Government initiative to target deprived areas

The Government has launched a new strategy aimed at revitalising some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Northern Ireland.

Entitled, ‘People and Places, A Strategy For Neighbourhood Renewal’, the new initiative will target a number of new strategies including:

• the most acute deprivation by concentrating on the worst 10% urban wards
• promote partnership with key political, statutory, private, community and voluntary sector organisations in each area
• commit for the long term
• adopt an integrated approach
• improve public services
• respond to local circumstances

Announcing the new initiative in Belfast today, Social Development Minister John Spellar said the ‘People and Places, A Strategy For Neighbourhood Renewal’ strategy underlined the Government’s determination to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged communities.

He added: “For many of these people, the cycle of deprivation means that as a child they will have an unhealthy diet, fall behind educationally at the age of two and leave school without any qualifications.

“As an adult, they will face unemployment or poorly paid work and are more likely to suffer mental strain and addiction to prescription drugs or alcohol. In old age they may have to rely on benefits for most if not all of their income and may suffer ill-health due to fuel poverty.

“This is unacceptable and has gone on for too long. We must focus our attention to improve the lives of people who have been blighted by the consequence of social, economic and physical disadvantage associated with where they live.”

At present there are a quarter of a million people living under conditions of deprivation in Northern Ireland's towns and cities.

It is hoped that this new strategy help alleviate some of these problems.

The initiative was announced on the same day that Peace II Programme funding worth £5 million was promised for projects that tackle deprivation across some of Northern Ireland's worst black spots.

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