Council signs-up to action plan to tackle issues in Merstham
The Council has signed up to a comprehensive action plan to improve the Merstham Estate for the benefit of its residents.
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s Executive endorsed the Merstham Estate Regeneration Plan at their meeting on Thursday 27 May 2010, which sets out the actions the Borough Council and other public and voluntary sector service providers will take to tackle the estate’s problems.
The plan aims to:
- improve public services and facilities
- make the estate cleaner and safer
- improve youth provision
- provide support to families in need
- improve health
- help local people to develop their skills and reduce unemployment
- help vulnerable people, such as the elderly.
Priority place
It has been drawn up by the Borough Council in partnership with Surrey County Council, Surrey Police, NHS Surrey, Raven Housing Trust, Reigate and Banstead CVS and other key voluntary sector service providers in response to research by the by Surrey Strategic Partnership which identified the Merstham Estate as one of four ‘Priority Places’ for action in the county. The area had already been identified in the Council’s Corporate Plan as an area in need of regeneration.
Community input
Cllr Allen Kay, Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “The Plan is not only about the physical regeneration of the area but also deals with a number of social, health and well-being issues to improve the lives of Merstham estate’s residents. By working together we hope to achieve far more than each us could do our own.
“There will be a chance for local people to have their say and let us know what service improvements they would like to see and their input will be important if the plan is to be a success.”
Actions in the plan include:
- starting a job club to help people back to work
- increasing the police presence on the estate
- establishing a junior warden scheme
- providing more youth activities and increasing the use of the Oakley Youth Centre
- helping elderly residents and those on a low income to access warmth measures to lower their energy bills
- building the Merstham community hub to provide modern accessible facilities
- redeveloping the derelict Iron Horse site.
The Borough Council will lead on a number of actions in the Regeneration Plan and will play an important role in helping other service providers to deliver many of the other actions. Progress will be monitored regularly through the Reigate and Banstead Partnership.
The Regeneration Plan has already been endorsed by the Reigate and Banstead Partnership which is made up of representatives from Surrey Police, Surrey County Council, Raven Housing Trust, NHS Surrey and Reigate and Banstead CVS. Now each partner is being asked to give their commitment to delivering the plan.
Priority Place initiative
The Priority Place initiative aims to increase the focus of key service providers to increase their effectiveness in tackling the issues faced in the target areas, leading to better, more effective service provision, a better quality of life for residents and greater satisfaction with public services.
The four Priority Places were identified by the Surrey Strategic Partnership following an analysis of a range of indices.
The other three Priority Place areas are Stanwell in Spelthorne, Maybury and Sheerwater in Woking, and Westborough in Guildford.
For more information see the Merstham regeneration page
Last updated : 02/06/2010
