Appendix A

DRAFT

Hampshire Today, Hampshire Tomorrow

A Community Strategy for Hampshire

2004 - 2007

Foreword

Introduction from Chairman of Hampshire Strategic Partnership

Welcome to Hampshire Today, Hampshire Tomorrow, the first Community Strategy for Hampshire.

This strategy has been developed by the Hampshire Strategic Partnership and aims to improve economic, social and environmental well being and so lead to a better quality of life for all, both now and for future generations.

It marks the start of an exciting new way of looking at the way things are done in Hampshire. For all of you who live in Hampshire or visit the county - this is new and exciting because it is by you and for you.

Many people have been involved in putting this strategy together and by working together better we can try to get things done that wouldn't otherwise happen. The HSP is all about adding value and complementing the work of district-based partnerships and avoiding duplication of effort. The benefits of partnership working in this way are that all the efforts of the public bodies will be pulling in the same direction and seeking to find the best way forward in response to the priorities that you have identified.

It is important to have a long-term vision but we need to start acting now to make a difference for all of us. You have a part to play and can be involved too. The themes and actions set out in this document are not set in stone - things will happen that aren't in the strategy, and it can be changed as we go along - but now that the strategy is written the real work begins. With your help we can make Hampshire a better place for all!

David Kirk

Chairman of the Hampshire Strategic Partnership

A Community Strategy for Hampshire

What is a Community Strategy?

The Community Strategy is a long-term plan to ensure a better quality of life for everyone in Hampshire both now and in the future. It is for everyone who lives, works or visits Hampshire and aims to reflect what the community believes are important priorities, and what collectively we can do to address these. The Hampshire Strategic Partnership has developed a Vision for the strategy that the public, voluntary, community and private agencies can share and work towards collectively. It also outlines what the local councils and other public bodies can do in response to this by working together better to add value to existing services and deliver real improvements.

Why a Community Strategy for Hampshire?

In Hampshire there are 11 Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP) developing Community Strategies at district level and one that spans the county. Portsmouth and Southampton, as unitary authorities also have an LSP and a Community Strategy that covers their area. Each Community Strategy will be unique to the area it covers. The Hampshire Community Strategy will be different from those at the district level as it will look to respond to issues that need a more strategic and cross cutting approach. In this way, really local issues will be dealt with by district community strategies and the county wide strategy can consider where working together on a larger scale can provide a better solution.

The 11 district LSPs, 2 unitary LSPs and the Hampshire Strategic Partnership (HSP) will work closely together to get the best for the people of Hampshire and avoid duplication of effort and wasting of resources.

What is the Hampshire Strategic Partnership?

The Community Strategy for Hampshire has been prepared through the Hampshire Strategic Partnership. This is a partnership of some of the major public, voluntary, community and private bodies who work in the county and who are trying to work better together, by sharing information and resources, to improve the quality of life of people in Hampshire.

(A list of steering group members will be attached at appendix 2)

The HSP has reviewed what already happens, and identified ways of doing things better. By focussing on a few key priorities we can ensure a more realistic way of achieving changes and not duplicating effort that has already been made.

In addition the HSP can play a key part in lobbying for support and resources from central Government and other organisations, pulling in funding and facilitating best practice across the County.

Who is responsible for delivering the Community Strategy?

Each member of the Hampshire Strategic Partnership has been tasked with agreeing this Community Strategy on behalf of their organisation and by doing so is making a commitment to delivering the short-term actions and long term changes that are needed.

People in Hampshire also have a responsibility to help make it happen and this strategy aims to identify some ways that you can help.

How does the Community Strategy relate to other plans, strategies and partnerships?

The Community Strategy provides an overarching framework for all other plans and strategies in Hampshire and reflects and informs the priorities set for the South East region. It does not, and nor should it, try and recreate all the existing plans and strategies of all the partners in this one document. What it does try to do is demonstrate the added value that the work of the HSP can bring and the cross cutting nature of the major issues. It also highlights existing plans and strategies that help to improve the quality of life of people in Hampshire.

