MEA Community Planning Partnership - 3rd Statement of Progress p9
Partners’ Engagement
Historic Environment Division
The Department has had important engagement with the Council on the historic environment during the review period.
There has been significant work carried out in the development of the Townscape Heritage Initiative scheme and City Deal for Carrickfergus and in the nomination of Gracehill as a potential World Heritage Site to UNESCO.
The Council has also made significant progress with its Local Development Plan and the development of policies to protect the historic environment within this.
We note that under the Tourism and Economy heading there remains a commitment to ‘urban and social regeneration and town centre revitalisation’ and suggest that the potential of heritage/historic environment to contribute to that aim and to the wider tourism strategy could be included to allow clear reference to the initiatives referred to above.
Active Communities Division Sports Branch
The Department notes and welcomes the work the Council is doing to secure ‘Autism Friendly’ organisation status in particular the update that several leisure centres and parks in the area have received the ‘Autism Impact Award’.
This aligns with a number of key themes and goals in Active Living, the Sport and Physical Activity Strategy for Northern Ireland that aims to increase participation in sport and physical activity among traditionally under represented groups, including people with a disability, by removing barriers to participation and ensuring everyone has access to inclusive, shared, safe and welcoming indoor and outdoor sport and physical activity infrastructure.
The Department also welcomes the update on greenways and outdoor spaces and the programmes on health and wellbeing that the Council have facilitated in these spaces.
We support encouraging people to use green and blue spaces and providing greater choice of sport and physical activities for all abilities.
Northern Ireland Housing Executive
Northern Ireland Housing Executive welcomes the inclusion of Urban and Rural Regeneration and town centre revitalisation as per reprioritisation of actions.
Housing led regeneration can play an important role in the sustainable growth of towns and villages and we want to ensure housing is a priority which gives us an opportunity to raise awareness of local housing issues across the partnership that could also help to unlock opportunities for increasing housing supply and housing led regeneration.
Our local office has also commented that the Mid and East Antrim Support Hub continues to be an invaluable resource to residents and tenants (Cohorts) and statutory agencies to achieve housing solutions for those who consent to having their cases discussed confidentially by the Statutory Agencies concerned with any issue the cohorts may have.
The Statutory Agencies work together to endeavour to achieve a satisfactory solution for the tenant.
Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership MEAAP) also continues to be a vital source of referral for NIHE Patch Managers to assist tenants/residents with a variety of financial and practical support services for vulnerable older tenants provided by MEAAP.
The Housing Executive continues to have a professional working rapport with MEAAP.
Northern Ireland Water
There has been strong collaboration between NI Water and Council partners within the thematic topic ‘Our Environment’ of the Community Plan ‘Putting People First.’
While the environment was initially the least prioritised theme, the consultation responses emphasised the significance of measures addressing climate change, environmental awareness, and respect for the local environment.
Consequently, valuing the environment became a cross-cutting theme for the Community Planning Partnership to make organisational commitments towards climate change and support community-level environmental improvement.
Where we are now
The review of Mid and East Antrim’s Community Plan, Putting People First is now complete along with the review of the implementation plans.
Successful consultation has also taken place on the delivery plans.
The next steps will be to re-invigorate the thematic groups and agree action leads for the new actions that align with the reviewed plan and outcomes.
This work has been taking place over the last two years – 2021–2023 and has been the main focus of the partnership.
Whilst there have been actions that have been deemed appropriate to continue to be delivered, others were paused or ceased for a number of reasons.
Some were due to the pandemic, where priorities and resources shifted.
Others were due to the review taking place and awaiting the outcome.
This has been a transition period for Mid and East Antrim’s community planning process, and it is the intention that the new indicators and subsequent measurements will be reflected in the 2025 Statement of Progress.
Putting People First remains a document which is reflective of the needs and priorities of the residents of Mid and East Antrim.
The current review, coupled with the emergence from the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, provides the Strategic Alliance with an opportunity to streamline the plan, to focus on those who are most in need and most vulnerable, and to deliver collaborative actions that benefit residents.
The changes are not onerous; however, they will enable the Partnership to make an even greater, and more visible and tangible, difference in the borough.
Next Steps
The Community Planning Partnership has recently reviewed the community plan, “Putting People First”.
This review was timely in light of the recent pandemic and the impact of the cost of living rise.
The Partnership has ensured the reviewed plan reflects the priorities for Mid and East Antrim for the next four years.
The Partnership has also agreed implementation plans which align with the reviewed plan’s priorities.
Currently, a process is being worked through to develop delivery plans to ensure the priorities identified are delivered.
Whilst these processes are being worked through existing actions are still being delivered on (where appropriate) and progress and impact are still being monitored.
The Partnership will continue to monitor progress and impact and a further Statement of Progress will be published again in November 2025.