacturing businesses registered for VAT it is the largest sector making up 24.4% of businesses in Corby. This is closely followed by the wholesale & retail sector with 235 businesses (22.9%) and they employ 20% of the workforce. Unemployment in Corby fell consistently over the five years to April 2002 when it stood at 2.8% which was very close to the County unemployment rate of 2.2%. At March 2003 unemployment in Corby was 3.3% against a County rate of 2% but it should be noted that the method of calculation has changed. While absolute numbers of unemployed have fallen for both men and women in all age groups, the number of young people (aged under 25) makes up a bigger proportion of the unemployed at March 2003 (32.1%) when compared with 26.2% in April 1997.

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Employers will cite poor education standards and low vocational skills as the reason for this and the statistics support their view. At the bottom end the

county figure for people with no NVQ equivalent is 31% while Corby is at 43%. At NVQ level 1, 2 & 3 they are almost exactly the same but when you look at NVQ level 4 the county is 19% with Corby at 9%. At NVQ level 5 it is 6% in the county and 2% in Corby. On the positive side the majority (62%) of Corby’s workforce are in their prime working years, aged 25-49 and the job market is relatively strong. Potential inward investors also express concerns with the poor rail links and this can be a deterrent to locating companies in Corby. The consultation exercise has shown that the people of Corby are proud of their heritage and want the town centre and the infrastructure of the borough to be inspirational in raising their aspirations for themselves and the next generation. The Regeneration Framework consultation endorsed this view with over 80% of those consulted happy with a fast rate of growth. The gradual but accelerating decline of the town centre and the very poor retail and leisure offer needs immediate attention as the poor quality image has discouraged commercial investment. Housing, health, transport and education are all priority issues for Corby and the co-ordinated approach of the Local Strategic Partnership and Catalyst Corby will make Corby a place for the community to be proud of.

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5. Corby – the Vision Guided by the consultation and the work of Catalyst Corby, the Local Strategic Partnership has adopted a shared Vision for Corby. The Vision is to be strived for over a greater period of time than the five years of this strategy but the strategic aims have been developed to make progress towards the achievement of the Vision a reality.

Corby as a confident, successful, balanced and prosperous community, that is widely

admired as distinctive, progressive and energetic. A community which will exceed expectations - Corby will be different, will innovate and implement better solutions

with conviction. The strategic aims have been developed to deliver improvements in the identified priority areas taking account of the current economic situation in Corby, the work of our partners and the aspirations of the people. The evaluation measures are to ensure that progress can be accurately monitored and the Community Strategy developed accordingly over time. For these measures to be really effective, everyone involved in the Partnership will need to play their part in not only delivering tangible results that make a difference to the community but also identify what worked and what didn’t.

Common Purpose – Unified Action

The following pages detail the Strategic Aims and the priority objectives that have been identified. The key partners that will be crucial to success are identified along with targets and evaluation measures.

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“We need and deserve the best in Corby”

Young person’s quote during the Consultation

6. Economy Priority Objectives ! Attract a major national or international business to create a regional

centre in Corby ! Develop a hi-tech engineering sector to link in with Motor Sport Valley

! Redevelop the Town Centre to create a dynamic driver of the economy

and provide exceptional facilities to residents and visitors ! Create a flourishing culture of entrepreneurship with a dynamic base of

growth focussed small firms ! Promote a positive and inspirational image of Corby, locally, regionally,

nationally and internationally ! Improve the skills base of the workforce and the level of vocational

qualifications ! Develop and promote the tourism sector and attract more visitors

Key Partners & Activities Catalyst Corby, the Urban Regeneration Company, will be a major player in the development of the Town Centre and the image of Corby. Their Regeneration Framework will inform the local strategic partnership of the roles that partners will need to play for the successful development of the Town Centre and promotion of Corby. The Northamptonshire Partnership (The Sub-Regional Strategic Partnership for the County), the County Council, East Northamptonshire District Council on the eastern border of the Borough and Corby Borough Council will all have significant input through local plans, the County Structure Plan, the Regional Economic Strategy and the Sub-regional Strategy.