(A list of plans and strategies will be attached at appendix 3)

There are a number of existing partnerships that have been established in Hampshire for a long time and that are working well and achieving real outcomes. (e.g. the Hampshire Economic Partnership, Community Safety Partnerships and the district Local Strategic Partnerships). The HSP does not want to duplicate the work that they are doing nor can it achieve the level of detail that some of these partnerships are operating at. What the HSP hopes to achieve is an overarching partnership that joins up and co-ordinates the work of the different partnerships and looks at the whole picture rather than separate elements of it. This way we can help rationalise and co-ordinate more effective activity.

(A list of partnerships will be attached at Appendix 4)

What are the Challenges and Opportunities we face as an LSP?

The challenges and opportunities of working in this way is to make sure that the provision of services truly responds to the concerns and priorities of the community in a way that suits the community both now and for the future.

All those involved are committed to working in a joined up and cross cutting way, pooling resources and sharing responsibilities where appropriate, avoiding duplication of effort and focussing on realistic and achievable outcomes and, above all, adding value that really makes a difference to people in Hampshire.

How can you get involved?

This strategy is not just about partners doing something to improve the quality of life. We all have a part to play and a responsibility to ensure that Hampshire remains a place that people want to live in, work in and visit. The strategy outlines some areas where you can get involved. We also want to hear your views on the strategy. It is not set in stone and the HSP is relying on you to tell them what is important to you in order to be able to be responsive and address the things that really matter to you.

Hampshire Today, Hampshire Tomorrow...

Hampshire is a large and relatively prosperous county that faces many different challenges and issues that need to be taken on board when developing the Community Strategy. Here a few key facts and figures that give us a snapshot...

Hampshire Today

· Hampshire is the third largest county in the UK with a population of 1.25m residents and over 500,000 households.

· There is a mix of urban and rural areas and although only 10% of the county is urban, 87% of the population live in urban areas.

· 90% of the county is classified as rural with significant areas that are the subject of national and international environmental designations including the proposed National Parks for the South Downs and New Forest.

· There is a county council, 11 district or borough councils, 251 parishes and although not part of the administrative county, the relationship with Southampton and Portsmouth has a significant impact on transport connections, employment and travel to work issues, housing and economic needs.

· Although population growth is expected to be relatively low (between 2% and 4.8% by 2011) the increase in the number of households is likely to be higher (between 8.2% and 10.9%)

· The age profile of the population is similar to the national average, but whereas younger age groups are expected to decline, a growth of 20.9% is expected in the over 85 age group.

· The percentage of people in Hampshire who had experienced being a victim of personal crime has reduced from 8.3% last year to 7% this year, which is lower than the national figure of 8%.

· Health indicators for Hampshire generally good compared with England, however significant variation in health outcomes reflecting the area's wide socio-economic inequalities.

· One Hampshire ward classed as least deprived in the Country, 2 other wards are amongst the 10% most deprived in England Health issues include obesity, Coronary Heart Disease, cancer etc

· This is a prosperous county with virtually full employment but there are problems with recruitment and retention of staff especially key workers. Some areas worse off than others but are masked because of way statistical data is gathered.

· There is pressure for housing, especially affordable housing and housing in rural areas is a big issue.

· There is higher than average traffic growth and car ownership and increasing journey lengths. Traffic congestion problems coupled with inadequacies in the public transport system are a threat to economic competitiveness, health and quality of life.

· Hampshire has strong links with the armed forces and the MOD which, as well as having significant land holdings in the county, are also major employers. This can lead to pressures on education planning for service families who move home frequently.

Hampshire Tomorrow - A vision for the future

Having set up the HSP the first key task was to develop an agreed long term vision about what Hampshire should be like in 10 or 15 years time and the sort of communities in which people want to live.

The last MORI survey that was carried out in 2002 told us that you were satisfied with Hampshire as a place to live but that you would like to see the following:

· Improved facilities for young people

· More affordable housing for local people

· Less congested roads

· A reduction in the level of crime

· Improved transport and access to services

· Improved services for older people

All of this and more has been taken into account in this strategy.

By pulling together the information from various surveys, consultations and information from the Local Strategic Partnerships and other key partners in Hampshire, the HSP agreed the following vision and supporting cross cutting themes:

Hampshire will be a prosperous and attractive county for all, where economic, social and environmental needs are met in the most sustainable way and the quality of life and sense of community of present and future generations is improved.

