Over 18,000 households replied to the questionnaire last Autumn. The information supplied has helped identify the needs in each area. Consultations with groups have built on the information provided.

The process allows for a flexible degree of parish involvement. No parish or town council is forced to contribute but councils can be pro- active if they wish.

The draft plans are due to be published early summer and will work their way through Area Committees for approval.

The community plans are important for a number of reasons: Changes to the national planning framework mean that community involvement will become more important. The community plans being developed now will provide an important building block as the Local Development Framework takes shape in the future. The Haskins review will lead to a new rural strategy. It is likely to remove some of the overlaps and duplication at a local parish level but is also likely to emphasise a partnership approach to delivering local services.

Concerns were expressed about the confusion caused by different organisations each conducting their own plan. The South Wiltshire Strategic Alliance aims to remove some of this confusion by getting all the partners to co-ordinate their efforts through the community planning process. The Alliance will produce a district wide community strategy with some key priorities which will be a focus of efforts in the next three years. The Council wants to enable those priorities to come from a clear expression of need from the community planning process. Contact: Lindsey Brown 01722 434641.