31/03/04 - County Council take a lead in community strategy

Cumbria County Council’s South Lakeland Local Committee today agreed its role in the delivery of the Local Strategic Partnership’s (LSP) Community Strategy by leading on issues relating to children and young people, accessible transport and community participation.

The Community Strategy has resulted from a vast amount of public consultation including two local community conferences and a number of multi agency task groups.  The County Council held a conference for children and young people to express their views on 2 March 2004.  More than sixty young people from across South Lakeland attended to give their opinions about local services and priorities for the future.   The Community Strategy identifies five key issues.  They are health and well being, affordable housing, Accessible transport, effective community involvement and the whole area around jobs, skills and regeneration.

County Councillor Ian Stewart, Chair of South Lakeland Local Committee explains what the community strategy is and what the County Council’s role will be in delivering it.  He says,

“The community strategy is a shared plan for the future of South Lakeland developed by a number of local organisations which make up the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

Each year the Committee develops a `Community Contract’ outlining priorities and we encourage local people to give us their views on the areas of service provision they feel are of highest priority to them, ensuring we are putting the public first.  The Community Contract for Council Services links with the wider Community Strategy.  It is important to ensure that priorities accurately reflect the views of local people and is one way of developing more effective communication with them.   The County Council has an important role to play by leading the working groups relating to accessible transport, community participation and children and young people.  Young people made clear their concerns about affordable housing, accessible transport and jobs and skills issues at our conference on 2 March.  Young people are our future and it’s important that their views are represented in the Community Strategy."