· Hampshire will have strong and safe communities with fewer inequalities; where people feel safe; where issues of deprivation are tackled head on; where young people play an active part in society and are valued; where communities are active and involved in local decision making.

· Hampshire will be a place that supports the health and well-being of its communities by providing equal access to services for everybody; by reducing accidents and drug and alcohol abuse; by promoting a healthy work/life balance and opportunities for culture and leisure for everybody

· Hampshire will have economic prosperity and fosters a culture of lifelong learning by supporting the needs of local businesses, whether they are urban or rural; addressing the learning and training needs of people in Hampshire; supporting and recognising the contribution that unpaid work and volunteers make to communities.

· Hampshire will have an environment to be proud of and efficient and effective infrastructure and transport networks by addressing mobility and accessibility issues; providing affordable and appropriate housing and the infrastructure needed to support population growth; addressing the needs of both urban and rural communities; and maintaining a clean living environment and our natural resources

All of these themes need to be looked at as part of a whole rather than in isolation - doing something to achieve one of them will inevitably have a knock on effect and benefit one or more of the other themes - or if we are not careful it may have a negative effect which we need to avoid.

There are a number of principles that run through all of these themes and need to be taken into consideration in delivering the community strategy. Firstly, sustainability - improving quality of life requires the three strands of economic, social and environmental well being to be addressed at the same time and not in isolation. Secondly, we also need to take positive action to promote equalities, diversity and social inclusion. There are also sections in our communities that need extra attention, such as vulnerable people, older and younger people and those with disabilities and those that are socially excluded.

How will the Community Strategy improve our quality of life?

The Community Strategy starts with a long term vision because we need to think about how our communities will develop and change over the coming years. We can't predict the future but we can make estimates based on what we already know. It then identifies a number of themes that have been prioritised as important by people and communities in Hampshire and tries to project what the best situation could be in the future.

To have a significant impact on quality of life in the area in the future something needs to be done jointly to tackle the issues today. These themes have been split into key outcomes that the HSP would like to see delivered over the coming years with an associated action plan which shows who will do what, and when, to make sure that we can measure and monitor our progress.

How have we prioritised?

The HSP cannot tackle everything that everybody wants it to - it has had to make some difficult decisions and prioritise its actions. These difficult decisions about which are the priorities, are made from what you have told us. It is important that you keep on telling us to make sure that we have got it right.

The strategy identifies gaps or areas or opportunity in the work that the partners are already doing and the HSP has agreed to tackle only a few key strategic issues where the partnership can really add value, in the first instance. That's not to say that issues that don't appear in the strategy will be ignored - it is meant to be a `live' document and one that is flexible and open to change and shifting priorities. There will be plenty of opportunity to review the strategy and change it as necessary.

What needs to be done about these themes?

The following chapters outline the 4 key themes in more detail. They identify what the theme is; what they key challenges facing us are; where there are gaps in provision and possible ways the partnership can help. These themes need to be looked at in a cross cutting way as they all have an impact on each other.

Theme 1 - Strong and Safe Communities

Hampshire will have strong and safe communities with fewer inequalities; where people feel safe; where issues of deprivation are tackled head on; where young people play an active part in society and are valued; where communities are active and involved in local decision making.

What are the issues facing Hampshire?

Although Hampshire is a relatively prosperous County, this masks some areas of real deprivation, where people don't have the equality of opportunities that should be available to all.

Hampshire has a lower than average crime rate nationally yet people still have a huge fear of crime. Making the reality match perception is something that will require a lot of work from many different agencies

In order for Hampshire to thrive, we need to have strong communities that can continue to grow and we need to get away from a culture of blame and al accept our social responsibilities.

Young people are often perceived in a negative light and linked with fear of crime. By providing supported and varied activities and facilities we aim to address some of these perceptions.

As well as areas of urban deprivation, the county's extensive rural areas also bring pressures in terms of social exclusion, transport, affordable housing, maintaining the rich diversity of the county and the future of agriculture

Voter turnout is low and people only tend to speak out and get heard when they have a problem or something to complain about.

