Every Local Council should have a succinct, well-structured and informative Strategic Plan which sets out the Council’s key objectives and aspirations and how these will be met over the life of the plan. Apart from following best practice guidelines, this has a number of important benefits including providing clarity, focus, and continuity, and it forms the basis for defining specific projects which will lead to the realisation of different aspects of the plan. In addition, the process of agreeing the strategic plan in itself has the key benefit of achieving consensus and commitment to the goals defined, and providing clear links to community development priorities.

The LCRC approach to strategic planning guides Councillors and Officers through a well-structured and efficient planning process, incorporating the results of Community Surveys where available, leading to the preparation of a plan which clearly sets out the goals, supporting reasoning, specific projects to achieve the stated goals, and the related timescales. This in turn provides a sound basis for accurate financial planning and Budget Preparation.