Economy key to planning in Ballymena - seminar is told

Ballymena Borough Council in partnership with the Community Planning Strategic Alliance and Implementation Group organised the Community Planning conference which was attended by more than 100 invited delegates who listened to key speakers and then engaged in various think-tanks on previously identified major issues in the borough.

Those attending were presented with an imposing dossier of facts and figures covering virtually every aspect of life in the area. Broad topics included community safety, health, the environment both natural and built and of course, the local economy.The perceptions and opinions of local citizrns were reflected in an IPSOS MORI Report which surveyed the views of thirty people who attended four focus group sessions in order to gain a snapshot of local service standards and quality of life within the Borough. A full Quality of Life Consultation is currently being considered by the Community Planning Strategic Alliance.

The conference highlighted the important work that Council and its strategic partners have commenced to ensure that public services in the future will be delivered, efficiently, effectively and in an integrated way to ensure that the public pound goes further to improve the overall quality of life of residents, businesses and visitors.

Councillor Tommy Nicholl, Chair of Council’s Community Planning Committee, told delegates: “The time is right for change and challenge across all public services.Community planning can fulfil its promise if all strategic partners continue to work together for the greater good of our citizens through exploring new ways to innovate, focus on outcomes, improvement and collaboration.”

Mrs Anne Donaghy Town Clerk & Chief Executive of Ballymena Borough Council conceded that public services had to strive to bring about improvements through restructuring, streamlining and reorganisation.

“The aim is to get closer to the citizen, understand their needs better and to deliver services in a joined up and efficient way. Community Planning can do this and it remains the jewel in the crown of Local Government and public services reform. In moving forward together, Community Planning is the mechanism by which we in Ballymena can all ensure that we deliver locally to contribute to the targets set regionally and that we can achieve this within the context of the tough economic climate that we now operate in.”

The conference was addressed by distinguished guest Mr Leo O’Reilly, Permanent Secretary from the Department of the Environment who acknowledged Ballymena Borough Council’s vision for Community Planning as “being at the forefront of local government thinking on joint planning for improved service provision”.

He added that “the model currently being developed in Ballymena was at the core of central government thinking in developing policy on Community Planning”.

Conference delegates also received informative presentations from Dr Esmond Birnie, Chief Economist PWC, on global, national economic indicators and their impact on Ballymena’s local economy.

Superintendent Ryan Henderson, PSNI, informed delegates of the collaborative working and practice evidenced through Community Safety.

Delegates participated in four interactive workshops covering the Economy, Health & Wellbeing, Natural and Built Environment, and Community Safety and the next stage in the community planning process will be to analyse input from the conference and incorporate it into a draft Community Plan for Ballymena, organise further consultative workshops to agree actions in line for the plan to be finalised by end April 2012.