We need to develop a common vision and sense of belonging for people from all communities and give them all equal opportunities.

How do we know this?

· The percentage of people in Hampshire who had experienced being a victim of personal crime has reduced from 8.3% last year to 7% this year, which is lower than the national figure of 8%.

· Burglary rate in Hampshire is the tenth lowest of the 42 Forces in England and Wales

· Last year the number of detections was 40,052 (29%) an improvement from 28.7% the previous year.

· Fear of crime is high, 3 in 10 residents do not feel safe alone after dark and more people now more than 3 years ago are not going out alone after dark (18% compared to 11%)

· 2001 elections- 62.4% voter turn out- higher than national average

· Based on the 2000 Index of Multiple Deprivation, the 10% most deprived wards in Hampshire all fall within the worst 40% nationally and 5 of the 10 most deprived wards are within the worst 20% nationally. These are areas such as Gosport and Havant in the south of the county and Aldershot in the north, which tend to have lower earnings levels and higher unemployment, typically 2.3% and 3.2 % in Gosport and Havant respectively.

What is already happening?

· Community Safety Partnerships in the districts have action plans to tackle some of these issues

· All of the district community strategies have identified community safety as a key priority and will support the work of the Community Safety Partnerships to effect change

· The Voluntary Sector Compact sets out ways of working better to involve the voluntary sector and access their knowledge and experience

· The Local Transport Plan contributes to a stronger and safer community by setting out ways of improving access and making public transport safer and more widely available

· The work district councils do, supported by the Fire and Rescue service and the Environment agency, in removing fly tipping, graffiti abandoned and burnt out cars and reducing the crime of arson all make us feel safer and prouder of our communities

· Education strategies to promote high attendance, low exclusions and high levels of achievement for all pupils are in place

· Via the Hampshire Natural Resource Initiative the potential for rehabilitation of offenders via training programmes based on the new business of resources recovery of materials

· Redistribution of quality recovered products e.g. furniture, textiles to families in need as part of the Hampshire Natural Resource Initiative

What we would like to see in 10-15 years time

What can you do to help? Some examples:

· Find out about the work of the community safety partnership in your area

· Consider how your behaviour affects others

· Check that callers are who they say they are

· Take some time to volunteer - ask your employer to support you in this

· Make sure you vote and participate in making decisions that affect you, where you can

Contact for further information

Lead agency for strong and safe communities and contact details

Theme 2 - Health and Well-being

Hampshire will be a place that supports the health and well-being of its communities by providing equal access to services for everybody; by reducing accidents and drug and alcohol abuse; by promoting a healthy work/life balance and opportunities for culture and leisure for everybody

What are the issues facing Hampshire?

Hampshire scores well on most indicators of health compared with the rest of England. However, this does not mean that there are not public health challenges facing the county.

Relatively low levels of illness and premature mortality among Hampshire residents as a whole compared with the rest of the UK masks wide health inequalities. There is also a close relationship between income inequalities and poor health.

The demographics of Hampshire are constantly changing. With a rising older population we need to rethink the services we provide in order to tailor them to meet the changing needs of our population.

Health inequalities still exist which means it can be harder for some people to access services than others. Those that are better off live longer and have fewer illnesses than the poor, similarly those on lower incomes are far more at risk from death or injury from fire than those on higher incomes. We want to see a Hampshire where all people have equal access to all services.

The number of older people staying in hospital longer than necessary is still an issue even through County Council delays have reduced by 50% this year, with strategies in place to reduce this further.

There is a high incidence of accidental death and obesity as well as problems with drug and alcohol abuse in Hampshire that need combined efforts to tackle them.

The numbers killed and seriously injured in road accidents although reducing still remains high and causes avoidable personal grief and economic costs to the community

Early years health and social care is known to improve children's life chances so efforts to support this crucial time should be co-ordinated and jointly resourced

Young people are less active due to changes in technology and leisure activities. This coupled with a fear of crime means that more young people are leading sedentary lifestyles that can cause ill health and obesity.

People are also working harder and longer and are generally more stressed. We need to make sure people have the ability and support they need to cope with this and encourage people to take time out for themselves by providing access to leisure and cultural activities for example.

How do we know?

· Hampshire has an ageing population with a growth of 20.9% expected in the over 85 age group

· The Hampshire rate of mortality for circulatory disease for the period 1999-2001 for persons aged under 75 was among the lowest in the country

· The Hampshire cancer mortality rate for the same period for people under 75 was lower than the rate for England

· In 2002-2002 Hampshire had the second highest rate on the country for admissions to hospital for fractures of the femur - which largely affects more older residents

· Supporting independence of older people is important

· Increase in obesity and drug and alcohol dependency

· Changing nature of `leisure' -i.e. couch potato

· Mental health problems on the rise

What is already happening?

· The Strategic Health Authority, local Primary Care Trusts and the Public Health Development Network are just some of the agencies working to improve the health of our communities, but it is in recognising the lifestyle and social determinants (such as jobs and housing) that contribute to our health provide ways we can work together to really affect change.

· All NHS local delivery plans include a health inequalities section devoted to programmes aimed at preventing poor health outcomes by reducing smoking among pregnant women, promoting breast feeding and reducing teenage conception rates and deaths from coronary heart disease and cancer

· The County Council and Primary Care Trusts, facilitated by district Councils through the planning process, will provide 500 nursing care beds over the next 3 years.

· The NHS has embarked on a `Healthfit' project, which aims to produce a sustainable reconfiguration of health services in Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight, driven by the health service needs of the population, rather than the needs of institutions and organisations. Particular attention is being paid to emergency care, services for older people, and cancer, maternity and paediatric services

· Hampshire County Council has a Health scrutiny function, which means that it has a responsibility to scrutinise the health provision for our communities and challenge where areas of improvement can be gained.

· The Local Transport Plan includes a strategy for reducing road traffic casualties which has been supplemented by new initiatives to achieve higher reductions as part of the Local Public Service Agreement

· The Children and Young Persons Strategic Partnership are working together to look at ways of increasing life chances from an early age

· Promotion of healthy living through Healthy Schools Programme and other curriculum activities, including healthy eating projects.

· The Fire and Rescue Service provide ongoing education and information for the people of Hampshire on the dangers of fire.

· The Fire and Rescue Service are working in partnership with the public and private sector to develop the use of sprinklers in homes as well as public buildings.

· Research into future sustainable lifestyles under the Hampshire Natural Resource Initiative which is reviewing the potential for waste reduction especially in the areas of food management, the promotion of healthy living in the context of reducing waste and saving money.

What would we like to see in 10-15 years time?

What can you do to help? Some examples:

· Keep healthy by choosing to walk rather than taking the car, or by taking regular exercise

· Encourage your family and friends to eat more healthily

· If you are feeling stressed try and take some time out to relax

· Be aware of the dangers of substance misuse

· Find out about support services that are available, for example if you are feeling stressed, isolated or need time out from caring for someone

· Fit and maintain a minimum of one working smoke alarm in your house and plan how you and your family can escape if a fire occurs.

Contact for further information

Lead agency for health and well being and contact details.

Theme 3 - Economic Prosperity and Lifelong Learning

Hampshire will have economic prosperity and foster a culture of lifelong learning by supporting the needs of local employers, whether they are urban, suburban or rural; addressing the learning and training needs of people in Hampshire; supporting and recognising the contribution that unpaid work and volunteers make to communities.

What are the issues facing Hampshire?

Hampshire has a relatively strong economy and is worth some £16.3bn, which makes it the second largest shire economy in the country.

There is virtually full employment, but this raises problems with recruitment and retention of staff, especially attracting key workers such as cleaners, care assistants, teachers and bus drivers. This issues is also linked to a lack of provision of affordable and appropriate housing in the county.

There are significant differences within the county with average earnings higher in the north and unemployment higher in the south.

Travel to work and school adds to the problems of congestion, this in turn can restrict the movement of goods and services around the county.

The curriculum for all age groups should have breadth and depth. It should recognise different learning styles to develop people to their full potential and to enable them to play a full role in the economy and society. We should also work with children and young people at greatest risk of social exclusion to ensure they can develop the skills needed and have sufficient support to enable them to play a full part in the economy and society.

With an increasing ageing population we need to make sure that through lifelong learning opportunities the skills and knowledge of older people are readily available to the economy and society of Hampshire.

Develop schools and other educational facilities to provide educational and other services that meet the learning and wider social needs of their communities.

Affordable childcare provision is also necessary to ensure equality of opportunity.

Rural and urban needs can vary greatly and may need specific solutions to problems. For example the nature of employment in rural areas is changing as the rural economy responds to the new agricultural agenda and changing farming practices, which have impacted on traditional rural employment.

How do we know this?

· Hampshire is a relatively prosperous county but we need to work to keep it this way

· Unemployment in Hampshire is consistently below the national average and inline with regional trends

· Rising levels of educational attainment in primary and secondary education

· Comprehensive childcare and early years education opportunities

· Staying on rates in post-16 education and work place learning have been stable for several years

· Numbers of exclusions from school is increasing, although attendance rates generally in Hampshire are high

· Increasing numbers of adults are involved in family literacy, numeracy and language programmes

· There are stable numbers of older people participating in formal learning activities

What is already happening?

· The Hampshire Economic Partnership provides a voice for business via its key links within both the public and private sectors. The organisation helps to shape and target policy towards initiatives that will develop economic prosperity in Hampshire

· A market towns coordinator is working in Hampshire to help small rural towns develop partnerships and action plans to strengthen the area

· Promotion of use of Broadband technology

· Via the Hampshire Natural Resource Initiative there is a recognition of the opportunity to create substantial new business and thus jobs as well as businesses making savings by reducing their recourse use.

What would we like to see in 10-15 years time?

What can you do to help? Some examples:

· Go on a course or learn a new skill

· Visit your local cinema, museum or theatre

· Ask your employer to consider introducing a green transport plan and incentives for leaving the car at home

· Use local shops and businesses where possible

· Support farmers markets and local produce

Contact for further information

Lead agency for Economic prosperity and lifelong learning and contact details.

Theme 4 -Environment, Infrastructure and Transport

Hampshire will have an environment to be proud of and efficient and effective infrastructure and transport networks by addressing mobility and accessibility issues; providing affordable and appropriate housing and the infrastructure needed to support population growth; addressing the needs of both urban and rural communities; and maintaining a clean living environment and our natural resources

What are the issues facing Hampshire?

· It is important to build the right number and type of homes in the right place at the right time. Besides ensuring the right quantity of homes are provided there is an urgent need for more affordable housing in rural as well as urban areas to meet the changing needs and retain the vitality of our communities.

· With increasing demands on land it is important that we reclaim and reuse brownfield land to support sustainable, cohesive communities with quality places to work, live and visit.

· Rural deprivation in Hampshire exists but often remains hidden because of the dispersed nature of rural communities and the high numbers if people in those areas who are not deprived.

· In rural areas, those that are deprived often find that their problems are compounded by isolation and lack of services. In addition, the services that are available are tailored to those better off.

· The prospect of increasing demand for mobility, lengthening of the average length of journeys and a reducing patronage of public transport is higher levels of congestion.

· Mitigating the impact of the private car requires an effective, efficient, co-ordinated transport system and more emphasis on reducing the need to travel. Public transport needs to be safe, affordable and reliable. Alternatives to the car need to be made readily available, people and goods need to find it easy to get around and the way services are accessed needs to be made easier.

· Fundamental to nearly all of the issues outlined in this strategy is the need for an effective, efficient, co-ordinated transport system. Public transport needs to be safe, affordable and reliable. Alternatives to the car need to be made readily available, people and goods need to find it easy to get around and the way services are accessed needs to be made easier.

· Climate change is widely recognised as the major environmental challenge. The impacts of climate change will be increasingly felt in the South East, including Hampshire, with wetter, stormier winters and drier summers

· Developments have a sustainable infrastructure - especially making provision for communications technology

· With over one million new homes due to be built in the South East over the next 20 years, precautions should be taken to ensure that new buildings are not at risk of flooding or contribute to other areas flooding.

