Where it all started. Planning for Real was a hands-on approach to connect with the community of North Cleethorpes to find out what they would like to see from the new Big Local programme
When? Summer of 2013
“Planning for Real” is a nationally recognised tool and approach to engaging a community and finding out what is needed or wanted locally. So when Big Local North Cleethorpes was getting started, the Planning for Real approach was part of the way the community of North Cleethorpes was consulted.
The very early stages of planning Big Local North Cleethorpes involved engaging the community. So in the Summer of 2013 the committee at the time organised and ran a series of community engagement events with the help of partners such as VANEL.
A major event was a Family Fun Day held around the Pavilion in Sidney Sussex Recreation ground in June 2013. This was a way of giving something to the community – by way of a Fun Day, but also a way of learning what people were interested in. Over 2000 people engaged with this event.
There was also an open day held at Cleethorpes Town Hall and Big Local team members were also at a Cleethorpes Food Festival event to speak to people. Over 800 people engaged at the Food event alone.
Over a period of weeks, questionnaires were handed out at Cleethorpes Library and across other venues. Well over 3000 local people in total were able to present their feedback due to these events.
One exciting feature was the construction of a huge cardboard model representing North Cleethorpes. The idea was by creating this (with the help of a team of volunteers from VANEL’s Youth Team) key features, assets and issues in North Cleethorpes could be identified and made more ‘real’ by appearing on the map.
The map was certainly a talking point as it was in the Pavilion during the Fun Day. Many residents were able to use it to express their concerns and issues in the area.
The first plan
Over all these community engagement events, the newly formed Big Local North Cleethorpes Partnership committee was able to learn from residents and write the very first Big Local Plan.
This first plan would break down into a number of smaller projects and actions, but the feedback from the Planning for Real exercise narrowed down the focus for Big Local to what became the very initial ‘themes’ for the work.
The initial themeswere:
A Safe Clean environment for the Residents of and Visitors to North Cleethorpes. Including exploration of projects such as North Beach clearance and Chapmans Pond.
Reducing Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour and increasing Public Safety. Included ways to support Neighbourhood Watch and develop of Youth diversionary activities.
Better Development of Local Facilities and Amenity Land for Culture, Leisure and Recreation. Included development of a community arts approach; development of youth arts facilities; and, importantly, development and expansion of the Sidney Sussex Pavilion.
A greatly improved housing situation for the residents of North Cleethorpes. Included experiments to look at better social housing solutions or reduction of fuel costs for residents.
This initial plan started the Big Local North Cleethorpes journey which would then continue for another ten years. But the critical factor was that the community of North Cleethorpes was instrumental in putting their opinions forward through the process of community engagement.
