Decision details

Community Hubs and plans for Worthing Library SSC7 18/19

Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger Communities

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

The current financial situation for all local authorities requires an ambitious and imaginative approach to service planning and the use of public assets to avoid arbitrary service reductions.

 

The County Council’s aim is to support strong self-reliant communities. The West Sussex Plan recognises that to make real change happen we must empower people to help themselves. We complement this ambition with a commitment to make our services more effective. Many of our buildings and the services we provide in them do not match aspirations for our community, are not fit for the future and inhibit services being delivered holistically with customers in mind.

 

This report describes a proposal to develop a programme to create a number of community hubs where multi-purpose, community led services can be delivered - with our partners - to improve access to services, outcomes and overall wellbeing of our communities. Hubs can bring people together from various community groups and help them build relationships and support networks. They are also a good use of local public assets and an efficient and effective use of resources.

 

The Community Hub Strategy aims to combine services ‘under one community roof’ for the benefit of our communities, whilst making the best use of our assets to provide existing (and new) services in fewer, cost effective buildings. This report explains the framework of principles and design aims to achieve this ambition.

 

To test the model it is proposed to make the first hub in Worthing Library and to pilot a range of the ideas at this site to inform future phases. Community engagement in Worthing has been undertaken and a positive response received from local people.

 

The report seeks to confirm the delivery of the Worthing scheme and the steps needed to achieve it, to define the scope and aims of the Community Hub Strategy and the role of a Member Group that will oversee the programme.

 

Decision:

The Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger Communities approves :

 

 

1)     the strategic principles underpinning the Council’s approach to   developing community hubs and set out in paragraphs 4.2-4.3.

 

2)  the implementation of the first community hub scheme to remodel Worthing Library.

 

3)  the relocation of services and temporary closure of Worthing Library for a period required to enable the timely delivery of the scheme

 

4)  the relocation of the registration service from Worthing Town Hall and the Children and Family Centre and Find It Out Centre to the newly remodelled community hub

 

5) the terms of reference of a member project board to support the development and implementation of the community hubs strategy (Appendix 1)

Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:

None

Publication date: 22/01/2019

Date of decision: 22/01/2019

Effective from: 01/02/2019

Accompanying Documents: