Setting up your Plan Team
A plan team is essential to developing your plan and making it a success. They are a visionary group of people responsible for coordinating the voice of the community, building evidence, guiding the process, working with stakeholders and consultants, driving ideas forward, and supporting delivery of the project aspirations through a shared vision and shared goals.
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Your Plan Team might come from existing successful partnerships or might be newly formed. It should be open to everyone and should include people with a wide range of experience and expertise, as well as being representative of your community.
There will often be charismatic, passionate local people who can become or are already ‘town champions’, keen to play a role in local affairs, widely connected and who care about the place where they live. To make sure the aspirations of the whole place are reflected, your plan team will need to involve a cross section of the community, for example in age, ethnicity and gender. You might seek out local residents, businesses, voluntary and community groups and land owners.
Identifying the purpose, membership, roles and responsibilities, working arrangements, pattern of meetings and decision-making processes can help consolidate a team and make sure members know their role. Appearing professional will increase your voice and impact within your area. Coordinated leaflets, posters, branding and messages are important, and means of communicating with your town should be considered from the start. Make sure you record minutes of meetings and attendees.
In considering the set-up of your plan team, think about the following questions:
How representative is the group of the community and its organisations?
How often will you meet?
What is the role and responsibility of each team member? What skills do you possess? What skills are missing?
How will you communicate with each other and with the wider community?
What is the Place Plan area and boundary?
Are there neighbouring communities undertaking similar exercises?
Working with your local councils and local authority
Getting the right support, advice and skills will help make the most of your ideas.
It is a good idea for your group to be affiliated or in contact with to the Town/Community Council and have the involvement of at least one Councillor. This link will help in the development of the plan, especially if the plan includes delivery of local services and facilities as Town and Community councils has some statutory basis for the delivery of certain functions.
It may be relevant to invite other partners to be a part of your Plan Team. Potential partners may include Housing Associations, Police/Safety Partnerships, Public Health Wales, local employers, sustainability groups and community organisations.