The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund was set up by the Government to enable the identified 88 most deprived areas in England improve services through their Local Strategic Partnership (in Rotherham, the Rotherham Partnership) to narrow the gap between these deprived areas and the rest of England

The Governments National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal sets out the Government’s policies to tackle deprivation wherever it occurs in England. A key element of the strategy is the improvement of mainstream services to produce better outcomes in the most deprived areas. This means increased employment and improved economic performance, reduced crime, better educational attainment, improved health and better housing.

The Government’s Spending Reviews in 2000 and 2002 increased substantially the resources going into mainstream services and provided the additional Neighbourhood Renewal Fund monies to help start the process of neighbourhood renewal. In Rotherham, we have £3.7million Neighbourhood Renewal monies this year, and a further £3.7 million in 2004/05 and £3.7 million in 2005/06.

The Government has set targets for improved outcomes by public services in areas r eceiving Neighbourhood Renewal Fund monies. Government departments, local authorities and other service providers are being judged for the first time on their performance in the areas where they are doing worst – not on the national average.

In order to deliver on these targets locally, the Rotherham Partnership is developing a local Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy with partners, which will be available at the beginning of the New Year 2004. The Strategy will identify Rotherham’s priority outcomes and local floor targets against which we will measure progress. The Strategy will also help to inform the use of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund in Rotherham.

Engaging the community in the process of neighbourhood renewal is central to the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. Therefore the Government has also provided additional Community Empowerment Fund monies over the same period to support community development and involvement programmes in the current 88 eligible areas for Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Further information about Rotherham’s Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund is available from the Partnership Office.