Partnerships braced for funding squeeze

Local strategic partnerships may lose out on funding to tackle
deprivation if they underperform.

Government allocations for the neighbourhood renewal fund from
2006-8, announced last week, will depend on an assessment of each
partnership’s performance.

Joe Montgomery, director-general of the tackling disadvantage group
at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, said: “What we will try
to do with local strategic partnerships that haven’t made the most
progress is confirm their allocations in November.”

The partnerships will be asked to produce a delivery plan for the
fund that will be signed off by the ODPM before they receive any
money.

Three areas are to receive such funding for the first time due to
government efforts to target smaller pockets of deprivation.

North East Lincolnshire will receive more than £9m, Norwich
nearly £4m and Barnet £2m to tackle poor health and
housing, unemployment and educational under-achievement.

The allocations were calculated using revised measures of
deprivation based on smaller geographical areas, enabling the ODPM
to target pockets of poverty.

However, some areas have lost out on funding. Kensington and
Chelsea, Luton, Portsmouth and Southampton will receive no renewal
fund money from 2006, while funding for Allerdale, Ashfield,
Hyndburn, Kerrier, Lincoln and Pendle will taper off.