Foundations laid to improve Glasgow lives

Glasgow Community Planning Partnership (CPP) has a clear sense of purpose and direction for tackling some of the city's deep-seated social and economic problems, according to the Accounts Commission.

Responding to a report for the Commission and the Auditor General for Scotland, the Commission says it is encouraged by the CPP's clear strategic direction for the next ten years with its focus on three priorities: alcohol, youth employment and vulnerable people. There is a strong emphasis on prevention and addressing inequalities by concentrating efforts on some of the most deprived areas and good potential for engaging with communities at a local level.

But while there have been improvements over the last decade in areas like health, education and safety, Glasgow still lags behind other Scottish and comparable English cities for many key indicators, in part reflecting the complexity of the challenges it still faces.

Public sector partners in the CPP collectively spend more than £4 billion a year, most of which is already committed to their individual programmes. Shifting and sharing more resources to specifically meet the longer-term preventative approaches in the CPP's three priorities will be difficult.

The report says the Partnership needs to improve its understanding of how to best use its resources and move quickly from planning to implementation, and establish clear targets and effective systems of monitoring and scrutiny.

Accounts Commission chair Douglas Sinclair said:

"Glasgow CPP faces enormous challenges not only due to its size but also in the complexity and deep-seated nature of the problems it faces.

"It has a clear focus on three priorities over the next ten years. That's a solid foundation but it is essential the momentum is maintained, joint working strengthened and clear targets set for its three priorities."