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Strategic Aim

To develop the image and infrastructure of Corby so that it is established as a major business and

commercial centre of significance in both the County and the East Midlands

Northamptonshire Chamber and its Business Link Subsidiary will have the lead role in business start-up, business growth and training & development of the workforce. The local Learning and Skills Council will also be fundamental to the process of improving vocational skills and qualifications as will Tresham Institute. The Executive Agency of the Department for Work & Pensions, Jobcentre Plus will also have a major role through their key objectives, one of which is to “Sustain a higher proportion of people in work than ever before, while providing security for those who cannot work.” The Education Action Zone - Challenge for Corby - working with the Local Education Authority will continue to be a lead partner in improving the education and skills base as will the Lifelong Learning Service of the County Council. The Northamptonshire Partnership is a sub-regional strategic partnership that has been recognised by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda). The intention is that the Partnership will receive devolved funds from emda to help improve the economy of Northamptonshire. The partnership intends to target five areas:

• Learning & Skills • Enterprise & Innovation • Information & Communications Technologies Revolution • Climate for Investment • Sustainable Communities

All of these areas are important to Corby and the local strategic partnership will work with the Northamptonshire Partnership to improve the economy of the county and Corby. The Partnerships will work together to attract funding and to influence the strategies. Countywide tourism promotion is co-ordinated by Northamptonshire Chamber under contract to the County Council and will work closely with the Borough Council to promote the Corby area as a visitor destination. All of the partners and in particular Catalyst Corby, will be alert to possible opportunities that may arise as the Community Strategy and the individual partners action plans are developed and implemented. Key Targets To include ! Unemployment rate to be on par with the county average by the end of

2004

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! Young people (under 25) long term unemployment levels to be reduced by at least 50% by the end of 2006.

! Achieve vocational qualification levels equal to the county levels by the

end of 2006 ! Establish a hi-tech engineering sector by mid 2006

! Increase the volume of tourist visitors by 5% year on year

Evaluation Measures Will include the following key indicators ! Approved planning applications, both volume and speed of decision ! Inward investment levels

! Percentage of people in employment

! Reduction in unemployment in the under 25s and Quality of Life

Indicator 3, that relates to the percentage of 18-24 year olds in education, training and employment

! Volume of net growth in VAT registered businesses

! Volume of visitors in the town centre

! Average wage levels

“Attracting major national and international business is

fundamental” Quotes from Corby Residents

“The overall image of Corby must be changed to attract

investment”

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7. Environment

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Strategic Aim

Create an area of delightful greenscape and attractive living areas with enhanced public

transport through sustainable development of the urban environment and conservation of the

natural environment. Priority Objectives ! Re-establish a passenger rail service for Corby ! Develop an integrated transport policy that aids economic

competitiveness and improves social cohesion

! Ensure the holistic and sustainable development of the town with balanced green space, cycle and walking routes and generate funding for large scale estate changes to improve the quality of housing stock, the safety of the community and the physical environment of the estates

! Develop and conserve the built and natural environment within the

Regeneration Framework of Catalyst Corby, the Local Plan, the Structure Plan and the emerging Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth study (part of the Sustainable Communities Plan), to ensure that expansion of the urban area utilises Brownfield sites first, is sensitive to Greenfield areas and has a positive impact on rural settlements

! Generate sustainable improvement in the street scene throughout

the Borough, substantially increase waste recycling both in homes and business and encourage communities to develop a better environment through energy conservation and waste management

Key Partners & Activities The County Council has a significant role to play through the development of the Local Transport Plan and both the Borough Council and Catalyst Corby will be vital in securing a new passenger rail service in Corby. The Local Plan

and the countywide Structure Plan are important drivers of development and all the neighbouring local authorities and the County Council have a part to play in the sustainable development of Corby. The Partners will work closely with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and their local delivery arrangements when known, to ensure Corby benefits from the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth Study. The Environment Agency is a key partner in the delivery of cleaner air and the decontamination of land that has been abused by industrial practice and that in some cases has become the responsibility of the Council. Rockingham Forest Trust have worked with the Borough Council to develop a Greenscape strategy and will be important in making it work and the Wildlife Trust have a crucial role in the management of local nature reserves. These two Trusts are also working together on a review of County Wildlife sites. The local Strategic Partnership will develop closer working relationships with ACRE, the Council for Protection of Rural England (CPRE) and the Countryside Commission. Again the County Council has a key role in supporting the Borough Council in both domestic and business waste management and recycling. The Business Link service of Northamptonshire Chamber can also assist with the education of business and industry in waste exchange and good management practices. The Community Safety Partnership can assist with closure of unsafe walkways and those that are used as getaway routes by criminals. The role of education cannot be overlooked in making people more aware of their environment and how to care for it. Key Targets To include ! Passenger rail service agreed by middle of 2003 with target date for

opening the service by 2006 ! Closure of 100 walkways by 2005 ! Public transport infrastructure to be developed in co-ordination with the

development of the town centre and rail services ! Previously used or developed land to be brought back into use in a

phased programme over the next 5 years (2008) with the programme developed by the end of 2003

! Achieve a year on year increase in user satisfaction with public

transport

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! Meet the statutory target of 36% of waste to be recycled or composted by 2005

