Community planning and partnerships
Community planning is where a number of local organisations (from councils to voluntary groups) work together to improve the quality of life for local people.
- It gives local people the opportunity to shape local services and the places where they live, work and spend their leisure time.
- It helps communities to become safer, stronger, healthier, wealthier and more sustainable in the future.
Local Strategic Partnerships
A Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) brings together key agencies and organisations to identify long term priorities to sustain and improve an area. Through community planning the LSP develops a sustainable community strategy where, by working together, partners can make a big difference.
LSPs are made up of many organisations including:
- local councils
- the Police, Fire Service, and health organisations
- local businesses
- the voluntary and community sector.
Leaders and senior officers will usually represent each of these organisations to ensure that decisions are made and that the money and resources needed for action are available.
More details about the LSPs are available from the district and borough council websites:
You'll find more about LSPs in general from the East Sussex Strategic Partnership website:
East Sussex Strategic Partnership (ESSP)
The East Sussex Strategic Partnership is the countywide Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), representing over 90 organisations across East Sussex. It works alongside the five district and borough LSPs, and each one coordinates community planning in their own area.
Pride of Place – one integrated strategy for East Sussex
Every council must work with their Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) to develop a sustainable community strategy. A sustainable community strategy is a long-term plan which sets out the priorities for an area, and how local organisations will work towards them.
‘Pride of Place' is the sustainable community strategy for East Sussex, setting out the key tasks needed to improve the quality of life in East Sussex by 2026. It was developed with all six LSPs in East Sussex, and is the first integrated strategy of its kind in the country.
Our Local Area Agreement
The East Sussex Local Area Agreement (LAA) is one of a number of ‘action plans' that will deliver the priorities set out in Pride of Place, the sustainable community strategy for East Sussex.
The East Sussex LAA is a three year agreement between central and local government setting out the areas of national priority on which East Sussex will focus. It has over 30 priority areas covering a range of issues, and further compulsory priorities in education and early years.
The current LAA 2008–2011 is the second for East Sussex. It is monitored on a quarterly basis and performance reports are presented to the East Sussex Strategic Partnership Executive Board for approval.
For more details and to read the LAA itself, visit:
Statutory, voluntary and community groups working together – the Compact for East Sussex
The Compact is an agreement between statutory and voluntary organisations in East Sussex which aims to improve joint working, communication and collaboration. It provides a framework for how the two sectors should work together. It is supported by six Codes of Practice covering specific areas such as consultation and funding.
The Compact was drawn up in consultation with statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations in East Sussex. If your organisation has not already signed up, we encourage you to do so.
Find out more about this agreement, and how to sign up:
