Our team was commissioned by 5 London Boroughs to conduct research into ways in which councils could potentially collaborate to seek improved service delivery to alleviate persistent deprivation in these areas.
The boroughs were interested in exploring the extent to which a 'virtual borough' (taking in parts of each local authority) could form the basis for new, innovative approaches to delivery. We conducted detailed research across the five Boroughs which included extensive consultation, in-depth baselining of socio-economic indicators and mapping of existing delivery / initiatives.
Based on an assessment of commonalities and differences across the study area in terms of deprivation characteristics and service delivery, we identified functional neighbourhoods, and proposed and designed a series of interventions targeted at tackling the core issues identified.
This work was subsequently presented to London Councils as a mechanism for encouraging greater collaboration.
Research and strategic planning to test the potential for more collaborative approaches to tackling deprivation in South London.
London Boroughs of Merton, Croydon, Lambeth, Sutton and Wandsworth