The Rural Community Council For Kent and Medway
you are in: Our Work
Community Led Planning
Parish Plans/Community Led Plans (Community Action Plan)
The term 'Community Action Plan' is the broad term for Parish Plans and Rural Town Healthchecks.
They are both action plans produced by and for local communities based on the communities’ priorities.
They lay out a vision for the community over the next 5-10 years and should contain a detailed action plan for achieving this vision. It is up to the community to define the issues to be tackled through their Parish Plan.
It is a process by which the whole community can voice their opinions on what actions they wish to see taken in their local area in the future. When the plan is completed it may highlight actions that can be taken by community members, be used to influence councils and service providers, and act as evidence of need for projects and/or activites when applying for funding.
Community Action Plans guide community action to meet local needs, help prioritise use of resources and can provide important information to help influence the policies, decisions and actions of others.
A well structured assessment of need is essential to any community development project. We help Parish or Town Councils and community groups identify local needs and priorities through the production of a Parish Plan.
A Parish Plan should:
- Be comprehensive, considering social, economic and environmental issues of concern to the community
- Involve the whole community, everyone should have a chance to have their say and get involved in producing the Parish Plan or Healthcheck
- Be based upon information provided by community participation, survey and research.
- Be focused on action, with a clear statement of who? what? why? and how?
Community Action Plans can be produced by any size of community. Neighbourhoods in the more urban unparished parts of Kent and Medway could use the process described in this toolkit to create their own community action plan. A plan will take you on average between 12 – 18 months to complete.
Why produce a Community Action Plan?
Community Action Plans, with your enthusiasm and determination, can make things happen in your community. The benefits of producing a Community Action Plan are many, they can help you:
- Give all local people, not just the confident, the chance to develop a vision for their community, identifying positive and negative issues
- Guide your local action to meet needs and prioritise Town and Parish Council resources and effort
- Develop increased local voluntary action
- Influence others
- Gain funding for local initiatives by demonstrating you have been through a needs assessment with full community participation
- Develop community spirit, getting people involved and talking to each other
- Strengthen the Town or Parish Councils relationship with all sections of the community
- Reinvigorate local democracy by stimulating interest in community affairs
These are just some of the benefits identified by communities:
- “We have facts and figures to turn to instead of subjective impression.”
- “The appraisal gave vital support to our Community Hall lottery application.”
- “Volunteers have come forward to offer their services”
- “We noticed an increase in confidence and self-esteem.”
- “We have greatly improved communication with our Borough Council”
- “We now know what the people in our community want.”
For more information on Parish Plans contact Carl Adams, Kathy Bugden or Trevor Skelton on 01303 813790. The lastest round of Parish Plan drop in events have now finished.
If you would like to know more information about this, then please call Craig Armstrong on 01303 813790.
Parish Plan Drop In Events
We will be holding events in the following places for you to come in and ask any questions that you have about Parish Plans:
Lydden - Wednesday 3rd February
Lower Hardres - Monday 8th February
Shadoxhurst - Wednesday 24th February
Rolvenden - Wednesday 3rd March
Milstead - Thursday 18th March
All events will run from 7-9pm and you're welcome to pop in at any time.
If you have any questions please contact Craig Armstrong on 01303 813790.
Funding for Parish Plans
DEFRA funding has now come to an end but in a new three year partnership with the Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust we have £140,000 to support NEW parish plans in East Kent - that is the districts of Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Shepway, Swale and Thanet. For guidance notes or an application form use the links below. If having read the guidance notes you need more advice or you are in any way curious as to what a parish plan is and what it can do for your community, Trevor Skelton would be very happy to hear from you.
Click here for guidance notes , or the online application form.
Completed and Current Parish Plans in Kent
- Click here for a list of completed parish plans in Kent.
- Click here for a list of current parish plans in Kent.
Case Studies from completed plans
Click on one of the links below for a flavour of what parishes acheive as a result of their plans. As time and funding permit we would like to add more Kent plans to this list - if your parish plan group would be interested in producing a case study of their own please contact Carl, Kathy or Trevor on 01303 813790.
Community Led Planning Database
Click on the logo below to view Community Led Planning activity in your area and to view completed Action Plans.
Bridging The Gap - A Prospectus for Parish & Community Planning in Kent
This prospectus is one outcome from the "Bridging The Gap" conference co-organised in September 2006 by the Kent Partnership, Kent Rural Towns and ourselves. The prospectus outlines how we can make the links between local community plans and district and countywide strategies and plans.
Download a copy of the prospectus here.
Market Town Health Checks
Kent Rural Towns is a funding programme and advisory service to support small rural towns in Kent and Medway. The Kent Rural Towns Partnership oversees this programme, which is funded by SEEDA (the South East England Development Agency) and by Kent County Council. Kent County Council and Action with Communities in Rural Kent jointly host the Kent Rural Towns Co-ordinator.
All small rural towns are eligible for support and advice on how to make their community more socially and economically viable. Certain towns (and large villages) are eligible to apply for project funding. (See eligible towns)
Towns must bring together an inclusive partnership and carry out a Market Town Health Check before applying for funding.
A Health Check is a well tested way of helping local people to:
- identify the strengths and weaknesses of the town and surrounding area
- obtain the information and ideas they need to manage change
- create an Action Plan for the town based on people’s Vision for the future
And it works - as the smiling faces with their prize certificates will testify
Action for Market Towns Awards July 2007
- The Phoenix Centre won the regional prize and the social and community award
- Edenbridge 2008 won the environment category
If you would like to know more about the Kent Rural Towns programme please contact the County Co-ordinator, Sue Beer sue.beer@kent.gov.uk