Councils to benefit from community planning contract

DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

24January 2014

Councils to benefit from community planning contract

Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has contracted Community Places to further help councils prepare for their new duty of community planning.

Under local government reform, the new councils will be responsible for leading a community planning process from April 2015.  Community Places will help councils put the necessary building blocks in place.

Community planning involves integrating all the various streams of public life, including the delivery of public services, into a long term plan for the future direction of the council district.  Councils will work with their local communities, and statutory bodies and agencies, to promote the well-being of their area and improve the quality of life of their citizens.

Mr Durkan said: “Community planning will be the central driver for councils in creating a vision for the new council districts and in agreeing priorities to achieve that vision.

 “My Department is supporting councils to take forward this new responsibility.  Last year we launched a Community Planning Foundation Programme to guide and help prepare councils for community planning.  Community Places is another part of that support.  It will use its Community Planning Toolkit along with its expertise in this subject, and in-depth knowledge of the community and voluntary sector to help councils take forward elements of the Foundation Programme. 

“Its support during this initial planning stage will greatly help councils develop and refine their practical working arrangements, and assist them build new relationships with key stakeholders in the new council area.”