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OUR VISION

We will be a vibrant, happy and healthy community where everyone feels safe and supported. Our young people will aim high and achieve and our older generations will feel respected and valued. Together we will make Windmill Hill the best it can be. By 2024, all residents will take pride in calling Windmill Hill their home.

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Our Plan is based on those conversations and reflect how residents and partner organisations can work together to make Windmill Hill the best it can be. The Plan demonstrates the importance of making this ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity count for every resident. The Partnership is focused on improving the quality of life for Windmill Hill residents for the next 10 years and beyond.

OUR PLAN

Supporting Partner Organisations

As well as local residents, there are several other supporters of the Windmill Hill Big Local plan that are involved with overseeing the project. They are:

  • Halton Borough Council (HBC)
  • Liverpool Housing Trust (LHT) – Main Social Landlord.
  • Windmill Hill Children’s Centre (WHCC)
  • Norton Priory (NP) – Local museum and gardens
  • Groundwork (GW) – Local Regeneration Charity providing Big Local Profile and Plan Facilitation role.

Implementing the Plan

windmill-hill-big-local-community-team-meeting-haltonThe Partnership are committed to the Windmill Hill Vision and keen to share their local knowledge and expertise to help support the delivery of the Plan. They understand Big Local is about building social value where local people are best placed to make choices about how to improve their environment and their quality of life.
 

The Partnership will ensure project expenditure is focused on improving the quality of life for residents, also helping individuals and the community to flourish. This will be achieved by maximising community potential, building on existing community assets, tackling inequality and strengthening relationships between people and organisations to help build resilience.
 

The Partnership will continue to consult and review local needs and monitor progress being made on the Plan and be vigilant in ensuing the benefit to the community is always of paramount concern.
 

The Partnership is still open to any new resident members and is looking for a strategic partner who can advise on health issues. Single issue topic groups will also support the Partnership through bringing additional expertise and presenting research to the Partnership to aid decision making.
 

To be identified as a Big Local area, Windmill Hill was obviously recognised as an area with complex social and economic challenges. Poverty, unemployment, poor health and many other indicators typical of ‘deprived’ areas is well documented in the Big Local Profile of the area.
 

Windmill Hill is the most deprived ward in Halton and although it has a high quality natural environment, and some outstanding services .e.g. two primary schools, there remain considerable challenges around health and worklessness that will take time to fully address. Of the 39 indices listed across a range of domains Windmill Hill performs worst against 17 of them.
 

However, Windmill Hill has a great deal going for it and new opportunities make the coming years really exciting. Big Local, with residents and partners working together, can be the catalyst enabling tremendous improvements to the quality of life for local residents.
 

POSITIVES FOR WINDMILL HILL TO BUILD ON

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  • Stable community with a strong local identity that residents are really proud of.
  • Outstanding natural environment with amazing variety of land types and habitats.
  • Green Flag rated neighbourhood Park.
  • Great local facilities, including Windmill Hill Primary School which is an Outstanding Ofsted rated school, a Children’s Centre and health services available locally.
  • Support at all levels within Halton Borough Council especially from the Community Development Team.
  • The full support of the Windmill Hill local Ward Councillor.
  • A single Registered Social Landlord, Liverpool Housing Trust already committed to supporting the Big Local Process.
  • Partner organisations committing Senior Staff to support and advise the Windmill Hill Partnership.
  • Halton is set to benefit from EU Structural Funds through the Merseyside LEP, Windmill Hill Big Local is developing strategic links to realise potential opportunities for further investment.
  • The £600m Mersey Gateway project will be delivering more training, apprenticeships and jobs to local people over the next three years.
  • Almost £4m of Heritage Lottery Funding to support the transformation of Windmill Hill’s Norton Priory through their Monastery to Museum 900 project.
  • The continued growth and success of the local Sci-Tech Daresbury estate with more opportunities associated with ‘the Shield’ development.
  • Halton’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy prioritising resources to tackle 5 key health concerns that are particularly appropriate for residents of Windmill Hill.
  • Halton is a leading Authority on developing a Social Value Policy & Procurement framework that supports its Third Sector and community partners.
  • Proactive Business Connector from Business in the Community aiming to make Windmill Hill a focus for businesses supporting community action.
  • Existing networking with other Big Local areas to share good practice and ideas.
  • Windmill Hill Facebook page growing in popularity.