Braunstone
Braunstone is in the South East corner of Leicester and is a typical outer area council estate, where most of the housing is still council-owned.
This area was the most deprived ward in the East Midlands when the NDC programme started in 1999, Braunstone also had:
- the second highest unemployment rate in the city
- poor literacy levels
- high crime rates (particularly burglary)
- highest standard mortality rate in the city
- high numbers of single parent households
- high proportion (5000 of its 13,000 residents) on income support
- poor transport links to the city
- few employment sites in the ward
- local services were absent or inadequate
Braunstone New Deal for Communities
Braunstone Community Association (BCA) is a resident led Neighbourhood Renewal Company, established in 1999 to manage Leicester’s £49.5 million NDC programme.
The BCA is working with residents and partners including the Local Authority, the Police, local schools, Job Centre Plus, local housing associations and many others to deliver sustainable improvements for the residents of Braunstone.
The BCA launched its Delivery Plan for 2004-2008, which acts as its “road map” for progress for the next four years, and includes more than 50 projects across six themes:
- crime and community safety
- employment and enterprise
- housing and environment
- health and well-being
- community development & inclusion
- education and family learning
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Case Study - Braunstone Health and Social Care |
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An innovative and ground-breaking project has led to a new health centre for Braunstone.
Braunstone Community Association (BCA), the local authority, the local community, and the Primary Care Trust (PCT) are working together to improve the health of the local population and to dispel health inequalities.
Following a consultation exercise local residents said they wanted a new health centre with a wide range of basic health and social care services.
Research showed that access to health care would have the biggest health impact. Only 46% of Braunstone residents were registered with a GP practice located on the estate.
The new Centre will enable more clinicians to be based within the area thus increasing local access to services.
The standard response would have been for the National Health Service (NHS) to fund the capital build of £5/6 million, but BCA wished to use New Dea for Communities (NDC) funds to pay for the centre with the NHS and other service providers renting space.
The rental income this generates will in turn build long-term sustainability into the regeneration programme for the area. The business case was completed and accepted by both the Strategic Health Authority and the Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM).
A working party of local residents were involved in developing the brief for the building and for determining its location. The centre is very much community based having a variety of services under the same roof: GP practice, chiropody, physiotherapy, NHS dentist, optometrist, pharmacist, social care, outpatient provision, local café, health promotion area and flexible space for use by community groups.
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