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The Dereham Area Partnership – Listening to Local Needs

Issues affecting market towns and their surrounding communities are constantly changing, and the Dereham area is no exception.

The challenge for communities such as Dereham is to harness opportunities that come with these changes. The Dereham area has its fair share of issues that need to be addressed, but it also has many opportunities for improvement.
Dereham is a thriving market town set in the heart of Norfolk serving not only the town community but those of the surrounding villages as well.

Interested individuals and representatives of organisations within this area have come together to form an independent, community partnership which seeks to harness funding to address these issues.

The Dereham Area Partnership was created as a company limited by guarantee in 2001 in order to improve the quality of life for all residents in the Dereham area through the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects, involving social, environmental, cultural and economic initiatives, and involving local people in this process through a community-led and driven partnership.

A Board of Directors is responsible for the day to day management of the organisation, whilst the members determine the overall direction of the Partnership. A number of working groups have been established, each with a group Champion to develop and deliver projects in the different aspects of the Community.

The partnership works within groups; currently including Economic, Environment, Learning, Social & Community, Transport & Access and Communications.

As well as Dereham Town, the Partnership area covers some thirty eight parishes that make up the ‘hinterland’ of Dereham Town.

The projects which the Partnership undertakes are all based on consultation with the local community so that they address the key concerns and issues of the public in the area. The main funder of projects since the Partnership began has been the East of England Development Agency, through it’s Market Towns Initiative programme but others including Breckland District Council, Norfolk County Council and local businesses have also been key contributors.

Examples of some of the key projects covered by the Partnership include:
- New bus shelters for the town Market Place
- Enhancements to St .Nicholas Churchyard
- Enhancements to town gateway sites linked to the Mid Norfolk Railway
- Development of an online business directory
- Enhancement of Nelson Place a key shopping area in the town
- A town access audit as part of a wider Transport & Access Strategy
- A leisure fair for local clubs and societies
- Production of the Town Guide
- Installation of interpretation boards at Neathered Moor
- Supplying permanent planters to feature in Dereham Market Place administering various Learning, Community and Business Chests.

The area partnership has therefore had a positive impact on the community over the last six years. More recently, other improvements have been made to shopping facilities with a new shopping precinct and the building of a new library by Norfolk County Council. In May 2007 a new Sports and Leisure facility was opened including a six lane twenty five metre swimming pool, through Breckland District Council.

 

Dereham Police gain national recognition

A police scheme to tackle anti-social behaviour in Dereham received national recognition after being short listed for an award.

Dereham Safer Neighbourhood Team’s efforts to tackle the anti-social use of vehicles at the Cherry Tree car park was one of only a few schemes across the country to be in line for a Tilley Award.

The Tilley Awards, funded by the Home Office, were set up in 1999 to encourage and recognise excellence in crime reduction using problem-solving principles.

The local police team helped solve the problem at the Dereham car park after receiving numerous complaints from members of the public.

Local residents and car park users also highlighted the problem to their Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) through their local Community Action Group (CAG) meeting, stating that they found it intimidating and a detrimental impact on their quality of life.

Through partnership working with Breckland Council, a number of steps were taken including setting up a victim support group, the launch of a media campaign and enforcement action by the SNT. As a result residents’ satisfaction increased by 80%.

Dereham SNT PC Dave Howell said: “The example of the Cherry Tree car park shows how successful the work of the SNT can be starting from community engagement, leading to the priority-setting meetings and then joint problem solving with our partners. This project highlights how effective working with Breckland Council and our partnership agencies can be, especially making a difference to local people’s lives.

“This project has now been placed on the Home Office crime reduction database as effective practice.”

PC Dave Howell attended the Tilley Award ceremony and conference in Hinckley earlier this month, where he was also asked to run a workshop on the Dereham project for other crime reduction workers.

He added: “I was surprised to go to one of the other workshops entitled ‘What makes a good award’ and the Home Office had used the project as a good example.”

The team missed out on the award to ‘Reducing Criminal Damage in Bolton' examining criminal damage by the Be Safe Bolton Strategic Partnership.

To find out more about the Cherry Tree car park project please contact Dereham SNT on 0845 456 4567 or email sntdereham@norfolk.pnn.police.uk.