Community Strategy

The Local Government Act 2000 required local authorities to draw up Community Strategies (though it set no deadline and imposed no requirement to implement them). You can find out more in the Government guidance for local authorities. The big idea was to start integrating the many different plans and strategies for a locality under one umbrella, but the guidance (after some lobbying by sustainability activists) places strong emphasis on sustainable development as an overarching principle. Here's one section reproduced (I hope this falls under fair use!)

Aims and objectives

9. A community strategy should aim to enhance the quality of life of local communities and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development5 in the UK through action to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area and its inhabitants.

10. If this aim is to be realised, a community strategy will have to meet four objectives. It must:


 * allow local communities (based upon geography and/or 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.

11. A community strategy must have four key components:


 * a long-term vision for the area focusing on the outcomes that are to be 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;
 * arrangements for monitoring the implementation of the action plan, for periodically reviewing the community strategy, and for reporting progress to local communities.