Community Strategy… in detail

Our main task so far has been creating a ‘community strategy‘ for the next five years. This explains how we think we can strengthen our communities in Exeter – the needs of  both new and existing communities as the city grows. 

The Community Strategy promotes community-led development across the city. We’re keen to strengthen the communites we live in and encourage decsion makers to consider the  views and actions of communities when they make policies in deliver services.

The aim is to empower local communities, so that:

  • people can be  active as citizens, through their community groups, organisations and networks, and
  • Institutions and agencies (public, private and non-governmental) can work in dialogue with citizens to shape and determine change in their communities.

We beleive community-led development is desirable because it:

  • establishes strong communities that  control and use  assets and resources to promote social justice and help improve the quality of community life; and
  • helps people to recognise and develop their ability and potential, and organise themselves to respond to shared problems and needs.

Together, these can create a healthy community – that is, one which is good to live in, will continue, and is fair.

Exeter’s communtiy strategy is a plan to:

  • strengthen communities to help improve the quality of life and control assets (buildings and other spaces/and facilities),
  • identify programmes that will best address the development needs of new and existing communities
  • identify common themes and priorities that will help inform decsion making about and with communities in the city and inform how CIL* funds are spent.

The Community Strategy has now been produced and adopted by the Forum and Exeter City Council.  

We have a natty little presentation here.

Exeter-Community-Strategy-adopted-22-03-16

The draft Investment Plan, which accompanies the strategy, can viewed here:

ECS 5 year investment plan DRAFT 22 03 16

 

The consultation comments and how they have been taken into account can be viewed here.