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Community Led Planning

What is a Community-led plan?

It is a step-by-step process that enables every member of a community to participate in and contribute to, improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural well being of their local area.
The whole premise is around people who live and work in a community coming together to research and identify local needs and priorities, then agreeing on the different actions that will help to improve their neighbourhood.
Over 4,000 communities across England have already been involved in developing community-led plans (CLP) since the late 1970s. They have allowed the community to have a voice in what happens in their locality, rather than have changes imposed upon them.
Their success relies upon volunteers who work closely with their parish or town council as well as officers in the local authority. In many instances, the local Rural Community Council (RCC) has been brought in to act as a facilitator to help broker the relationships needed to make the community led plan a success. The CLP officers offer independent and impartial advice, resources and examples of best practice.
Tool kits have been devised by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) and Action for Market Towns (AMT) following many years of working with communities and RCCs.
CLP is not a one-off quick fix / wish list for the community. On average, it takes 18 months - 2 years to complete a CLP. Volunteers who make up the steering group learn to work with other members of their community, discovering hidden or new talents, gaining in confidence to be able to take action for themselves. It is a rigorous, planned and well researched piece of work. Where those involved in undertaking a CLP have cut corners, their plan has not stood up to rigorous questioning.
To discuss Community led plans on the Isle of Wight, please contact
Estelle Thomas on 01938 539371 or email estelle.thomas@iwrcc.org.uk

Neighbourhood Planning

Neighbourhood plans are the next stage in Community- led planning and have been brought about through the localism bill that gives communities new powers.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has issued a simple guide to neighbourhood planning that is designed to help local communities to prepare for and make good use of their new powers.
A consultation is also out for public comment. It details the regulations that will govern the neighbourhood planning process.
Neighbourhood planning offers communities to take their local plans a step further and reach their aspirations through the planning system. Communities can use the Community led plan (CLP) process to compile evidence, debate solutions and by working with local authority officers, use the planning system to bring about their preferred options.
The CLP process usually generates high community involvement and can strengthen the quality and range of decisions made about the future of the community.

Useful web sites:

The plain English guide to Neighbourhood Planning
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningbuilding/introductionneighbourhoodplanning
Consultation on Neighbourhood Planning regulations
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/planningregulationsconsultation
Action for Communities in Rural Areas
http://www.acre.org.uk
Action for Market Towns
http://towns.org.uk