! Increase resident satisfaction with the cleanliness and overall street

scene by 15% year on year ! Improve and maintain green space in proportion to the expansion of

the town and in line with a Greenspace Strategy and planning policy guidance

! Increase the provision and use of community transport by 10% year on

year Evaluation Measures Will include the following key indicators

! Resident population satisfaction surveys

! Air pollution levels

! Previously used or developed land brought back into use

! Cleanliness of streets

! Use of public transport

! Increase in the level of cycle paths

! Levels of domestic energy use

! Percentage of household and industrial waste that is recycled including

Quality of Life Indicator 33.4 that relates to the percentage of household waste that is recycled

Quotes from Corby residents

“Try to get people to work together to help keep their area

clean, tidy and litter free”

“Street scene and safer environment should be top of the list. A clean, tidy

and safe Corby is the best encouragement”

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8. Community Priority Objectives ! Build community capacity in areas where self help and independent

living is appropriate, including the elderly, and in particular improve health and health education, provide a sure foundation through healthy pregnancy and early childhood and ensure the provision of education in financial management and thereby reduce individual debt

! Improve the quality and range of housing available to residents within

the Borough ! Increase the educational attainment and vocational achievement of

people in education, employment and the unwaged ! Within a local Cultural Strategy, improve the range and quality of

leisure and recreational facilities for all ages, creating a Sports Forum to co-ordinate sporting activity throughout the Borough, providing a new library facility and tackling the major killers of coronary heart disease and cancer

! Create a safer environment by tackling drug problems through

enforcement, education and rehabilitation, reducing crime, violence and anti social behaviour (including motor crime, crime against business and alcohol related crime) particularly in the young people of the Borough

! Ensure that equality of opportunity for everyone regardless of age,

gender, ability, race, religion or sexual orientation is embedded into every relevant aspect of the Community Strategy

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Strategic Aim

To make Corby a socially diverse and cohesive local community with excellent health,

education and equality of opportunity in a safe and friendly environment

Key Partners & Activities The Borough Council has a major role to play in the provision of quality housing stock and the provision of leisure and recreational facilities and the Police are vital in both reducing the levels of crime and the general perception of crime and the fear factor that is usually greater than the reality. The Community Safety Partnership has a significant role to play. It is the voluntary sector and community groups that can make a huge difference to the quality of life and create socially cohesive communities. Alongside them the Lifelong Learning Department of the County Council and the Heartlands Health Trust are essential partners in delivering health improvement and continuing education opportunities. Sure Start and the Early Learning Partnership will have a crucial role in the development of the very young as will the Community Centres where many activities are centred. The schools in Corby, working together through the EAZ and individually, have a major contribution to make. They are not only concerned with improving educational performance by reaching challenging targets but also with producing the future workforce and citizens of Corby. The schools recognise the need to raise levels of self-esteem and aspirations amongst the young people of Corby. Key Targets To include ! Support the voluntary and community sectors to deliver capacity

building within the community on a continuous basis ! Plans completed for a new swimming pool and leisure facility by the

end of 2003 ! Implement the Peace Builders and Caspar initiatives by the middle of

2003 ! Sustainable community and recreational facilities for all ages are

developed and maintained according to identified need ! Crime statistics to show a reduction across all areas, year on year

! Attainment of GCSEs and Key Stage achievement to compare with

County averages ! The incidence of coronary heart disease and alcohol related illness is

reduced year on year

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! Reduce the number of children living in poverty by a quarter by 2005

! Smoking rates among manual groups to be reduced from 32% in 1998

to 30% in 2005 ! Reduce under 18 conception rates by 15% by 2005 and a further 10%

by 2008 ! Reduction of individual debt levels and improvement of financial

management ! Increase the issue of Disabled Facilities Grants

Evaluation Measures

Will include the following key indicators ! Crime statistics including Quality of Life Indicator 34.1 of crimes

recorded by the police per 1,000 of population ! Quality of Life Indicator 16 regarding the reduction in the number of

repeat offenders who are drug users ! New swimming pool and leisure facility plans approved by end of 2003

! Health improvement statistics

! Quality of Life Indicator 12 concerning the rate of conception among

girls aged 15-17 per 1,000 girls ! Monitoring of child poverty

! Quality of Life Indicator 9 regarding the percentage of people at age 19

with level 2 qualifications ! Resident surveys on “fear of crime” levels

! Volume of new community groups

“The most important priority is to promote a positive image of Corby” Quotes from Corby residents

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“Public transport must be a major priority”

