All posts in the topic Neighbourhood Partnerships (Short link)

From: Ben barker Date: Sep 24 06:55 UTC Short link

Hi,

The Greater Bedminster Community Partnership, the neighbourhood partnership
that covers Southville and Bedminster wards, is encouraging park, river, tenant
and residents groups to sign up as partners.   This is part of our drive to
make the partnership truly democratic and fully representative of its many
neighbourhoods.

The current list of partners/members from these very local groups is listed
below:

  a.. Bedminster tmo steering group
  b.. Bower Ashton Residents' Association
  c.. Clift Road Community Projects
  d.. Dame Emily Park Project
  e.. Friends of Greville Smyth Park (FroGS)
  f.. Friends of Hebron Burialground
  g.. Friends of the Avon New Cut (FrANC)
  h.. Gores Marshalls
  i.. Lower Greville Road Residents' Association
  j.. Marksbury Area Community Association
  k.. North Street Traders' Association
  l.. St John's Community Association
  m.. The Ashton Alleygaters
This is good, but there are many gaps.   Do you know of similar groups within
the partnership area that might care to join?   Membership is free.   More info
from me upon request.

Of course, these are just a subset of organizations that have joined the
partnership.   For a full list go to www.greaterbedminster.org.uk

Also, I assume that notices have gone out in neighbouring areas advertizing
other neighbourhood partnerships.   For those who have missed it, the launch
meeting of the neighbourhood partnership covering Windmill Hill, Knowle and
Filwood wards will be on October 1.   More details from
<email obscured> .   I think their first task will be to get a
snappier title.   Any suggestions?

Thanks for the responses so far to the Cycling & Walking and the Toilets &
Benches Projects.   Keep 'em coming.

Cheers,   Ben.
    

From: diane jones Date: Sep 25 14:36 UTC Short link

Tess - I went to the Neighbourhood Partnership meeting at the Council House,
run by Matthew Symonds with his Voscur hat on.  I think about 4 or 5
neighbourhoods were represented, with 2/3 people from each.  I went for the
first time, just as a resident to find out what this was all about.

I share your worries that this system can be highjacked by the "usual
suspects"  - some dedicated and benign hard-working individuals, some with
particulaer interests to promote, and some on personal power trips. That is
probably also true of the political system which gives us our councillors
and MP's, but at least there is the accountability of periodic elections,
imperfect as that may be.

Neighbourhood Partnerships have the potential to increase the degree to
which official bodies have to take local views into account and even work in
tandem with residents.  But it is difficult to see how meaningful, active
participation would be possible for most people (even when they are part of
a "signed up" group), especially without a driving force like Neighbourhood
Renewal projects or a burning local issue.  I spent all my working life in a
Local Authority, with professional links to other agencies like police,
health services and schools.  But I would have to spend a great deal of time
getting my head round the bureaucracy that has to be understood in order to
become actively involved in Neighbourhood Partnerships. So this could very
easily result in power falling to self-elected "community leaders" who
simply have the time, energy and motivation to put themselves in this role.

There is a real danger that the Council in particular could use contact with
these small groups of activists as a way of ticking the boxes of
consulatation and working with "the community", without having to set up
proper mass consultations, public meetings, or dialogue with groups or
individuals not in the Neighbourhood Partnership system.

Many people setting up NP's are well aware of these issues, and looking for
solutions.  Ironically perhaps what appears to be the NP's greatest
advantage in fact creates it's greatest difficulty ie that active
participation is required.  This will realistically, under most normal
circumstances, only involve a small number of participants.  These people
will then be able to make disproportionately powerful decisions which are
technically on behalf of "the community".  However good these people are
(and there are some excellant, dedicated individuals), this cannot be right.
And certainly isn't democratic.
Diane Jones
    

----- Original Message -----
From: "Fiducia" <fiducia@blueyonder.co.uk>
To: "Ben Barker" <benbarker@blueyonder.co.uk>
Cc: <bemmy-forum@forums.e-democracy.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:10 PM
Subject: Re: [GB-Forum] Neighbourhood Partnerships


> It doesn't matter how many groups join, the Partnerships are NOT
> democratic, so lets not pretend that this group can be anything but a
> collection of interest groups until every citizen in the area can
> join and have a vote on decisions. Tess Green
> On 23 Sep 2008, at 23:54, Ben Barker wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> The Greater Bedminster Community Partnership, the neighbourhood
>> partnership that covers Southville and Bedminster wards, is
>> encouraging park, river, tenant and residents groups to sign up as
>> partners.   This is part of our drive to make the partnership truly
>> democratic and fully representative of its many neighbourhoods.
>>
>> The current list of partners/members from these very local groups
>> is listed below:
>>
>>   a.. Bedminster tmo steering group
>>   b.. Bower Ashton Residents' Association
>>   c.. Clift Road Community Projects
>>   d.. Dame Emily Park Project
>>   e.. Friends of Greville Smyth Park (FroGS)
>>   f.. Friends of Hebron Burialground
>>   g.. Friends of the Avon New Cut (FrANC)
>>   h.. Gores Marshalls
>>   i.. Lower Greville Road Residents' Association
>>   j.. Marksbury Area Community Association
>>   k.. North Street Traders' Association
>>   l.. St John's Community Association
>>   m.. The Ashton Alleygaters
>> This is good, but there are many gaps.   Do you know of similar
>> groups within the partnership area that might care to join?
>> Membership is free.   More info from me upon request.
>>
>> Of course, these are just a subset of organizations that have
>> joined the partnership.   For a full list go to
>> www.greaterbedminster.org.uk
>>
>> Also, I assume that notices have gone out in neighbouring areas
>> advertizing other neighbourhood partnerships.   For those who have
>> missed it, the launch meeting of the neighbourhood partnership
>> covering Windmill Hill, Knowle and Filwood wards will be on October
>> 1.   More details from <email obscured> .   I think their
>> first task will be to get a snappier title.   Any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanks for the responses so far to the Cycling & Walking and the
>> Toilets & Benches Projects.   Keep 'em coming.
>>
>> Cheers,   Ben.
>> Ben barker
>>
>> Info about Ben barker: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/benbarker
>>
>> This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-
>> democracy.org/r/topic/1OEzWSciogU8qN3aQ8N1vw
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>>
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>
>
>
> Tess Green
>
> Info about Tess Green: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/tessgreen
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/2Y9z9ppfm9PyoCyK3go2MV
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