Your community plans

What is a community plan?

A community plan sets out a community’s priorities (as determined through consultation) and shows how they will be addressed. The plans focus mainly on local issues and actions that can be taken at a local level. Issues that cannot be tackled at the local level are fed up to the district-wide Community Strategy.

The purpose of the plan is to improve the quality of life of those who live and work in the area. This is achieved by the plans influencing organisations in the South Wiltshire Strategic Alliance to address the priorities of the local area. For example, key documents such as the Local Development Framework for the district will be shaped by the plans.

South Wiltshire has been divided into six community areas, each of which has its own plan. The community plans for each area are produced by the Alliance. The costs of developing and producing the plans were shared between Wiltshire County Council and Salisbury District Council.

Some towns, parishes and city wards are also producing plans at a local level. The purpose of these plans was defined in the November 2000 Rural White Paper as to set out a vision of what is important, how new development can best be fitted in, the design and quality standards it should meet, how to preserve valued local features and to map out the facilities which the community needs to safeguard for the future.

What is in the community plans?

The plans are structured around the following themes, which reflect the themes in the Wiltshire community strategy:

  • Countryside and land-based issues;
  • Crime and community protection;
  • Culture;
  • Economy;
  • Education, skills and learning;
  • Housing and the built environment;
  • Social care and health;
  • Transport.

Under each theme, the community plan sets out what the issues are, what is being done already and what will be done in the future. Download the Community Plans

Mere school crime illustration

Drawing by pupil at Mere School

The plan will directly affect policymaking and strategic planning. It will also help community groups by showing what is being achieved and how partner organisations can support this.

We recognise that in every parish there are volunteers working on projects, giving up their time to make a difference in their community. Some of the projects highlighted in this plan will need to be taken forward by the local community.

Publication of the plan does not complete the consultation process. Work will still need to continue around specific target groups, topics and geographical areas as necessary especially as we recognize that we have not fully addressed the needs of less accessible groups. South Wiltshire Action Against Poverty will take this work forward.

How were the community plans put together?

During the summer of 2003, the South Wiltshire Strategic Alliance distributed a Community Questionnaire to all 49,000 households in the district. 37% – over 18,000 – were returned.

The results from the questionnaire showed your overall priorities for the district were:

  • Looking after roads,
  • Reducing crime,
  • Vandalism and anti-social behaviour,
  • Houses local people can afford,
  • Cleanliness of roads, streets and open spaces,
  • Looking after the environment,
  • Public transport,
  • Protecting local facilities.
Mere school health illustration

Drawing by pupil at Mere School

Obviously, the priorities for each community area were slightly different and these are summarised in the relevant community plan.

On the questionnaire, people also wrote comments about the specific issues under those headings that were causing concern. In addition we have information from previous community planning workshops held in 1999 and 2001, a panel of local residents known as 'The Peoples Voice' and from a panel of young people known as 'Tomorrows Voice'.

All this data, in conjunction with views and opinions of Parish Councils, District and County Councillors and community groups, has been brought together to form the community plans.

How will we know what is being achieved?

Monitoring of the plans will be carried out through Salisbury District Council Area Committees (who will receive annual progress reports) and the Community Forum.

Updates to the plans are posted on this website. The latest progress report can be obtained by emailing swsa@salisbury.gov.uk

Progress to date

Northern area covers Amesbury, Durrington, Bulford and surrounding area; and Western covers Mere, Tisbury, Wilton and surrounding area.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more or get involved in taking forward any of the actions in the community plans, please contact swsa@salisbury.gov.uk

Contact details:

Telephone:
01722 434223

email:
swsa@salisbury.gov.uk

Postal address:
Community Initiatives
Salisbury District Council
PO Box 2117
Salisbury
SP2 2DF