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Improving life for Liverpool residents
A TOP level
conference involving more than 70 organisations from across
Liverpool is being held to discuss improving the lives of every
single resident. The conference, entitled “Changing
Perceptions – Improving Delivery”, has been organised by
Liverpool First, which is developing the city’s Local Area
Agreement.
The Local Area Agreement is a contract between the government and
the city council to improve opportunities and life chances for local
people. It is based around five themes: Health; housing, economic
development and enterprise; children and young people and safer and
stronger communities. Delegates from the public, health,
community, voluntary, faith and private sectors will meet to examine
how they can change the way they work to deliver the Local Area
Agreement effectively when it is launched later this year.
City Council Chief Executive Colin Hilton will outline the local
authority’s vision for Liverpool. He said:- “For
Liverpool to present itself as a place which is attractive to live
,work, visit and invest in we need to continue to raise aspirations,
foster lifelong learning, provide a strong foundation of education
and improve the quality of life in our neighbourhoods. Many of
the issues such as crime, poor health and the effects of
inter-generational poverty are just too complex to be sorted by
individual organisations working in isolation. The focus is
now very much on delivering improved outcomes locally by working
extremely closely with our partners on agreed priorities and
targets, and making sure we are accountable to each other and to our
citizens.”
Also on the agenda will be the council’s new Neighbourhood
Agreements, which put local people at the centre of decision making.
Merseyside Police, Liverpool Primary Care Trust, city council staff
and other organisations are now pursuing common goals to reduce
crime and unemployment, encourage healthier lifestyles and improve
the environment.
Council leader Warren Bradley, Chair of the Liverpool First board,
said:- “The people of Liverpool deserve the best possible
services and we are committed to working with our partners to
deliver them. We still face major challenges in Liverpool on
everything from housing to health, from the environment to
employment. It is only by coming up with solutions together that we
can improve life for everyone in the city.”
Liverpool First Director Carol Perry added:- “The new Local
Area Agreement gives the city council and its partners the
flexibility to find innovative solutions to local problems.
The aim of this event is to discuss the changes needed to make the
most of this new way of working.”
The conference is taking place at Liverpool Football Club. |
Merseyside companies warned to go green or risk going into the red
CAMPAINES
across Merseyside should be making annual savings of at least £500
per employee by making simple environmental improvements according
to a new business support service called Environment Connect.
The warning came amidst news of rising energy costs that are hitting
companies hard. The costs of energy have doubled in the past 2 years
and waste disposal costs have doubled in 5 years.
Todd Holden, Project Director of Environment Connect said:-
“The environment is no longer the domain of the tree hugger. Getting
to grips with your environmental impact is essential to maintain a
profitable business. Companies who want to be around in five years
time need to go green or risk going into the red. British firms
could radically increase their profits by saving the £1 billion a
year they waste on energy. And for the average company,
environmental improvements could save around £500 per employee per
year. The great news is that with Environment Connect in place,
Merseyside companies can start making these savings right now.”
Companies large and small are feeling the impact of the environment
through rising energy bills, rocketing waste disposal costs,
environmental taxation and increasing legislation. Environment
Connect is a new business support service operating throughout the
Northwest designed to help companies turn environmental pressures
into business benefits. Whether the challenge is generating savings
through energy or fuel efficiency, reducing waste, cutting your
water bills or making the most of new clean technologies –
Environment Connect can help.
Todd Holden, Programme Director of Environment Connect said:-
“Environment Connect is a great opportunity for Northwest businesses
to make a real difference to their bottom line. This new, free
service offers companies a huge range of sector specific advice that
can save money and minimise risk.”
Environment Connect
is available for any business, large or small and support can be
provided offsite or at a business premises. The service is also
ideal for local authorities or organisations that are the first
point of contact for businesses looking for environmental advice and
information.
Environment Connect
is part of Defra’s Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW)
national programme. Over the next three years the Government is
planning to re-direct £284 million from the landfill tax back to
business. To do this, it has set up a series of delivery programmes
that will help businesses reduce waste and manage their resources
more efficiently. Regionally, Environment Connect is co-ordinated by
the Northwest Regional Development Agency. |
