Conference Themes
In 2005, the Government launched its Five Year Plan for Building Sustainable Communities, with the publication of two documents - Sustainable Communities: Homes for All; and People, Places and Prosperity; underpinned by the Government's Sustainable Development Strategy outlined in Securing the Future.
The Sustainable Communities strategy incorporated two main principles: that more power should be given to the community; and the importance of ensuring that decision-making was undertaken at the most appropriate level in order to succeed.
Creating sustainable communities involves taking a holistic approach to development, working across sectors to interlink initiatives involving housing, planning, funding, communitiy cohesion, social justice, education, health, transport and the environment.
Broadly speaking, the core strands of the Sustainable Communities strategy consist of delivering:
Stable economic growth – economically healthy cities and regions to drive national prosperity
Creating safe and inclusive, well-planned, built and managed, environmentally friendly places to live – providing the homes and communities individuals want, while responding to the challenges offered by both climate change and housing supply
Empowering local people to create cohesive, thriving and sustainable communities in order to overcome the challenges of deprivation, disadvantage and conflict
Consequently, Themes for this Conference embrace economic, social and cultural trends and will include:
Creating housing - Fit for Purpose in the 21st Century
The impact of new legislation on this agenda
An integrated and devolved approach to development - with an emphasis on the strategic leadership role of local government
Planning - Leading the way
Regeneration and Neighbourhood Renewal - issues of funding
Leadership and Partnership delivery - Third Sector, LSPs, LAAs, RDAs
Fostering cohesion and social justice
The Role of Cities in Creating Sustainable Communities
The Impact of the Remit of Sustainable Development
The European Perspective
The Role of Sport/Leisure in driving regeneration