A partnership of five public sector organisations has been working well together to help meet housing and job targets for the Greater Norwich area, according to a new report published today by the independent Audit Commission.
The report looks at how the Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP - a consortium consisting of the city and county councils, two district councils and the Broads Authority) has been planning and managing the predicted growth of the Greater Norwich area.
Audit Commission senior manager Sue Jewkes said:
The partners who make up GNDP have been working well together. Their task has been to make sure that when more homes are built they are in the right places as well as being supported by job opportunities, roads and other services. The GNDP has been comparatively low cost but it is already having effects that local people can see. These include improved roads, such as Barrack Street, and attracting high technology investment to Norwich Research Park and to Hethel.
The report finds that:
- The GNDP has begun to deliver improvements. It has made a difference, for example, to the city's congested roads, with projects designed to make it easier for local people to get around.
- Investment by the GNDP in technology aims to free up jobs by enabling graduates to move into higher level employment and so improve opportunities for other job seekers.
- Its plans for housing and economic growth are based on a good understanding of the views and needs of local people as well as on regional priorities.
The report recommends that the GNDP:
- Gets ready to actually deliver the growth in jobs and new homes.
- Learns from the approaches to housing and economic growth taken by similar 'growth points' in England.
- Makes sure it communicates well with private sector investors.
- Publicises what it has achieved and how the costs of its achievements compare to elsewhere.
Copies of the report are available from the Greater Norwich Development Partnership and any of the partner organisations, or from the Audit Commission website at www.audit-commission.gov.uk/
Notes to editors
- The Greater Norwich Development Partnership was established in 2006 by Norwich City Council, South Norfolk Council, Broadland District Council, the Broads Authority and Norfolk County Council, so that plans could be jointly developed to meet the local housing and job targets for the Greater Norwich area.
- There are five permanent staff working for the GNDP with other staff drawn in as appropriate from partner authorities. Capital expenditure for 2008/09 was £2,470,582 and revenue expenditure £490,840.
- The Audit Commission is an independent watchdog, driving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local public services to deliver better outcomes for everyone.
- Our work across local government, health, housing, community safety and fire and rescue services means that we have a unique perspective. We promote value for money for taxpayers, auditing the £200 billion spent by 11,000 local public bodies.
- As a force for improvement, we work in partnership to assess local public services and make practical recommendations for promoting a better quality of life for local people.
For more information, or an embargoed copy of the full report, please contact Eric Ludlow on 0844 798 4183