EASEL is not a stand alone initiative. It will be linked to other important development opportunities and regeneration programmes in East and South East Leeds.
In 2005, the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister designated Gipton as a “Mixed Community” pilot area. Mixed Communities is about incorporating high quality and inclusive design for all residents and tenants in order to create places that are enjoyable to live in. It is also about addressing significant and persistent inequalities between neighbourhoods e.g. patterns of anti-social behaviour, crime, employment and income levels. Work has already begun in Gipton to address some of these inequalities.
The area has been designated as an Intensive Neighbourhood Management (INM) area. INM is about looking closely at specific neighbourhoods and how they run in order to make them better places to live. Among other things, this will include securing additional money to spend in the area and encouraging residents to get more involved in decision making.
Amberton
Park
July 2007 saw the launch of the UK’s first Home Buy scheme in Amberton Park. The scheme was run by Leeds City Council to help people buy their own property. Since then, 74 properties out of a total of 92 have been released for sale and of these 16 residents were nominated by East North East Homes Leeds. Seven residents have already moved into their new homes.
Your new Health Centre
East Leeds Health Centre, part of a multi-million pound regeneration plan for health and community services in Leeds, opened its doors this summer. The new building on Osmondthorpe Lane, off York Road, is the new home to Shaftesbury Medical Centre (Dr Darbyshire and Partners) and The Garden Surgery (Dr Proctor and Partners). The centre also provides a wide range of high quality health services ensuring that patients can be cared for in a modern environment close to their own homes.
The centre is one of several opening across the city as part of the Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme, a public and private partnership between Primaria Community Health Partnerships, Leeds PCT and Leeds City Council.
Two new Children’s Centres in Gipton
Two new Children’s Centres are currently being built in Gipton, they will provide much needed childcare and family support services for the community. Both centres will offer childcare and early education for children from three months to five years and provide links to family health services and employment opportunities. North Gipton adjacent to Oakwood Primary School will offer up to 50 childcare places and South Gipton adjacent to Wykebeck Primary School will offer 30 childcare places.
Debbie Gedge is the Children’s Centre Manager for both centres. There are also two Family Outreach Workers already delivering outreach services in Gipton.
If you’d like more information about these developments in your area, please contact:
Debbie Gedge,
Children’s Centre Manager
Tel 07891 276 723
Helen Sztencel,
Family Outreach Worker
07891 276 810
Becky Hood,
Family Outreach Worker
07891 276 828