Agenda item

To consider progress made in delivering the ambitions and actions relating to the Places and Communities We Live In and With theme contained in the Joint Local Health & Wellbeing Strategy “Equally Well: A healthier, fairer future for North Tyneside 2021-25” and implementation plan.

In November 2021 the Board had adopted a revised Joint Local Health & Wellbeing Strategy (JLHWS): Equally Well: A Healthier, Fairer Future for North Tyneside 2021-2025. The Board subsequently agreed a process through which the delivery of the ambitions and actions in relation to each of the seven impact areas contained in the Strategy would be reported and monitored.

In accordance with this process the Council’s Director of Environment presented a report on behalf of various partnerships setting out the progress they had made in relation to the Places and Communities We Live In and With theme. Evidence showed that those living in the more socio-economically deprived areas were likely to have a lack of green space, poor air quality and poorer housing compared to the least socio-economically deprived areas. Therefore, to reduce health inequalities, there was a need to create environments in which all communities could flourish by improving infrastructure, services, connectivity and sustainability.

The report gave details of a wide range of activities being undertaken by organisations and partnerships, working with local communities, to create the conditions for a healthy, safer and more sustainable North Tyneside and to deliver an inclusive economy. The presentation of the report was supplemented by three short presentations which gave more detail about specific multi-agency work in relation to:

•   creating safer environments and the joint approach to understanding and addressing anti-social behaviour across local communities;

•   enjoying healthy and safer homes and in particular tackling damp and mould; and

•   healthy planning and regeneration and delivery of the Wallsend Masterplan.

In considering the progress made the Board:

a)      acknowledged the disabling impact of a fear of crime within communities and how perceptions were sometimes at odds with reality.

b)      thanked the officers involved in the muti-agency approach to community safety for their enthusiasm and tenacity.

c)       considered how the Council and other agencies could engage with private landlords to improve the condition of private rented homes and to minimise the risks of damp and mould; and

d)      acknowledged the importance of the condition of the environment on the quality of life for people living that area.

Theme leads had agreed that measuring performance to capture impact was an area of work requiring further action. Many of the performance indicators around this theme were dependent on the results of the resident survey which were still being analysed. It was proposed that a revised set of indicators to accompany the refreshed implementation plan in Year 2 would be presented to the Board in June 2023.

Resolved that (1) the Board are assured that the responsible theme leads are making progress in delivering the ambitions and actions in relation to the Places and Communities We Live In and With theme of the Joint Local Health & Wellbeing Strategy (JLHWS): Equally Well: A Healthier, Fairer Future for North Tyneside 2021-2025 and to reduce health inequalities; and

(2) the theme leads be requested to submit further progress reports to the Board in relation to their implementation plans for next year, the delivery of those actions and their outcomes.