Community Led Planning
Community Led Planning is a tried and tested approach that helps local people to explore the needs for their area, set priorities and plan actions. Plan might cover many areas in a locality or specific issues. ACT supports communities to help them work through the process and realise their aspirations.
ACT can provide the following support:
Details of relevant contacts at Local Authorities and other key agencies.
Guidance sheets and video case study.
Support to access grant funding towards producing your plan.
Questionnaire guide.
Advice throughout the CLP process.
Signposting to information and funding.
We can also come out to meet your group, answer questions and deliver workshops.
Finished Plan on the ACT website.
What you will need to do:
Gather a group of people together to work on your plan.
Think about the type of plan you want.
Have a named contact for your CLP.
Plan and budget for the production of your CLP.
Consider funding available to produce a CLP.
Contact key officers in Local Authorities and relevant agencies at start of process.
Use at least three different ways of consulting people in your community.
Share your draft action plan with ACT and specific contacts at your local authority and any other relevant organisations.
Provide a copy of your finished plan.
Feedback to ACT about delivery of your action plan; successes, challenges etc
Community Led Planning Grants:
Community Led Planning groups can apply to ACT for a grant to support community consultation activity and production of the Plan. Contact us at ACT for more information and an application form.
Westmorland & Furness – South Lakeland locality: Up to £1,500
Westmorland & Furness – Eden locality: Up to £500
All other areas: Up to £500
Neighbourhood Planning:
Whilst Community Led Plans can cover anything which the community thinks is important, in areas where there is specific interest in spatial planning, for example, where buildings should go and what they look like, Neighbourhood Planning should be considered. You can read more about it here.
You can read more about the key differences between Community Led Plans and Neighbourhood Plans here.
Neighbourhood Planning Grant – A £150 grant is available in the Eden Locality. Please contact us for more information.
Community Emergency Planning:
Some communities are choosing to augment Community Emergency Plans to help them manage in cases of emergency. Whilst, extreme weather, like flooding and heavy snow, are the most common incidents we face, there are a range of others that could occur, such as gas leaks or fires. A plan helps people through all stages of an emergency, from preparation beforehand to assisting with recovery after the event, so it is important to consider. Find out more on our Community Emergency Planning page.
Valley Plans:
Valley plans focus on a whole valley, water catchment area. Much like Community Led Planning, the community takes the lead in identifying its own needs, while also being informed of the priorities of the partner agencies that affect the environment and services delivered there. ACT piloted this approach in Borrowdale, Wasdale and Ullswater, working closely with the Lake District National Park who have plans to work with more communities across the Park in the future.
Useful Resources:
Who to work with and how to engage them:
Toolkits & Workbooks:
Sustainable Communities Workbook: A discussion tool to help assess your community’s sustainability and plan for the future.
Questionnaire Design Guide: This guide introduces writing questionnaires, the types of questions to avoid, how to ensure your survey is accessible to all, and how to analyse the results.
