What is a
Parish Plan? (following
first Steering Committee meeting 4.12.07)
Parish Plans are part of DEFRA’s “Vital
Villages” initiative. The Government wants local communities to take more
control of their own lives, to say what they want doing in their own neighbourhoods and to engage with other powers to get it done.
The Parish Plan sets a framework for communities to plan their own futures. It
should set out a vision for how the community wants to develop and identify the
actions needed to achieve it.
It should include everything that is relevant to the people who live and work in
the community, from employment and playgrounds to the design of new buildings
and protection of hedges and ponds. They can also include social, environmental
or economic issues.
In essence, the Parish Plan:
- Reflects the views of all sections of the community
- Identifies which features and local characteristics people value
- Identifies local problems and opportunities
- Spells out how residents want the community to develop in the future
- Prepares a plan of action to achieve this vision and this includes:
- Action which the parish itself proposes to undertake;
- Policies, decisions and action carried out by bodies that the plan might
influence.
Who is involved in the writing of the Parish Plan
The Steering Group actually writes the Parish Plan but the Parish Plan belongs
to the community and therefore we need to involve everyone in the community:
- who lives or works or plays some part in the community.
- who has an impact on what goes on in the community.
We need to involve the outside bodies we wish to influence.
It is particularly important to include people who traditionally are unable to
involve themselves in parish affairs, eg. Young people, senior citizens, less
able-bodied people, people living in outlying areas and people who work shifts
or long hours.
Where do we go from here?
The decision to go ahead has been made jointly with the
community.
The community needs to be fully informed and involved right from the beginning.
In this respect, the key is plenty of good publicity. This will be achieved
through the village web site, through village meetings, consultations with
village bodies, and notice boards.
The Steering Group will drive the project forward with the full support of the
Parish Council. There are 2 Parish councillors on the Steering Group.
The Steering Group will be given grants to enable outside professional
consultations to take place.
The final report will be written and submitted to the South Cambridgeshire
District Council.
In Summary
The Parish Plan is potentially very wide ranging and is
the way forward for The Eversdens for at least 10 years. Hence, the research and
consultation needs to be searching and in-depth to make the final produced
document one that is accepted by the District Council as a worthy consultative
document for future local planning. It is also an excellent vehicle for
obtaining grants for projects in The Eversdens.
It is absolutely essential that all the Eversdens gets involved in determining
how we see The Eversdens in the future. There is great potential to improve the
quality of life in the village, to influence local decisions and to maintain
those qualities we value so highly in this village.
The Steering Group will be seeking consultation with every activity and group
organisation, every age group and business, and many others in writing the Plan.
It will need your commitment if we are to succeed in producing a document of
real value to The Eversdens.
So, please support your Eversdens.
Look to the future.
Involve yourself in the future and, in the future, benefit from your involvement
and your commitment.
