Principles met

  • We will develop systems that enable citizens to be equal partners in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.
  • We will explore ways for councils to act as a platform for helping the community to contribute to local outcomes, and to re-think the role of councillors as community connectors, brokers and leaders.
  • We will promote community-based approaches to economic development that focus on supporting the creation of jobs, social enterprises and other businesses and providing an environment for co-operative and mutual enterprises to thrive.
  • We will embrace innovation in how we work with local communities to drive positive change.
  • We will capture and ‘expand’ the experience and learning from individual projects and approaches in order to encourage broader application of co-operative principles within individual member Councils and across the Network.
  • We will support the development of a framework and criteria for social value, giving substance to the concept and supporting Councils with the tools to ensure better local social and economic outcomes.
  • As a membership organisation, we will make this statement of our principles operational by: • Co-operation among members: Our members work together to help each other implement our values, sharing experiences and learning. • Openness of membership: Full, Associate and Affiliate Membership is open to any qualifying Council, organisation or individual who shares our values and is committed to putting them into action. • Co-production of the Network’s work: Members help shape the Network’s work programme and the content of events and written products. • Action-focused: The network is a vehicle for helping councils translate co-operative values and principles into policy and practice. •Membership-based: The network is majority funded by modest membership subscriptions from its member Councils, Associates and Affiliates. •Non-party-political: Members share the belief that working co-operatively within and across communities holds the key to tackling today’s challenges.

How piloting a ‘community improvement district’ in Kilburn is driving community-led regeneration

 

Camden Council led the pilot of the ‘One Kilburn’ Community Improvement District with funding and support from Power to Change and funding from the Greater London Authority.

A Community Improvement District (CID) is a new community-led approach to high street renewal, inspired by the Business Improvement District (BID) form to create a local regeneration partnership in which the community is a crucial player.

Prior to the CID, the local view was that there was a need to step up and better coordinate work to improve Kilburn  which is the meeting point of the Camden, Brent and Westminster  boroughs. A major town centre, the mile-long Kilburn High Road has excellent public transport connections, independent businesses and a strong VCS, but also and poor-quality public realm and challenges around congestion and pollution. Kilburn also has disproportionately high levels of long-term unemployment and health inequalities. There was no existing BID, and the local community and other high street stakeholders had faced challenges in articulating and galvanising action with a single voice.

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