Community Planning Database 'Communities IN Action'

                                                                                    www.communitiesinaction.org.uk    

Local people should be more involved in deciding the priorities for action within their neighbourhoods and parishes; so say local and national Governments and other organisations. But how are these bodies to know what your priorities are?

One of the main ways is through community planning activities. Many Devon Towns and Parishes have already written, or are writing, a Parish or Town Plan. These plans are important because the priorities they identify are based on the views of local communities, gathered through community events and questionnaires.

There are now about 100 active plans in existence, full of valuable information. How can you make sure that your priorities are known about and shared? How will you show the successes you have had?

Through a Devon wide Community Planning Database 'Communities in Action'.

 ‘Communities in Action’is a web based tool for a community to chart its own progress through the community planning process. They will be able to see how each project is progressing, identify similar projects for ideas, potential partner parishes or towns they could work with and ideas on how to fund any project they want to action.

Community led planning (Parish Planning) is a process that identifies a community’s aspirations through a process of community led consultation and project development. A community group seeks the views of the local people through consultation and then produces a set of priorities and projects that they wish to happen to improve their local area.  ‘Communities in Action’provides a place for these priorities and projects to be updated and monitored.

Community plans cover more than just the built environment; they include all public issues that make a difference to local communities. ‘Communities in Action’provides a place for everybody to see the local solutions to wider problems.

Within Devon the number of plans and appraisals completed is likely to reach 50% of the parished areas within the next year.  ‘Communities in Action’harnesses this information and forms part of a suite of information sources designed to increase Devon Strategic Partnership’s intelligence of Devon communities. ‘Communities in Action’holds information about the projects and issues raised by town and parish planning processes allowing local communities to Control Their Future

For more information contact Greg Davies for assistance. Tel: 01392 383292     email: greg@devonrcc.org.uk or communitiesinaction@devon.gov.uk

Many thanks go to the following funding bodies:

Devon Renaissance

§          The Devon Strategic Partnership

§          Local Strategic Partnerships

§          DEFRA RSCP fund (managed by Devon Rural Network)  

§          Devon Towns Forum

§          Devon County Council

§          Community Council of Devon

§          Dartmoor National Park Authority

§          South Hams District Council

§          Mid Devon District Council

§          Torridge District Council

§          North Devon District Council

§          West Devon Borough Council

Has your community already created a Parish or Town Plan?  You could be part of this exciting development. If you don’t yet have a Parish Plan, support is available from the Community Council of Devon.

Contact Heather Holmes for assistance. Tel: 01392 383292     email: heather@devonrcc.org.uk

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