Each local council in Wales has a duty to lead a process called community planning.  This involves working with other partners, some who have a duty in law, to develop and deliver a community strategy.

In simple terms, community planning is the process where local partners come together to identify the needs and issues of the local area, and outline a clear direction for the future.  This includes developing a vision, and setting out what needs to be done and how it will be achieved.

This process leads to a document being produced called the community strategy.  This brings together all the relevant information in one place.  The community strategy should become the first place people go to find out what is planned for the area over a 10 to 20 year period. As a result, it is important that people can easily understand what the strategy is saying. 

The community strategy cannot cover every issue that may be relevant to a local community. It should focus on those issues where partners, either together or individually, can make a difference over the longer term.  

The community planning process has allowed us to identify seven themes for the Blaenau Gwent community strategy. Each theme is focused on the community and has its own vision.

 

• Lively and accessible communities
  Creating communities that people enjoy and want to live in.
  
• Thriving communities
  Offering the opportunities, support and resources in our communities for people to thrive.
  
• Fair and safe communities
  Making people feel safer and included in our communities
  
• Learning communities
  Giving people the skills to succeed.
  
• Healthy communities
  Helping people to be healthy and get the right care and support when they need it.
  
• Green sustainable communities
  Improving our environment today for tomorrow.
  
• Leading Communities
  Working with, and for our communities.

An important part of the ongoing community planning processes will be for local partners to produce an action plan that outlines practically what will be done to make sure we achieve our vision. 

As the intention set out in this document is over a 20 year period to help make sure progress is on right track, every year local partners must review what has been done.  Once every four years a full-scale review must be carried out to see if the overall direction of the strategy is still the best for the area as a whole.

Community planning is an ongoing process, which makes sure that the community strategy is kept relevant for the area and its communities.

The community strategy was agreed at Council and launched in early 2011.