Gender Equality: setting the scene in Northamptonshire Danny Brennan, Director for Sustainability, Northamptonshire County Council

What is Sustainability? “…..meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Bruntland, 1987) “…..vibrant local economies, new jobs, high quality housing (with solar roofing), integrated transport, regeneration that makes a real and lasting difference. Unbelievable that some people still think that [sustainability] is about the birds, bees and trees!'” (David Puttnam, 2000)

What is Sustainability? For us it’s about 3 things: People, Movement, Place People? It’s about quality of life and life chances Movement? Quality of transport & transport choice And Place? Quality of the urban and rural fabric, economy and environment These things, add up to a socially, economically and environmentally Sustainable Northamptonshire. They all require equality, of opportunity, of access.

How do we deliver? Delivering on on People, Movement & Place? (i) through three core service areas (ii) through integration across these areas (iii) through championing and supporting (e.g. equalities, in the NCC organisation and beyond…) the whole sustainability agenda, with partners, with communities

The service areas Sustainable Transport: roads, buses, traffic management,casualty reduction, schools and social services transport, community transport Sustainable development: economic development, land use planning, waste strategy, built and natural environment And Sustainable Communities: neighbourhood renewal, community development, community safety, Drugs action team, Travellers unit, voluntary sector relationships and investment, and inclusion & equalities

The join? The problem with structures, any structures…..Making join within,across services, across NCC, e.g. Within: community safety, drugs action and neighbourhood renewal and voluntary sector investment Across service: casualty reduction in deprived areas, community transport key groups, planning out crime NCC wide: the mainstreaming the equalities agenda,NR as a whole council objective, localities planning and impact With partners: NR, community safety, growth mgmt

The join? From goodwill to “contractual engagement” Sustainability Service and wider NCC: Common strategy, common priorities, objectives. Service planning and Performance management with equalities as a clear common priority Partner agencies: Joint sign up to local community strategies, county community strategy, with delivery plans & targets, performance managed by Local Strategic Partnerships

Examples Of Initiatives That Impact on Gender Northamptonshire Integrated Local Employment Strategy (NILES) project Milton Keynes – South Midlands (MKSM) Growth agenda Community Strategy – county wide delivery agent Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy Voluntary Sector Development