Looking to the future
Winchester City Council is to conduct a 10-week consultation period into a draft Community Strategy that is published this week.
The consultation will be carried out on behalf of "Winchester and District Working Together…" a partnership of organisations that is drawing together several themes to help shape and improve the district.
Council Leader Sheila Campbell, who chairs the partnership steering committee, said the Community Strategy is an important document that seeks to set out a shared vision for the District that all organisations and citizens can work together to deliver.
"Our vision for the district is one of diverse and dynamic communities, where people work together to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life, now and in the future", she added.
The strategy looks at different facets of life in the District where changes perhaps need to be made to fulfil the overall vision. Each area looks at the challenges and how they will be addressed by building on existing plans and strategies.
Nine themes are identified where the partnership feels there is a need to work towards a sustainable future, encourage community engagement and value local distinctiveness.
The themes are Housing; Health and Well-being; Freedom from Fear; Transport and Access; Economic Prosperity; A High Quality Environment; Lifelong Learning; Leisure and Recreation; and an Inclusive Society.
"In preparing this draft strategy we have already consulted with people in the District through our partners, but we want to make sure that we have reflected the points raised and that the strategy does focus on the issues that are important to individuals," said Cllr Campbell.
There will be wide circulation of the draft community strategy and a consultation questionnaire, which are also available to read and return through the City Council's website
The Partnership must receive comments by 31 May 2004 so that it can finalise the document and start to deliver the improvements it contains.
The consultation questionnaire should be returned to
Winchester and District Working Together …
c/o Jacky Adams
Chief Executive's Department
Winchester City Council
FREEPOST (WH74)
Winchester