The Four Gates Centre - Westgate Ward, Gloucester

As a result of a study funded by the South West RDA, the former site of the Gloucestershire College of Art and Technology (GLOSCAT) in Gloucester has been confirmed as the location for a new community building. The site, owned by English Partnerships, is set to be redeveloped mainly for housing, and the new community building forms a key part of the development plans.

The new building will be called the 'Four Gates Centre', and will house facilities for use by the community, such as a doctor's surgery and pharmacy, training facilities, and a workplace nursery. It will be run by a Development Trust formed from local residents and users of the building.

The project, managed by Gloucester City Council, compliments the Regeneration Framework developed by Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company. It also contributes to the South West RDA vision of a sustainable regional economy, by providing local facilities that help to remove barriers to opportunity - such as a lack of adequate childcare provision that might prevent a parent from going to work. The Centre therefore plays an important role in helping to unlock the business potential of Gloucester.

Lead South West RDA contact: Alan Titcombe (Gloucestershire Area Team, 0117 933 0229)

Victoria Centre - Bridgwater

The Victoria Centre is a purpose built, vibrant, attractive and sustainable neighbourhood centre providing accommodation for a wide range of facilities and services. The project is improving mainstream services for the Victoria/Newtown Ward in Bridgwater, one of the most deprived wards in Somerset. Outcomes from the project include increased employment and improved economic performance, reduced crime, and better educational attainment. Other objectives include:

• To develop a new 'heart' for the deprived Victoria / Newtown community, and a neighbourhood centre which local residents are proud of
• To raise personal and employment aspirations through skills development
• To support the achievement of higher educational attainment levels by disaffected young people
• To develop innovative ways of delivering lifelong learning, training and education support

The project has developed in three phases:

• Phase 1 Children's Centre has provided a 45 place nursery with children's centre support services including early education and links with Job Centre Plus
• Phase 2 Medical Centre with space for 3 GPs, together with a Pharmacy.
• Phase 3 Community space and 100sq.m of workspace, including a Lifelong Learning Centre and IT suite. Other community spaces include a hall suitable for indoor community sports use, a family kitchen to support training activity, small rooms for one to one and small group activity, a police office and store and a café.

The high-quality buildings incorporate a number of low energy and green design features, to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, compared to a standard building. Good quality landscaping is also a key feature of the scheme, and the planting of new trees and shrubs as appropriate to blend in within the overall Victoria Park setting has been carefully considered in the overall design for the scheme.

Lead South West RDA contact: David Rees (Somerset Area Team, 01392 229627)

Filwood Broadway Revitalisation - Filwood Ward, Bristol

The original proposals for this site included the redevelopment of a once thriving local shopping centre that has undergone progressive decline to create a high quality, mixed use neighbourhood centre offering a range of facilities to meet local needs.

The Agency awarded funding to enable the Filwood Broadway Project Board to start initial scoping work. This looked into the scope and demand for the four main components of the project:  
1) Core Building Communities Neighbourhood Centre;  
2) Housing/ commercial elements;  
3) Bristol City Council and other statutory services;  
4) Infrastructure/wider public realm works for Filwood Broadway.  
The funding also paid for a project manager and continued community engagement/ capacity building work. The scoping study, prepared on behalf of a community based Project Board, was considered at a Board meeting on 22 June 2006. The Board reluctantly concluded that the community facility led scheme was not viable and that a more radical approach may be required to secure regeneration of the Filwood Broadway area.

The Building Communities Initiative for Filwood Broadway was therefore concluded in June 2006. 
 
The Agency is now working in partnership with Bristol City Council and English Partnerships to develop a master plan for regeneration of this area based on a housing led mixed use development, as part of the wider South Bristol Integrated Regeneration Framework.

Lead South West RDA contact: Liz Johns (West of England Area Team, 0117 933 0232)

Torridge Way - Efford Ward, Plymouth

Efford is a post war 'garden suburb' type estate some three miles from the centre of Plymouth. Torridge Way, at the heart of Efford has been a typically run-down shopping centre which has over the years suffered from closed and boarded up shops.

The South West RDA, through the Building Communities Initiative, funded a public consultation and masterplanning exercise to produce a plan for the area which will not only encapsulate the areas economic and social challenges, but will also ensure that the key issues, such as community safety, training and skills needs are tackled by the appropriate agencies in partnership. The masterplan was published in 2007 and plans are now being made with the community to deliver a number of projects that the masterplan identified as essential.

The consultation process has enabled a community body, the Heart of Efford Community Partnership, to be created so that the community can work with agency partners with agencies to deliver long term regeneration of the area.

The process has already assisted the development of the St Paul's Church site by creation of a partnership between the Church, Sarsen Housing Association and Plymouth City Council. The church site was agreed to be the ideal site for a new 40 bed Extra Care scheme for the frail elderly and agreement was therefore reached build a new church building on the site of the local library and move the library into the Extra Care building as part of community provision in that building. In late 2007 the extra care scheme and the new chuch have opened and a decision is awaited from Plymouth City Council on the location of a new school for Efford and this issue is under consultation with the community.

Lead South West RDA contact: Les Roper (Devon Somerset Plymouth and Torbay Area Team, 01752 234809)

For more information, please contact:  
 
Nigel Williams  
Partnership Manager  
100 Temple Street  
Bristol  
BS1 6AE  
Tel: 0117 9330224  
Email: nigel.williams@southwestrda.org.uk