The Kirkby Neighbourhood Board has been established as a requirement of the Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods programme.
As part of the programme, Kirkby has been allocated £19.5m of funding to invest in local priorities over the next 10 years.
What is the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme?
The Plan for Neighbourhoods is a £1.5 billion national programme which is investing in 75 areas over the next decade – a long-term strategy that unlocks the potential of the places people call home and ensuring people see visible improvement in their communities.
No one knows the priorities of the community better than those who live and work there, which is why the Plan for Neighbourhoods will empower local people to help shape their future with a long-term, flexible funding pot of up to £19.5 million over the next 10 years.
The Plan for Neighbourhoods will drive growth over the long-term and provides a new blueprint to bring communities together, allocating funding to improve living standards and give people in the 75 recipient locations more of a stake in their future.
To deliver this, the government has supported the establishment of new Neighbourhood Boards, putting power in the hands of local people to regenerate their local area. Each board will, in partnership with their local authority, develop a ‘Regeneration Plan’, setting out its vision for the next decade alongside a more detailed ‘Investment Plan’ for the first 4 years of the programme.
Why do we need a Neighbourhood Board?
As part of the governance arrangements under the Plan for Neighbourhoods, each Neighbourhood Board must be led by an independent chair, appointed by the local authority acting as accountable body, and in consultation with the local MP. The chair should act as a champion for the place and provide leadership for the board, ensuring it is community-led and embedded within the local area.
The Neighbourhood Board is responsible for preparing a 10 year Regeneration Plan for their place, which includes an overall vision and key priorities supported by local people to improve the physical and social infrastructure of their community.
Chairs should work with the Local Authority to consider the wider membership of the Neighbourhood Board, ensuring an inclusive and representative selection of people from across the local community. Guidance from the Government states that Neighbourhood Boards must include the following members:
- Parliamentary representatives
- Local councillors
- Senior representative from the police
- Other representatives from a cross-section of the local community to promote community leadership, and boards should ensure there is greater representation from non-elected members than elected
Who are the members of the Kirkby Neighbourhood Board and how were they appointed?
In February 2024, the opportunity to be part of the Kirkby Neighbourhood Board was widely advertised through Knowsley News and the council’s social media channels – further information can be found here.
Many people wanted to be part of Kirkby’s future and a high volume of applications were received for a limited number of places on the Board. The Chair of the Board worked with Knowsley Council, as the accountable body for the funding, to set up and recruit other members to the Town Board. The confirmed Board is:-
- Max Steinberg CBE DL – Chairperson of the Kirkby Neighbourhood Board
- Councillor Tony Brennan – Shevington Ward Member and Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development
- Julie Currie – Head of Retail, Willowbrook Hospice
- Andrew Devaney – Assistant Director of Investment, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
- James Duncan – Chief Executive, Knowsley Council
- Councillor Jayne Lonergan – Cherryfield Ward Member and Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Resources
- Dr Mike Merriman – GP at Millbrook Medical Centre, Kirkby
- Anneliese Midgley MP – Member of Parliament for Knowsley
- Matthew Parish – Chief Executive Officer, Liverpool Football Club Foundation
- Amie Parsonage – Portfolio Holder and Partnership Officer for Knowsley, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Office
- Rev Graham Peel – Pastor for Northwood Chapel and Director for Kirkby Food Bank
- Inspector Andrew Robinson – Merseyside Police
- Christine Vaudrey – Regeneration and Neighbourhood Renewal Practitioner
How often do the Board meet?
The Board will meet on a quarterly basis and / or more frequently if needs be. The last meeting was held on Friday 12 September and an update from the meeting can be found here.
Where can I see updates from the Board?
Regular updates about the Board are shared here on Knowsley News (search Kirkby Neighbourhood Board).