In more detail
Think of neighbourhood companies as:
- locally based community-led organisations
- which have the betterment of the neighbourhood as a whole (as opposed to a particular community within it) as their objective
- and which work as social enterprises, often providing a number of different services (their specialism is the neighbourhood, rather than functional).
In France, neighbourhood companies are called regies des quartiers (district boards) . In Spain, they might be set up as workers’ co-operatives. They are widespread in England, but we tend to call them by a variety of names. They include many development trusts; community trusts; local labour companies; neighbourhood management companies etc.
Likewise, they may be constituted in different ways. Some operate as non-profit Companies Limited by Guarantee (with or without Community Interest Company status); some are charities and some Charitable Incorporated Organisations. They may also be community benefit co-operatives. A few own significant amounts of housing and may be community-run housing associations or housing co-ops. Some are run by local businesses and may be called Business Associations or Town Centre Management Companies. They can all, perhaps, all be thought of as ‘neighbourhood companies’ – business-like and often generalist in the services they offer, but with a business advantage based on the synergies involved in working within a particular place.
The reasoning behind a neighbourhood company turns the logic of division of labour and mass production on its head. Rather than doing one thing everywhere, neighbourhood companies may aim, in principle to do anything, but only in one place. The locality – understanding how it and the people who share it work – is the source of their competitive advantage.
Regies des quartiers
In France, there are 140 district boards(regies des quartiers) covering 320 priority neighbourhoods – home to about 3 million people. Collectively, they employ about 8000 staff, and more volunteers, and are supported by 350 social landlords. Each board is run as an independent non-profit association with aim of improving the living environment of the neighbourhood by involving local people. The Board of Directors consists of local residents and representatives of the local authorities and social landlords that are active in the neighbourhood.
The boards sell goods and services and provide socially useful activities using local labour. As a baseline, most provide housing management related services to social landlords and neighbourhood management services (cleaner and greener type activities) for local authorities. They can be involved in refurbishing and renewing empty properties as well as maintenance and repairs. They may provide cleaning and maintenance services to local businesses and others. They may provide gardening, landscaping and the management of habitats and green spaces. Depending on local opportunities, the boards provide a very wide range of other services which can include building management and room hire, driving tuition, energy services, cycle maintenance and repairs, recycling services, motor vehicle repairs, cafes, childcare, laundries, local courier services, floristry, lift-and-shift services etc.
A vehicle for improving local services
Neighbourhood companies are not a new idea – perhaps just a fresh way of looking at what already exists. Depending on the priorities and opportunities in your neighbourhood, they might play a part alongside other community planning – including a neighbourhood plan – in making a better place to live by involving local communities. Getting directly involved in delivering services in the neighbourhood can give communities significant influence and 'leverage' (ability to get people and organisations to do things by working cooperatively with them) with other service providers - both public and private.
| Key Facts:
Neighbourhood companies specialise in a place rather than a particular service or product. In English cities and towns, community development trusts and others may act as neighbourhood companies. In France, regies des quarteirs (neighbourhood boards) employ about 8000 workers in 320 neighbourhoods, home to aboput 3 million residents. Community led neighbourhood companies can focus and give direction to cooperative working between private and public services to make their neighbourhoods better places to live and do business. |
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BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY PLANNING TOOLKIT DEFINITION SHEET This sheet may be reproduced in paper or electromic or any other form but please mention it was made by Chamberlain Forum Limited for Birmingham City Council supported by Department for Communities and Local Government.
| created: 2016-06-22 11:55:49 | by: admin | status: f published |