9. Partnership – Making it Happen The success or failure of this Community Strategy will depend on the strength of the Local Strategic Partnership. Many different and diverse organisations have shown their willingness and ability to work together. This document attempts to draw together the various skills, initiatives as well as statutory duties of all the key players in making Corby a better place to work, rest and play. The Partnership has a shared Vision with Catalyst Corby’s Regeneration Framework and the Borough Council’s Corporate Plan has been developed around the work of creating this Community Strategy so there are many common strands. However, all these plans are live with actions taking place all the time so this Strategy will be continuously monitored to ensure that there really is common purpose and unified action. The latest Government initiative, Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future, was launched in early February 2003 and hopefully will be an enabler for the growth and development of Corby. Only a concerted effort on behalf of all concerned will have the desired effect and the scale of the co-ordinated effort can be judged from the list of partner organisations and agencies. However, it is the residents and workforce of Corby who will make the most significant difference by keeping all the agencies focussed on delivering that which is most needed and most effective. The Local Strategic Partnership will develop a Public Involvement and Communications Strategy to provide improved lines of communication between you and the Partnership. You have told us what you need and expect from the Partnership, now you must continue to work with us and tell us when we are successful and when we are delivering less than your aspirations. Corby Borough Council East Midlands Development Agency Catalyst Corby

Government Office for the East Midlands

Northamptonshire County Council The Environment Agency The Volunteer Bureau Corby SRB Partnership FORTAC Sure Start Northamptonshire Police Early Years Partnership The Police Authority Primary Care Trust Northamptonshire Chamber The Health Authority Corby Business Group Older Peoples Champion The Chartered Management Institute All Community Centres Rockingham Forest Trust Wildlife Trust

Challenge for Corby Tresham Institute

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10. Developing the Community Strategy The development of this Community Strategy has not only drawn heavily on consultation with residents and organisations but also on various plans, strategies and documents that are listed below. Best Value Performance Plan Corby Borough Council Catalyst Corby Consultation Report EDAW Community Safety Strategy Corby Borough Council &

Northamptonshire Police Quality of Life Indicator Measurements NCC Community Strategies & Health Improvement: A Review of Policy & Practice

Health Development Agency

Compact – Northamptonshire Joint Agencies Voluntary & Community Sector Compact

Voluntary & Community Sector Partners

Corby Borough Council Away Day – April 2002

Corby Health Action Work Plan – 2001-2002

Corby Borough Greenscape Programme – Framework Document Summary (Draft)

Rockingham Forest Trust & Corby Borough Council

Corby Sport & Recreation Regeneration Strategy

Sponsored by Sport England, supported by Catalyst Corby

Corby SRB Partnership Delivery Plans Corby Partnership Corby Vision & Policy Audit - December 2001 The Local Futures Group Corporate Plan – 2002-2005 Corby Borough Council DRG/DAT Action Plan DRG/DAT Health Inequalities in Northamptonshire Health Authority 2001 Housing Strategy Corby Borough Council Listening to the People of Northamptonshire – Consultation Report April 2001

Renaissance for Northamptonshire County Council

Local Strategic Partnerships & Community Strategies: The Rural Checklist

The Countryside Agency

Northamptonshire Local Transport Plan County and Borough Councils Peacebuilders Via the Education Action Zone The Regeneration Framework Catalyst Corby Shared Vision, Shared Principles – A Participation Compact

Corby Borough Council and FORTAC

Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Thinking Parents Eltham College of Education Your Council Plan 2002-2005

Northamptonshire County Council

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11. Evaluation Methodology The scope of the Community Strategy is very wide and diverse and it is important to be able to measure whether the specific actions that will be developed from the strategy are actually effective. For this purpose Evaluation Measures have been built into each of the Strategic Aims and these will be developed during the first year to ensure that they are relevant and accurate measures of success or otherwise. It is important that what works is identified at the earliest opportunity to enable good practice to be shared both within the community of the Borough and other communities to avoid the continuous reinvention of the wheel. The Local Strategic Partnership intends to develop a range of evaluation measures that will enable a regular and accurate evaluation of the impact of the Action Plans on the achievement of Strategic Aims and Objectives and will encourage all partners to include evaluation measures when developing their Action Plans. The evaluation measures include Quality of Life Indicators that have been identified as relevant to this strategy. At regular intervals, to be determined by the partnership but probably at the mid point and end of the life of this Community Strategy, the Partnership will commission an evaluation study to identify and spread good practice, eliminate bad practice and inform the development of the next Community Strategy. Throughout this process due consideration will be given to the work of Catalyst Corby in order to eliminate duplication of effort and ensure maximum benefit from all the endeavours that will transform Corby.

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12. Glossary of Terms EDAW Consultants to Catalyst Corby Catalyst Corby The Urban Regeneration Company LSP Local Strategic Partnership FORTAC Federation of Residents and Tenants Association at Corby ACRE Actions with Communities in Rural England CPRE Council for the Protection of Rural England DRG Drug Reference Group DAT Drug Action Team Peacebuilders Citizens Project for young people Caspar Partnership initiative for crime and anti social behaviour SSP Sub-regional Strategic Partnership (Northamptonshire) GOEM Government Office for the East Midlands TOPs Estates Town Centre owners ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister