Community Strategies

Part 1 of the Local Government Act 2000 places a duty on local authorities to prepare community strategies. ‘Preparing Community Strategies: Government Guidance to Local Authorities’, DETR 2000 (http://www.local-regions.detr.gov.uk/pcs/guidance/index.htm) indicates that the aim of the Strategy is:

“to enhance the quality of life of local communities and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the UK through action to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area and its inhabitants”.

To achieve this aim, the community strategy has to meet four objectives. It must:

• allow local communities (geographical and interest) to articulate their aspirations, needs and priorities;

• co-ordinate the actions of the council, and of the public, private, voluntary and community organisations that operate locally;

• focus and shape existing and future activity of those organisations so that they effectively meet community needs and aspirations; and

• contribute to the achievement of sustainable development both locally and more widely, with local goals and priorities, relating, where appropriate, to regional, national and even global aims.

The community strategy must have four key components:

• a long-term vision for the area, focusing on the outcomes that are to achieved
• an action plan identifying shorter-term priorities and activities that will contribute to the achievement of long-term outcomes;
• a shared commitment to implement the action plan and proposals for doing so; and
• arrangements for monitoring the implementation of the action plan, for periodically reviewing the community strategy, and for reporting progress to local communities.

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