In December 2004 the New Mills Healthcheck, which was developed through community consultation, identified as one of its action points the need to install youth shelters for young people in New Mills.
The youth issues group of the Town Partnership, which was set up to action the points in the Healthcheck, agreed that youth shelters were a priority for the group.
In October 2005 the young people carried out a consultation as to what type of shelter they wanted and where it could be. A range of options was drawn up. From this date the young people started fundraising for three youth shelters as they recognised that young people want to hang out and meet their friends in different places. In March 2006 there were two information sessions held outside the co-op and Late Shop on a Saturday morning and Tuesday evening to inform the local community about the youth shelter project.
In September 2006 an application was put into the Youth Capital fund for £30K. In November 2006 the group got confirmation of funding for one shelter. The young people decided that if possible they would like the first shelter to go into High Lea Park. At a New Mills Town Council Parks and Leisure Committee the Town Council agreed subject to consultation with local residents around the park.
The consultation with residents around High Lea Park was started in December 2006. Residents were asked to state their preferred option to the siting of a youth shelter in High Lea Park. They also had a space to make comments if neither of these sites where acceptable to them. The sites were chosen by the young people after an on-site visit to the park with the Police and Anti-social Behaviour Officer and Parks staff, and were chosen as they could be seen from the road which would make it easier to police and the young people would feel safe.
As part of the consultation a public meeting was held on Tuesday 16 January:-
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At a meeting
on Thursday 13 May 2004, steps were taken to set up the New
Mills Town Partnership and its subgroups.
The meeting, attended
by around 30, was conducted by Peter Crompton of BEgroup - the consultants undertaking the Town
Health Check for New Mills and the surrounding
area.
The
Town Health Check has been instigated by New
Mills Town Council to address over 200 questions on
various wide-ranging issues laid down by the Countryside Agency.
Mr Crompton explained
that it was up to New Mills how it wanted to structure the
Partnership and what areas the subgroups would cover. |
| Early Meetings of Town Partnership. |
| At a Full Partnership meeting Pam Cohen was
appointed as Chair, to lead the Partnership
and carry forward the Action Plan. Alan Barrow
is Vice Chair. |
| The
initial aim of the Partnership was to draw up an Action
Plan guided by the key issues that affect
the town, emanating from the Healthcheck
consultation. |
| Structure
of Partnership organisation |
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Initially the Partnership
would not have a formal status, but in order to handle funds
it should eventually become a community trust or a company
limited by guarantee. At present the
Town Council or High Peak Borough Council (HPBC) could be
the formal body responsible for handling funds.
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Within the HPBC
budget for the Health Check
there is money for a Town Centre Co-ordinator. This post would
normally cost around £80k to fund. It will be shared
with Whaley Bridge, where a Health Check has already taken
place, as at Chapel, Buxton and Glossop.
Gordon Roscoe, planning
and regeneration officer at HPBC, hoped to have the Town Centre
Co-ordinator in place before the Action Plan is formed, so they
can help with this. The Action Plan will emerge from the Health
Check as a group of ideas and projects put forward and endorsed
by the community. It will become a bidding document for money, in
that it will be a lot easier to argue for funding if a project is
within the Action Plan. The Plan will or course evolve with time
after it is formed.
The High Peak tends to
fall midway between surrounding Regional Development Agengies for
the East Midlands, North West and West Midlands. When all the Health
Checks are complete HPBC will look at co-operation across the boundaries
with regard to funding.
Town Partnerships are
generally well recognised by the public sector, often being the
first point of contact on an issue, for example if the Highways
Authority have plans they wish to discuss with the community.
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Mr Crompton sugested
that the main Partnership and each subgroup should meet once a month.
People could be involved in a subgroup of particular interest to
them without being on the main Partnership committee. The subgroups
will report to the main Partnership before any action is endorsed.
People
in the meeting were then invited to nominate themselves for subgroup
areas. It was agreed to set up subgroups to cover:
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