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Meeting the Social Infrastructure Needs of New Communities
As the voluntary and community sector infrastructure organisation covering Bedfordshire Voluntary and Community is taking a keen interest in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-Regional Spatial Strategy (MKSM) and proposals to build 26,300 new homes in South Bedfordshire by 2021.
We believe much needs to be done to build communities of people, as well as communities of place, and that all too often this is an after-thought when new communities are built in a physical sense. Creating new social infrastructure to address the needs of residents in new communities must be undertaken in step with growth, from day one.
The voluntary and community sector has an important part to play, and much to contribute, in the development of sustainable communities. The MKSM Strategy recognises the important role the sector can play in building the social infrastructure of new sustainable communities.
The MKSM Strategy provides for 26,300 new homes being built in Southern Bedfordshire by 2021. We estimate that there will be a need to create and develop a total of 362 new voluntary organisations and community groups within the incoming population and that there will be over 27,000 new volunteers within the Southern Bedfordshire growth area by 2021.
See our Information Sheet on this subject.
Strong Communities Report
Voluntary and community sector infrastructure organisations in the Milton Keynes & South Midlands growth area – including Voluntary and Community Action – have recently published important research on the social infrastructure needs of new communities. Their report – Strong Communities – includes proposals for planning, implementing and resourcing the delivery of social infrastructure in the region’s six growth areas.
Key Findings
The key findings from this report are available in a new promotional leaflet titled Building Strong Communities (PDF 290KB). If you would like bulk copies to distribute, please contact our Information Co-ordinator .
East of England Growth Agenda
In November 2008 we published a report on the Growth Agenda and Changing Population to inform the regional co-ordination of ChangeUp within the East of England. The research leading to this report has examined a range of sources concerned with spatial planning, infrastructure delivery and the sector’s engagement in these issues. The report also examines evidence from growth localities within the East of England, reviews key texts and draws from sub-regional Consortia Plans.
The report outlines the key issues, related to growth, as they affect the third sector, and third sector support services, in the East of England. It also makes recommendations as to how support services can best take the issues forward at a regional level.
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