Well... my local SOA or Super (duper) Output Area is known as Redditch 005A apparently [1]. My little area is almost entirely residential, with a very small office area included. There is a nature reserve within our community which is incredibly named the "natural nature reserve". My community also lies close to a bypass known as the Coventry Highway which is closely linked to the M42 by the A435 and is on the sub-urban fringe of my town, right on the edge (Some pictures within the residential area of my community [2] [3].
According to the http://www.Communities.gov.uk under "Definition of a 'Sustainable Community'" they describe it as being a combination of different factors that together, make a community that is good to live in for themselves and for others in the future [4]. They have a list of different elements that can make a sustainable community and further lists that can also define the type of community, so I'll just have to describe my area and see which one (if any) it fits into.
570 houses with 559 of those semi or completely dethatched [5]. According to Communities and Local Government (CLG) a 'well designed and built community' has a wide range of houses... so I guess it’s not that one then... Ok how about religion, 80.42% Christian, and 12.88% with no religion, the 'Active, inclusive and safe' community has a populous that has an engagement and respect with people from other beliefs. So there is no real chance to do that within my community, they would have to go elsewhere for that experience, so not that one either... I'm probably trying to tackle this the wrong way, I know there is a bypass close by with links to the M42, so that fills the category for well connected slightly, I know through personal experience that there aren’t any cycle paths though (sorry Gregg), so I suppose it doesn’t fill all of that criteria.
My area might not be the most 'sustainable' in its social aspect with little cultural diversity, and lack of communicating on a regular basis. It's slightly poor in terms of environment because again, personal experience reminds me that the bus routes are shocking at best and the only links are roads which isn’t the most sustainable long term use of travel. The economic side is the only real factor that is ok for my community with employment above the regional and national standards [6] and the majority of housing higher quality semi/detached houses. But the thought that keeps passing through my mind is that I think, overall, my area functions very well as a community because when problems have risen such as the lack of public transport which actually happened suddenly when the bus routes were completely changed, my community adapted and started using more cars and walked more.
My community I think should come under a new heading of 'adaptive community'. To be sustainable the community need to be a place where "people want to live and work, now and in the future" as said by the CLG themselves. My community has always been like that but has constantly changed since it was built. I would say it’s more of a 'well connected' community according to the CLG but who says that what they say is exactly right about what a community should be like, who says what I think a community could be, being 'adaptive', is wrong or right?
1) My Local SOA: http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadAreaSearch.do?a=3&r=1&i=1001&m=0&s=1268760784934&enc=1&areaSearchText=B98+0QT&area
SearchType=141&extendedList=false&searchAreas=
2) Picture within Kingscote Close: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/29156
3) Picture beside the local Londis Shop in Furze Lane: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/29157
4) Communities and Local Government: http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/general-content/communities/whatis/
Categories
5) Housing: Accommodation Type - Household Spaces (UV56)
6) Work: Key Figures for Work Deprivation
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I know Redditch vaguely myself and I know also that the infrastructure is a mess, seems like a new town that never was, perhaps. Your research does make it out to be an under-achiever in the sense of sustainable communities. I do like what you say about it being an "adaptive community", interesting. I've learnt a bit more about Redditch and your local area now, thank you.
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