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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| 'Time to deliver' on regeneration | 'Time to deliver' on regeneration |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| Community projects designed to help Wales' poorest areas are to be told to deliver practical improvements, as the assembly government revamps the scheme. | Community projects designed to help Wales' poorest areas are to be told to deliver practical improvements, as the assembly government revamps the scheme. |
| The Communities First scheme currently funds about 150 projects, but not all have provided the skills needed for people to enhance the area they live. | The Communities First scheme currently funds about 150 projects, but not all have provided the skills needed for people to enhance the area they live. |
| Plans have been unveiled to ensure the scheme provides projects to help economic and social regeneration. | Plans have been unveiled to ensure the scheme provides projects to help economic and social regeneration. |
| Renamed Communities Next, £140m will be spent on it over three years. | Renamed Communities Next, £140m will be spent on it over three years. |
| Deputy Regeneration Minister Leighton Andrews said the assembly government wanted to build on the Communities First programme, which was launched in 2001. | Deputy Regeneration Minister Leighton Andrews said the assembly government wanted to build on the Communities First programme, which was launched in 2001. |
| The 10-year regeneration project aimed to put local people at the heart of tackling local problems. | The 10-year regeneration project aimed to put local people at the heart of tackling local problems. |
| Leighton Andrews said he would work closely with local people | Leighton Andrews said he would work closely with local people |
| The new phase will put an emphasis on demonstrating practical action, such as creating job opportunities and providing training, tackling child poverty, establishing new community services and improving local income, health issues and the environment. | The new phase will put an emphasis on demonstrating practical action, such as creating job opportunities and providing training, tackling child poverty, establishing new community services and improving local income, health issues and the environment. |
| Launching a three-month consultation into the scheme, Mr Andrews said Communities Next "needs to be much more focussed on the practical delivery of schemes and projects that will make a difference to people's lives." | Launching a three-month consultation into the scheme, Mr Andrews said Communities Next "needs to be much more focussed on the practical delivery of schemes and projects that will make a difference to people's lives." |
| He said: "The original concept for Communities First was about building the skills, experience and confidence of local people so that they could identify priorities for their communities in the form of a plan of action. | He said: "The original concept for Communities First was about building the skills, experience and confidence of local people so that they could identify priorities for their communities in the form of a plan of action. |
| "The pace of development has varied widely. | "The pace of development has varied widely. |
| "Some Communities First teams have had a phenomenal amount of success in encouraging local enterprise and empowering local people to take the lead in renewing their communities whilst others have been slower to progress much beyond identifying their priorities." | "Some Communities First teams have had a phenomenal amount of success in encouraging local enterprise and empowering local people to take the lead in renewing their communities whilst others have been slower to progress much beyond identifying their priorities." |
| Tackling poverty | Tackling poverty |
| Mr Andrews said the revamped scheme would encourage partnerships to work with local authorities, Local Health Boards, Jobcentre Plus Wales, the Legal Services Commission and others. | |
| A new Outcome Fund would also be created to help deliver the new services, he added. | A new Outcome Fund would also be created to help deliver the new services, he added. |
| Mr Andrews said he wanted to see a greater proportion of the Communities First budget going towards the front-line projects, rather than the external support given to them. | Mr Andrews said he wanted to see a greater proportion of the Communities First budget going towards the front-line projects, rather than the external support given to them. |
| But he warned that failing Communities First partnerships would be held to account. | But he warned that failing Communities First partnerships would be held to account. |
| "Ultimately the aim of the programme is to tackle the regeneration challenges we face, including poverty and disadvantage, with the full involvement of local people being the means to that end," he said. | "Ultimately the aim of the programme is to tackle the regeneration challenges we face, including poverty and disadvantage, with the full involvement of local people being the means to that end," he said. |
| 'Bureaucracy' | 'Bureaucracy' |
| There was a cautious welcome for the change of strategy from opposition parties. | There was a cautious welcome for the change of strategy from opposition parties. |
| Conservative assembly group leader Nick Bourne said: "We have always supported the (assembly) government in its efforts to improve the quality of life in our poorest communities. | Conservative assembly group leader Nick Bourne said: "We have always supported the (assembly) government in its efforts to improve the quality of life in our poorest communities. |
| "We will continue to do so. | "We will continue to do so. |
| "However we need reassurances that money set aside for this programme goes in the delivery of workable programmes that make a difference to people's lives, and not on administrative costs or bureaucracy." | "However we need reassurances that money set aside for this programme goes in the delivery of workable programmes that make a difference to people's lives, and not on administrative costs or bureaucracy." |
| Welsh Liberal Democrat Peter Black said: "I am glad that there will be an emphasis on delivering results. | |
| "However, I hope the (assembly) government will listen carefully to the what people in Communities First projects have to say during the consultation." | "However, I hope the (assembly) government will listen carefully to the what people in Communities First projects have to say during the consultation." |
| Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Nerys Evans said: "Communities Next will be judged by the long term change it's able to trigger in some of the poorest parts of Wales." | Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Nerys Evans said: "Communities Next will be judged by the long term change it's able to trigger in some of the poorest parts of Wales." |