Westminster is an area where rich and poor live side by side as well as being a first home for many migrants. Alongside its considerable wealth the city has some of the highest levels of deprivation in the UK. Figures for life expectancy show this. A man living in the most affluent parts of Westminster can expect to live 12.7 years longer than a man in the most deprived areas.
In order to tackle these issues, in 2003 the WCP set up Local Area Renewal Partnerships (LARPs) in the following areas:
These areas tend to be where crime is highest, where social housing is concentrated and where the greatest number of vulnerable people live.
LARPs bring together service providers (including the Council, Police, NHS Westminster and the community and voluntary sector) with local residents to identify and address key local issues across a range of areas (e.g. crime, health, housing, education, employment, and environment).
The LARPs are each structured differently so that they can respond to specific local circumstances. All of them aim to involve local people in improving local quality of life and strengthening their communities.
The Westminster City Partnership also supports area renewal in the
West End.
The LARP priorities for 2009-11 can be found
here.