Community planning is a way of giving local people the opportunity to create a shared vision for their area and identify priorities for action which are agreed by a wide range of people, organisations and groups.  Examples in devon are widespread at County, District, Town and village/neighbour level.

Community planning:

• Is a powerful tool in helping local communities voice their aspirations
• Seeks to tackle issues that affect people's quality of life
• Provides direction for connecting the work of local organisations
• Helps to enable organisations to secure greater efficiency and effectiveness in their services
• Provides public sector organisations with sound information about local needs and wishes, to enable them to make better informed decisions
• Provides an opportunity to share and learn from everyone's experiences

In Devon community planning happens through 9 Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) and through the many local community planning partnerships at local level including Market and Coastal Town Initiative groups, Parish planning groups and local development trusts.

Established by the Local Government Act 2000  Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs)  are single over-arching strategic partnership for the County and Districts of Devon.  They bring together the public, private, business, voluntary and community, and faith sectors so that different services and initiatives support each other and work together for the benefit of local people.

Their principal role is to prepare and implement a Sustainable Community Strategy for their area.  The Strategy should set out how the LSP and its partners will work together to improve the quality of life for local people.  Each of the LSPs in Devon has published a Community Strategy.

For more information about the Devon Community Strategy and Community plans for each District Council area please visit:

• Devon Strategic Partnership
• Mid Devon Local Strategic Partnership
• East Devon Community Plan
• West Devon Community Plan
• South Ham Community Plan
• Teignbridge Community Plan
• North Devon Community Plan
• Torridge Community Plan

The Role of Devon County Council

Devon County Council is a partner in each of the county's LSPsand has elected member representation on each.  The County Council's input into LSPs is co-ordinated by the Community Strategy Officers.

Also on devon.gov.uk

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