· Over the next ten years a huge increase in the demand for water in the South East is forecast. The sustainable management of water resources requires society to actively use less water whilst at the same time new water resources need to be developed.

· Sea levels are rising around Hampshire's coastline, threatening important coastal habitats and increasing the risk of coastal flooding.

· Effective management of waste in Hampshire is a key socio-environmental issue. Waste production across all sectors is increasing as a result of strong economic growth. Household waste is increasing by 3% per annum, coupled with increasing regulation from Europe and tough Government targets for reuse and recycling there is pressing need to manage waste sustainably, thinking about waste in a different manner.

· Effective management of natural resources is imperative to support economic growth in Hampshire, without impacting on the quality of life for communities and the environment alike.

How do we know?

· The county is experiencing the effect of higher than average traffic growth, higher than average car ownership and increasing journey lengths.

· The spiralling problem of road traffic congestion coupled with inadequacies in the passenger transport system is a threat to economic competitiveness, health and quality of life and underlines the need for a sustainable approach to transport issues.

· Over 235,000 properties in the South east have been identified as being at risk from flooding with the risk of inundation by the sea the biggest flood risk

· Poor land management practices can lead to soil erosion, flooding and diffuse pollution

· Household sizes are falling, so increasing the need for more homes

· Most of Hampshire's rural wards are in the top 20% of all wards in England on the Geographical Access to Services index and almost all are in the top 50%. This looks at the average distance travelled by income-deprived people to a GP surgery, a Post Office and a large food shop. It also looks at the average distance to a primary school for all households with children under eight.

· Well over 70% of Hampshire's water supply is from groundwater (with the balance from groundwater-fed rivers). Nationally only one third is from this source.

· Nationally around 27% of children are taken to school by car and around 52% walk. In Hampshire 36% are taken to school by car and 37% walk

What is already happening?

· School travel plans and safer routes to school

· The Hampshire Natural Resources Initiative

· Shoreline Management Plans

· Catchment Flood Management Plans

· Coastal Habitat Management Plans

· Biodiversity Action Plans

· Water Action Plan

What would we like to see in 10-15 years time?

What can you do to help? Some examples:

· Walk or cycle instead of using the car

· Car share

· Recycle and buy recycled


· Watch how you use your water - get information from the Environment Agency on how to use water more efficiently

· Make your home more energy efficient

Contact for further information

Lead agency for infrastructure, environment and transport and contact details.

Action Plan

The themes are a way for us to structure our work. They provide a framework for the HSP to work in. This framework provides a long term outcome, a goal, for us all to work towards. Within this framework the HSP has identified ways of working towards these goals by pulling out the key themes and prioritising areas for action. The actions may change annually but the overall framework is longer term.

The HSP knows that it cannot possibly get to where we all want Hampshire to be, in 15 or 20 years time, overnight - this is after all a long term vision. What the HSP can and will do, is focus on a few key areas where it can put its effort into in the next few years and add value to what is already happening. Some of this may be as simple as key agencies talking to each other, sharing best practice, or lobbying central or regional government for a better deal for Hampshire.

The Action Plan is set out in Appendix 1

Reviewing and Monitoring the Community Strategy

The HSP has set realistic targets that we can achieve rather than a long wish list that may never be achieved. To this end, an action plan has been drawn up setting out clear targets, the lead agency, and the timescale that we need to do it by and how we know when we have achieved it. This action plan is for the next three years and will be monitored and reviewed as progress is made.

The Community Strategy will also be reviewed regularly. If something is identified as a clear priority but doesn't appear in the strategy the HSP wants to be able to deal with it and so the strategy needs to remain flexible and open to change.

Resources

Although there is no extra money available for us to achieve these targets, all the partners are committed to them and have agreed to amend their priorities and realign their spending to meet them. This means targeting our resources into the areas that really need it and trying to access more funds to further this work.

Future consultation

The work doesn't stop here because we have a strategy! Now we must work as a partnership to make it happen.

We will need to check that what we are doing still meets with what the community feels is important so we will be asking you and requiring feedback from you on a regular basis.

If you want to get involved, or can help in any way, please contact us and let us know: [email protected] or phone 01962 845122/845004