Community Action Plans
Community Action Plans
Turning community insight into clear, credible action
We are experienced process specialists, bringing over 20 years of working alongside communities and third sector organisations. Our background spans creative community projects, partnership working and hands-on support, with a strong focus on engagement, facilitation and plan development.
This experience has shaped a practical, grounded understanding of what communities need, from early formation and governance, through to building capacity, developing a case for support, engaging effectively, and identifying funding and resources. At the heart of this sits the development of Community Action Plans and Local Place Plans.
We provide independent guidance and facilitation for communities who want to take this step. Whether developing a Community Action Plan or preparing a Local Place Plan, our role is to support a process that is fair, inclusive and genuinely community led, ensuring the outcomes are robust, consistent and rooted in real local insight.
While these plans provide a clear structure for action and influence, the real value lies in the process behind them. Our approach supports wider place-based work by ensuring existing knowledge is respected, gaps are identified, and engagement builds meaningfully rather than simply repeating what has gone before.
“A Community Action Plan or Local Place Plan can bring together what matters locally, but the real value sits in the conversations and insight behind it”
Let's Do A Community Action Plan!
A community action plan (CAP) is a road map for implementing community change by identifying and specifying WHAT will be done, WHO might be involved and HOW it will be done.
The action plan should describe what the community wants to accomplish, what activities are required during a specified timeline and a broad concept of how this might be achieved. The community action plan shall become a framework for making positive change through activities that are decided by the community itself. The action plan should have a lifespan of 3 -5 years as agreed with the community.
It is important to emphasise that the community members should be the main actors in preparing their own community action plan.
Your assessment, your needs, your plan!
Local Place Plans (LPPs)
What is a Local Place Plan?
A Local Place Plan (LPP) is a community-led plan that focuses on the future use and development of land and buildings in a place.
It sets out what the community would like to see happen in their area, identifying local priorities, opportunities and sites for change. Once registered by the local authority, a Local Place Plan becomes part of the evidence base that informs the Local Development Plan, helping ensure community voices are considered in planning decisions.
While an LPP provides a structured way to influence how a place develops, it must be grounded in clear, well-supported community insight. This includes gathering views, identifying key themes, and translating these into proposals that are realistic, spatially focused and aligned with the planning system.
How we support Local Place Plans
We provide independent guidance and facilitation to support communities through the Local Place Plan process.
Our role is to help shape a process that is inclusive, well-evidenced and clearly presented, ensuring that community views are captured in a way that is both meaningful locally and credible within the planning context.
This includes:
- Designing and facilitating engagement
- Supporting the identification of priorities and proposals
- Structuring content in line with Local Place Plan requirements
- Translating community insight into clear, spatially focused outputs
Throughout, we ensure the process remains community led, while also supporting groups to navigate the expectations of the planning system with confidence.
Publications
Seeing the CAP process through from beginning to end with high quality publications and reports.
Outputs are designed not just as reports, but as working tools to support ongoing conversations, decision-making and delivery.
- Full production i.e. graphics, layout, typesetting, print set up of CAP Booklet created in recognised format.
- Print run of hard copies of booklet for distribution to stakeholders and local groups and organisations
- Electronic Copy of booklet created
Supporting Documentation & Online Copies
Supporting evidence and insight that sits behind the final plan, ensuring transparency and enabling future use.
