Action In Rural Sussex

Parish and Town Action Plan Support

What is a Community Action Plan?

A Community Action Plan is a parish or town strategy outlining the future vision for a particular community.

Two main types of Community Action Plan exist; these are Parish Action Plans and Market Town Health Checks.

Benefits of a Community Action Plan

The community can assess what its residents want or need.
It can assist in influencing the organisations / groups servicing your community.
Can be used as a tool to attract more external funding to your community
It may increase community development skills.
The process brings people together, heightens awareness and can increase levels of social inclusion.
It increases understanding of local democracy, government structures and responsibilities
It enables local people to shape the future of their village.
It can be used as reference documents when planning the community strategy.
The Actions are inputted into the Action in rural Sussex Action Plan Database and reports are generated for relevant authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships, who can use the results for their strategic planning.

New rural helpline goes live!

For all enquiries concerning:

Village Halls and Community Builidngs
Action Planning
Rural Affordable Housing

ring 0845 873 6165

How is a Community Action Plan developed?

It is undertaken by parish or town residents who consult all residents about the current state of their community; this includes social, economic and environmental aspects. This is often achieved by using a variety of consultation methods such as questionnaires and public meetings.

Once completed, the consultation findings can be used to celebrate the successes and positive attributes, whilst also allowing local needs to be determined and appropriate action plans to be put in place to address them.

Actions may and often do differ both in nature and in number across different communities. However, key issues which are identified by most rural communities concern transportation, the environment, housing, health, the economy, public safety and social activities. Market Town Health Checks differ slightly, with more focus on the role of market towns as economic service hubs for the surrounding area.

Once the Action Plan is completed its actions are monitored, evaluated and reviewed. Action Plans are generally refreshed every 3-4 years, usually as a result of the community making progress towards their aims and to take into account the changes which occur in all settlements over time. The lessons learned from previous plans often make subsequent processes more efficient and effective.

How can we assist in developing your Community Action Plans?

After an enquiry or correspondence, an initial meeting is usually held with the parish council or parish action plan group to discuss the community plan process.

If the community shows an interest in undertaking the plan, volunteers will be sought to form a steering group and with the help of the Action Plan team, the work on the plan begins. Assistance and support is provided throughout the process.

The Action Plan team is available to help and assist you throughout the whole process and after. We provide assistance in undertaking the following: