This is the Tenth and last Blogprompt of the year.

It's not a difficult one.

Think about where you live at home (that is where you live now or where you lived before you moved into a Hall of Residence.)

Think about the area in which you live. Perhaps find out the area covered by your electoral ward or better still your Super Output Area (SOA). Find out from here.

Think about how closely your home area fits in with the definition of a 'sustainable community' that we introduced last week (you might want to refresh yourself of this definition by having a look at the powerpoint or one of the white papers. Here.

Blog to what extent your ward/SOA resembles a 'sustainable community' and what extent you don't think it does. Give some evidence from your observations (or your memories) of this judgment.

Use some of the collected data from your ward or SOA to make your point. Find this from here.

Would I describe my local community as "a place where people want to live and work, now and in the future?" (Society Guardian) Glenfield (also known as Glenfields on Google Maps) is a village West of Leicester's city centre and boasts an ever increasing population due to the attraction of an excellent commuter route into Leicester's central business district, outstanding schools that are performing well above the national average and also the convienience of local shops such as the large Co-op superstore. Glenfield is in the ward of Fairestone with a population of 4,687 (2001 census) in the super output area of Blaby 001F.

Glenfield, under the leadership of Blaby District Council, operates a very strict policy on recycling. The five bins that have been in place for over four years has revolutionised the way people dispose of their rubbish within the area. Combined with the recycling points in the village that further the recycling practice provide excellent, if not outstanding facilties for the local community.

Glenfield's rise in the past few years has lead to various issues arising and I personally believe that the community has struggled with the rise of individuals within the area. For example the Glenfield Hospital renouned for it's specialist treatment attracts many workers from Leicestershire and beyond. The hospital doesn't occupy a large site and usually breaches its capacity, leading to the overspill of traffic into the streets of Glenfield. The problem is that the hospital itself doesn't cross many bus routes and therefore people that use the hospital regularly, mainly the elder generation, have no other option than to drive. The car parking fees implemented by the hospital to encourage the use of the use of public transport has not entirely hit the jackpot, as the amount of cars parked along the streets of Glenfield seems to be ever growing.

To determine if a community is of the 'sustainable' variety, I think the use of statistics is very justifiable. For example, an area that has high employment rates, high levels of public transport to get to the work place and also high levels of qualifications is an area you would anticipate has a certain degree of 'sustainable living' going on.

The Fairestone Ward has a very low unemployment rate of 77 people (2.18%), which could present a sustainable way of living in the Glenfield area. The sustainable way of life is generally more expensive than that of the non-sustiable lifestyle. Therefore an area with low unemployment, generally means the area has a certain degree affluency and as a result inhabitants are able to afford sustainable items such as low emission cars, insulation of houses and produce from the local grocers instead of going to the supermarket where it will be cheaper. Also linked with this is the qualification level within the area, as the better education you have achieved may result in a better depth of knowledge in regards to sustainability and therefore the lifestyle of a more knowledgable individual may be more sustainable than that of a person less qualified. The Fairestone ward has a proportion of a relatively high level of education obtained (65.29& of the population having a level of qualification of some sort) which would suggest a greater knowledge base than an area. This is probably as a result of the family-orientated set-up within in the Fairestone Ward. The high levels of academic acheievement within local schools is a major plus for local residents, with pupils coming from outside the Fairestone ward to obtain a place here.

On the whole I think Glenfield was a very sustainable village, but with the expansion in size and population the demand on local services has taken a real turn, mainly in a negative aspect. The severely cramped street as a result of facilites such as the hospital in this case, has lead to disruption within the community particular at peak times with the traffic little short of unbearable. The local council have acknowedged this issue of the strain on public services/lack of public services with the possible introduction of a park and ride system on the edge of the village, which would reduce the parking issues associated around Glenfield. However, the cost may play an important factor in this development and the ultimate success of the system, as the cost of parking on a street is free compared to whatever the council decide the right fare for the park and ride to be. To answer my question of, Would I describe my local community as "a place where people want to live and work, now and in the future?" I would answer yes, but the future actions of the council remain in the balance in that they need to address a few minor issues that could escalate into a unsustainable way of life being met.

References:
Office for National Statistics., 2001. Neighbourhood Statistics [online]. Available from:
http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadAreaSearch.do?a=3&i=1001&m=0&s=1269727164060&enc=1&areaSearchText=le3+8pl&areaSearchType=14&extendedList=false&searchAreas= [Accessed 27 March 2010)


Aldred, J., What is a "sustainable community"? [online]. Available from:
http://society.guardian.co.uk/mindtheskillsgap/story/0,,2176901,00.html [Accessed 27 March 2010]


Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste Management.,2009. Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee[online]. Leicestershire: Leicestershire County Council. Available from:
http://politics.leics.gov.uk/Published/C00000443/M00002069/AI00020094/$CMajortransportreport.doc.pdf [Accessed 27 March 2010]