The Community Plan
What is a Community Plan and why have one?
The Wickersley Community Plan is intended to describe and reflect the reality of the area in which we live, work and play. It is intended not only to look back upon our heritage, but also to examine today’s Wickersley, then to look forward to deal with the interests, concerns and aspirations of those who reside, endeavour and develop in our valuable Community.
In researching and constructing your Community Plan, we have recorded who we are, where we are and where we should develop as a community of individuals. Thus, no individual, outside body or organisation should be in any doubt over the identity of Wickersley, the aspirations of its resident people and its local established organisations, its heritage and the valid aspirations which will take our village forward with confidence.
The origin of any local Community Plan, sometimes called a Village Plan or Parish Plan, came from an initiative issued from Central Government. This was readily cascaded through the Regions to Local Authorities – in our case to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. This became a requirement which, via the Area Assembly, was taken up by our Parish Council for production by residents with some limited support and financial funding.
Who has produced the Wickersley Community Plan
Volunteers from within the Wickersley Community, having come forward, been approached or persuaded to help, have given their time and used their various resources entirely freely to manage and undertake the work in generating the component parts of this Plan. Specific support and input has also come from and through officers of Wentworth Valley Area Assembly with certain guidance from there and also from Rural Action Yorkshire.
How has the Plan been generated?
An account of writing the plan, and obtaining/assembling the data and detail, will be described later. There has been much effort and hard work by a dedicated core of Wickersley people [*]. They have been supported and encouraged by the Parish Council, by Area Assembly Officers and out of winning small awards and from obtaining some grant aid to supplement their own unsubsidised voluntary input and effort. ([*] see Appendix to plan)
Objectives, throughout producing & applying the Plan, include:-
o Generating activities that support local interests.
o Encourage community spirit and positive efforts.
o Promoting Wickersley peoples’ interests and rights.
o Highlighting problems and seeking improvements.
o Consulting across the ages, local groups and interests.
o Encouraging all to contribute to Wickersley wealth, success & future.
o Regular Interactions with Parish Council, RMBC/Area Assembly etc.
Who will use the Plan?
Since the Plan has been produced under the initiatives already described, the organisations, bodies and plans which are intended to take full account and accept and incorporate the substance of the Community Plan are:-
o Wickersley Parish Council. [WPC]
o Wentworth Valley Area Assembly. [WVAA]
o Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. [RMBC]
o Local Development Framework and Plan. [LDF and LDP]
Through the activities and influences of these organisations and their plan, together with the various service providers and partner organisations, they are expected to fully recognise the Wickersley Community Plan and, if not already aware, be committed to assist.
These include the South Yorkshire Police [S.Y.Police], our local Rotherham Primary Care Trust [PCT] and the Local Education Authority [LEA].
What durability will the Plan have?
The Community Plan, not having been conveniently produced for any local history file, bottom drawer or as ‘nice to have’, is intended to be kept up to date and used as a focus of opinion and direction for Wickersley’s future.
The plan has to be valid, available and capable of being easily examined, reviewed and further developed in the light of experience and change. It has to be retained in local focus, widely publicised, regularly promoted, the voluntary interest developed and the input retained as well maintained.
Mission statement
The Mission Statement for the Wickersley Community Plan is:-
‘To provide an unbiased view of local people’s perceptions and aspirations about and for the future of Wickersley’.
