ON BEHALF OF DELAMERE NEIGHBOURHOOD GROUP (DNG)

This response has been prepared by the Delamere Neighbourhood Group (DNG) in Levenshulme in respect of the consultation on the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for South Manchester, which Levenshulme belongs to. We would firstly like to welcome the Council's intention to tackle the tough issues prevalent in some of the areas within the South Manchester SRF, and thoroughly agree with the identified vision for neighbourhood centres as "places of choice".

We are delighted to see plans for improving public transport in the area, especially a rail link to the airport and the proposed improvements to East-West connectivity. We also welcome this consultation which allows us to highlight our views and concerns. Whilst there are valuable parts in the SRF which we applaud, we argue that issues of strategic nature facing Levenshulme have been overlooked in this framework for reasons that we outline below:

1) The consultation document recognises the disparate nature of the South Manchester area characterised by the polarity between the most affluent districts in the borough and those areas with persistent deprivation. With only seven Super Output Areas (SOA) in the South Manchester SRF falling within the worst 5% in the country (according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation IMD 2004 data), such detail can easily be lost focusing on Ward level data. We fear this is the case with Levenshulme where our neighbourhood, the DNG area, is home to an SOA that is among the most deprived 5% in the country ranking 1442 in IMD 2004. We argue that the proposed South Manchester SRF as well as the correspondence from the Leader of the Council Sir Richard Leese regarding the regeneration of Levenshulme categorically deny the existence of this pocket of deprivation within perceived affluence. Other deprived “pockets” have been identified in the SRF, however, the one in Levenshulme has not. This should be acknowledged and the needs of this area prioritised accordingly, in the same fashion the other areas in the SRF's remit where deprivation occurs, in terms of targeting resources.

2) We ask you to acknowledge that Levenshulme is a special case where a pocket of deprivation exists within affluence, therefore special measures are required to ensure that it no longer escapes the regeneration it urgently needs. The recent closures of local amenities (including the local supermarket and the last remaining community centre) leave this area very vulnerable to further deterioration which it can ill afford. The physical decline and the poor quality of the living environment take away from the character of the area and have an adverse impact on the identity and sense of pride among the local residents which would be a key building block of a sustainable community. A closer examination of the IMD data reveals that the quality of the living environment in our neighbourhood is alarmingly bad, this is indeed the experience of many of us who live here and also work hard to make Levenshulme a better place for everyone.

3) We are extremely concerned that the very core or the neighbourhood centre has been split between two different SRFs which creates confusion and may result in the area “slipping through the net”. Some of our landmark amenities (the library and Levenshulme Baths) are not included in the remit of the South Manchester SFR which claims that “Levenshulme” falls into its remit. We propose that the political Ward boundaries are artificial and may not be the correct way to delineate a regeneration framework, the ultimate goal of which should be the creation of sustainable communities. We argue that the whole community should be represented in the framework to allow this to happen.


Above we have outlined the strategic issues based on our experience on the ground as well as evidence from the official indicators measuring deprivation and the quality of the living environment. We ask you to consider these points carefully before finalising the SRF. We also take the opportunity to put forward a list of actions which we feel are necessary to make our neighbourhood a sustainable "place of choice":

An assessment of traffic and parking issues is urgently needed in the Delamere Road -Gordon Avenue-Crayfield Road triangle. We ask the Council to undertake this assessment and produce recommendations to address these issues.

The development of the high street is critical to the success of the District Centre. We ask the Council to actively support and incentivise potential businesses to start trading in the area providing not only employment and prosperity but badly needed goods/services to the local community.

The built environment includes notable architecture which give Levenshulme its unique character and potential kerb appeal. We ask the Council to take action to preserve the character of the area by finding and supporting sustainable uses for the existing buildings that are part of Levenshulme's heritage.

The local residents are working hard to clean up the streets of Levenshulme. We ask the Council's help and support to devise an integrated multi-agency approach to change behaviour as regards littering and negligence towards the environment.

Good public transport links are key to the area. We invite the Council to improve the train station by making it more accessible and welcoming to all members of the community. Levenshulme also needs better East-West connectivity towards Didsbury, Chorlton and Old Trafford by way of regular bus services that cover evenings and weekends.

Crime and anti-social behaviour as well as the fear of crime are a serious and debilitating reality that many local residents live in. We ask for increased investment in constructive projects for young people as well as support for vulnerable members of the community to tackle the root of these problems.

Once again we would like to thank you for the opportunity to put our views forward and look forward to working with the City Council to address our concerns and create a sustainable future for Levenshulme.