Three projects in Yorkshire and the Humber were announced by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears as part of a package set to give communities more control over council cash and assets.
The new projects in Yorkshire and the Humber are:
Leeds City Council:
The City Council is engaged on two pilots:
* Oakwells and Fairfax, Drighlington (south) allocated £30,000 funding
* and Broadleas (west) allocated £16,000.
The "Narrowing the gap group" and partners have so far supported projects around community and environmental improvements. They have found that the project has helped to enhance relations between elected members and residents, helped to build community capacity well, and used local people's innate knowledge of what the community needed.
York City Council:
The Council are now developing participatory budgeting as part of their neighbourhood action planning process, linking in with local partners. The council has over 15 years of experience of activities engaging with local residents on their proposed spending priorities through ward committees on annual budgets.
Preston Road Neighbourhood Development Company, Hull
Preston Road Neighbourhood Development Company is working with young people to help prioritise their needs in the development of a health centre.
The Company is also planning a recycling and neighbourhood management project which will include participatory budgeting.
