Community Strategy

Each local authority now has a duty to prepare a community strategy, for enhancing the quality of life of its local community. The process, by which it is prepared, in partnership with local people and a range of other organisations, is known as community planning.

The Local Government Association use the term "community planning" to describe:

"A process for developing a comprehensive 'community strategy' for the economic, social and environmental well-being of an area. Community planning is a multi-dimensional process initiated by the council, for creating a shared vision of community identified priorities, demonstrating the commitment and support of the organisations and groups involved."

A Community Strategy should result in:

• A long-term vision for the area, focussing on achievable outcomes;
• Specific goals and priorities that will contribute to those outcomes;
• An agreed action plan for meeting those goals and priorities.

The Link with "Well-Being"

Previously, local authorities needed specific powers before money was spent. Every local authority now has the power to do anything which they consider is likely to achieve any one or more of the following;

• The promotion or improvement of the economic well-being of their area;
• The promotion or improvement of the social well-being of their areas;
• The promotion or improvement of the environmental well-being of their area.

When using the new power the authority must have regard to the community strategy but they don't have to wait for one to be produced before they use the power.

The Link with Local Strategic Partnerships

All local authorities are required to establish local strategic partnerships. The main functions of which will be to introduce community strategies and to rationalise and simplify existing partnerships, plans and initiatives. Fareham Councillors, through the Community Strategy Sub Committee, have invited Hampshire County Council to a joint workshop in October to identify partners and discuss local arrangements.

The Link with the e-Borough

The community strategy will bring local residents and organisations much closer together and effective communication will be vital. We want Fareham Borough Council's web site to be the electronic centre of all this activity. David Perry is the Council's e-envoy and his job is to drive the e-Borough strategy forward. The strategy aims to co-ordinate what is happening and encourages more businesses and residents to get on-line. He works with local groups and organisations such as Fareham College, Learn Direct agencies and other local businesses to co-ordinate the aims of the new e-Borough Strategy.

The Link with Best Value

A community strategy provides the basis from which an authority can best determine its own contribution to the long-term economic, social and environmental well-being of its community. The key local needs, aspirations and priorities identified should in turn be reflected in the development of the authority's corporate objectives, and in the establishment of authority-wide objectives and performance measures. Best Value will be a key tool in ensuring that the priorities identified in the community strategy are turned into effective action on the ground. Without a clear understanding of local needs and of the potential contribution that can be made by other local agencies and the private and voluntary sectors, an authority will be unlikely to achieve best value in the provision of its own services.

The Link with Consultation

Consultation with the public is already extensively used to develop and improve services; indeed local authorities are required to do so under Best Value. We do not need to start from scratch but can draw on the results of previous consultation exercises. Other organisations in the Local Strategic Partnership are also consulting, as are individual council departments. To avoid clashes, and prevent 'consultation fatigue' in the community, work has already commenced to co-ordinate consultation exercises. Corporate consultation will be undertaken within the community strategy process.

The Link with Development Plans

Development plans and community strategies need to be complementary. In preparing community strategies, local authorities will need to take into account the policies and proposals in any existing adopted development plan. Once a community strategy has been established, the development plan will provide the means of taking forward those elements of its vision and priorities that concern the physical development and use of land in the authority's area.

In Fareham we have the Fareham Borough Local Plan Review which has been prepared for the period up to 2006 and which will shortly be subject to a further review.

During 2000 "Towards a Vision for Fareham Borough: A land-use and transportation perspective" was produced which gives a 25 year vision for the Borough. These will be important bed-rocks for the community strategy.