Linton Parish Council

Parish Council

Parish Plan

In January 2001, the Government issued a Rural White Paper entitled ‘Our Countryside: Our Future’ and
sub-titled ‘A Fair Deal for Rural England'. This white paper:

endorsed town and parish councils, and
undertook to engage local people in a "partnership for change", and
offered a new initiative and new money to deliver improved local services and a better environment, and
promised to give rural communities a bigger say in their own affairs.

The Countryside Agency was charged with implementing this new policy and in September 2001 published
its ‘Vital Villages’ programme. Two main factors made the Linton Parish Council decide to accept the challenge:

THE CARROT a promise of new money and real support in discovering what local people wanted and then delivering it.

THE STICK - the Government’s intention to make all parish and town councils more open, effective and accountable.
And, significantly, the threat of extinction of councils which fall short of these standards.

Only time will show the true significance and benefits of the Rural White Paper but your
Parish Council believes it should make every effort to meet the Government’s objectives and
local people’s needs and expectations.

That is why the Parish Council embarked upon a process of consultation which culminated in the delivery
of an anonymous questionnaire to every household in the parish. The survey results were then turned into the
Parish Plan for Action which may be viewed or downloaded using the link below.

The Parish Plan was formally adopted in April 2005
Click Here For The Plan in Adobe .PDF Format