27th February 2025
As part of our Collaboration Hub and Community Voice work with the Lake District National Park Partnership, we are offering to support communities to engage fully with the revision of the Local Plan. This plan will set out, to a large extent, what will be built and where in the National Park for the next two decades, so it is worth getting involved. :contentReference[oaicite:0]
To help parishes, communities, residents and workers get what they need from the new Local Plan, ACT is offering eight Lake District communities a chance to feed into Local Plan development before it reaches statutory consultation. The timetable for revision is still being finalised, but statutory consultation is expected to begin during 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:1]
We are focusing on settlements – communities of place, villages and parishes. It does not matter how much you know about the current Local Plan. We want to get to know your place and use your experience and ambitions as foundations for shaping the future of your community. :contentReference[oaicite:2]
ACT will work with three different groups in each participating community – perhaps a mother and toddler group, lunch club, sports club, school group or parish council. One structured conversation with each group will help us identify what is working well and what needs to change in your place. ACT will then create a short Community Statement which could form the basis of a future Community Plan. :contentReference[oaicite:3]
Alongside the Community Statement, an artist will be commissioned to turn local words and ideas into a visual poster illustrating the hopes, opportunities and challenges of the community. The result will be a series of professional artworks helping to stimulate wider conversations about what should be protected and what communities would like to see in the future. :contentReference[oaicite:4]
Each participating community will also receive bespoke feedback from the Lake District National Park Planning Team, explaining what falls within the scope of the Local Plan and how local people can engage effectively as the consultation process develops. :contentReference[oaicite:5]
Over the following 18 months, ACT will also organise a programme of public seminars exploring what the Local Plan is, how it works and why it matters. These sessions will include planning officers from the Lake District National Park Authority, providing opportunities to ask questions and better understand the planning process. :contentReference[oaicite:6]
Local Plans play a critical role in shaping future housing, employment, infrastructure, environmental protection and community facilities. They are the principal documents used to guide planning decisions and influence how places develop over the long term. :contentReference[oaicite:7]
If your community would like to take part in this supported programme of conversations about the future Local Plan, please get in touch. ACT will undertake much of the engagement work, making it easier for communities to contribute ideas and ensure local priorities are reflected in future planning discussions. :contentReference[oaicite:8]
