What is a Parish Plan?
A Parish Plan is an opportunity for the whole community to voice
their opinion on what action they wish to see taken in their local
area in the future

     It involves and includes everyone in the parish.
     It maps out services and facilities already in the community.
     It discovers what issues and opportunities people feel need addressing. 

This information is then used to form an action plan to look at how
these issues can be tackled

Read all about the Planning for Real Event held on 12th April

Why is a Parish Plan needed?

It is an opportunity to look forward for the next 5 - 10 years rather than just responding to tasks that need immediate action. A Parish Plan provides a collective view of what people in the parish want, providing a stronger voice for the community. It provides evidence of need and commitment, which may be used to influence local authorities, service providers and funders. It can test or encourage community backing for a project that has already been identified.

It is an opportunity to bring everyone in the parish together strengthening community spirit and involvement.

1

Informing everyone in the community about the Parish Plan and asking for volunteers who are keen to be involved.

2

Setting up a group of 8-15 people representing all sections of the community and the Parish Council. Their role will be to plan and undertake the exercise and to keep the community informed and involved.

3

Considering how to go about producing the plan, the timescale, costs involved and what methods could be used to ask the community their views.

4

Get everybody involved - discovering issues and views from as many people as possible including those who do not traditionally involve themselves in village affairs. This may involve sending a questionnaire to all households.

5

Gathering opinions by setting up small working groups to look at the topics raised, collate further information. Outside organisations may need to be consulted to ensure that ideas are realistic to help prevent raising peoples expectations.

6

Bringing things together and collating all the findings from the research, consultations and discussions.

7

Identifying the key issues that need tackling and any opportunities that could lead to action.

8

Discussing the findings and proposed actions with the community and outside organisations. Determining what actions are a priority, how long they will take, what funding they will need and what assistance may be required.

9

Producing the final report and action plan and launching it!

10

Distributing a summary of the Parish Plan to every household and the relevant authorities and organisations.

Now comes the most important part, making it happen. The plan is only effective if it results in change and that change is recognised. Progress will be checked against the targets and reported back to the community on a regular basis.