Community Plans

Community Plans
Community Plans give an opportunity for everyone in your community to make themselves heard; to identify common priorities through consultation and involvement, and come together to find ways of achieving ambitions for the local community either by using local resources or through agencies including the Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, Community Action Hampshire and Test Valley Community Services.

What is a Community Plan?
A Community Plan is a document prepared by a community, which describes how the community sees itself developing over the next few years.  It:

• identifies local problems and opportunities
• sets out an achievable and long term vision for the future
• prepares a plan of action to achieve this vision

To prepare a Plan the views of all of the community must be gathered through survey, research and community participation.  A Plan can include everything that is relevant to the people who live and work in the community, from employment needs to playgrounds.  They can include any social, environmental or economic issues.  It is up to the community to decide what is important to them. No one else can set the agenda or determine priorities for action on behalf of the community.

A Community Plan can take a number of forms - parish plan, market town health check or neighbourhood plan.

Why do a Community Plan?
A Community Plan:
• Provides detailed information on the issues of importance to the local community
• Gives everyone the opportunity to have their say
• Helps people to become move involved in what goes on around them
• Gives the statutory authorities, including the Council, vital information about the needs and   views of a community
• Helps individuals and organisations be prepared for questions or issues which arise about changes or threats to local services and activities
• Provides useful information when applying for funding for projects
• Provides a vision of the community in the future, and a defined plan of action to show how this will be achieved

Completed Community Plans
Within Test Valley, nine Community Plans have been completed.  Click the links below to view the Parish Plans.

Community	Plan	Date	Some achievements to date
Ampfield	Parish Plan	2007
Barton Stacey	Parish Plan	2007	Produced a Business and Leisure Map of the Parish
Broughton	Parish Plan	2010	Established four action groups to date.  Held an adult education event, established Broughton Business Group and Environment Watch Group.
Houghton and Bossington	Parish Plan	2008	Currently in the process of preparing their Village Design Statement.
Kings Somborne	Parish Plan	2005
Longparish	Parish Plan	2005	Creation of Longparish Community Association, monthly fun run, annual Village Day, New footpath installed leading up to school.
Romsey	Market Town Health Check	2008
Sherfield English	Parish Plan	2008	Established Roads and Footpaths Groups and have reduced speed limits in the village.  Currently working in Village Design Statement.
Wellow		2010	Plan to follow

Two other Parishes have started a plan.

Support available for community plans
There are a range of ways in which the Council, and other agencies, can support and help you to develop your Community Plan.  These include:

• General support and guidance through the process
• Grants to develop and implement your Community Plan
• Provision of statistics and information on your area
• Printing of surveys, questionnaires and finished plans (at a subsidised cost)
• Assistance with a housing needs assessment
• Finding and retaining volunteers

Community Action Hampshire also provides information, guidance and support.  Whether you are thinking of completing a Community Plan in your area, or if you have already started one

Community Action Hampshire - Jo Dixon
Telephone: 01962 854971
Web: www.action.hants.org.uk

Want to know more?
If you would like to talk to someone about Community Plans, please contact:
Marianne Piggin, Community Support Officer on 01264 368623 or Email:   mpiggin@testvalley.gov.uk