Community strategies

A community strategy sets out a long term vision for an area which matches the council's boundaries, backed up by action plans to achieve it. Every local authority should prepare a community strategy 'for promoting or improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom'. This is a requirement of the Local Government Act 2000. Given the aim of contributing to sustainable development, the government now prefers the term Sustainable Community Strategy.

The strategy must be approved by the council. In two tier areas, with district and county councils, there is generally a community strategy at each level, but approaches to this vary. The community strategy development should involve widespread community consultation and engagement. Generally, the Local Strategic Partnership is involved in developing and agreeing the community strategy. The community strategy should provide a framework which also brings together more issue-based strategies, for example for the environment, children, or crime and disorder reduction. The Local Area Agreement is an important means to define and implement partnership work to fulfil the community strategy.

The community strategy should clearly relate to the Local Development Plan (a strategy for spatial development/land use planning), and they may share a core strategy (see our planning pages). The consultation which develops these plans may be integrated. It is vital that the strategy contributes to sustainable development and the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and its guidance is concerned with how this should be achieved.

The LGA emphasises the vital role of the Sustainable Community Strategy in defining a local vision, and as the basis of the LAA and other thematic plans. The LGA is negotiating with government on guidance and support for this work.