The Partnership's Plan - Lake District National Park

• Cumbria Fells and Dales Local Action Group – this group has established a grant fund
with Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Community Foundation (CRISP2) to assist
communities sustain services and get access to new services. They also have Axis 3
support through the Rural Development Programme for England until 2013.
Action with Communities in Cumbria’s Cumbria Community-led Planning Database records
actions and links them with the strategic priorities that have been agreed at district, county and
national levels. The database is a key source of:
• evidence of problems and needs identified at community level
• information about voluntary and community activity in Cumbria that contributes to public
sector achievement of strategic outcomes and
• important issues for communities needing the support of public sector partners.
Action with Communities in Cumbria produced a report in September 2009 examining how
community plan actions fit with the four key elements of the National Park Vision and the
delivery aims.
Recent successes include:
• Dedicated National Park Authority Development Management contacts for cluster
community groups. They also offer a dedicated ‘housing coordinator’ to help communities
find sites for affordable housing in their locality.
• Funding through the National Park Authority ‘Investing in Communities’ programme
towards Community Plan Coordinator posts for clusters community working. Partners
working with the Allerdale Parishes of Blindbothel, Lorton, Loweswater and Buttermere (the
Melbreak ‘Cluster’) to look at ways community-led planning could help them. There is also
success by working with the Derwent Seven cluster of parishes around Keswick and a Midand
South Copeland cluster of parishes.
• ACT offers dedicated support for the management and development of community
buildings and operates a small grants scheme to help deliver services and activities
connected to them. There are also new Local Area Partnership Areas which support
communities and can work to deliver local agendas.
• The National Park Authority has awarded Sustainable Development Fund grants to help
communities deliver actions or projects, which contribute to their vitality. Projects include
Witherslack’s Community Shop and Thirlmere’s Village Hall.
3.9.3 Opportunities
The viability and welfare of our communities are the driving force for sustaining vibrant
communities in the National Park. And communities often work in partnership where they feel
less able to address their concerns alone, for example:
• Services controlled by public partners but which residents find problematic such as
highways and some aspects of environmental management.
• More complex and strategic concerns that need to engage several partners such as
affordable housing.
Community-led planning is a true ‘bottom up’ approach to identifying and addressing issues
and can make efficient use of Council and National Park Authority resources. But ‘bottom up’
community planning is resource intensive and often needs match funding and support.
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