Ten Principles guiding the Land+ project

These Principles, developed by the team throughout the Land+ project, acknowledge and respect that communities in this area have experienced multiple short-term, externally-imposed projects which have relied on volunteer input from a small, over-stretched group of people, and have often ended without achieving long-term, transformational change.

In this work we are striving for something different, and aspire to support genuine collaboration and respectful dialogue that empowers the community of place to achieve the change they define as necessary.

Therefore:

The NW2045 RLUP respects the knowledge, experience and expertise of people within the community of place.
People within the community – those who have a long-term commitment to the well-being of the place – are at the heart of the work, and are supported by a wider team who are also ‘of’ the area, who understand the full reality of life in the North West.
Provision is made within the budget to pay for the time of these ‘Community Co-Leads’, rather than relying on voluntary input, in order to:
- Ensure that different demographics within the community are represented.
- Mitigate the problems of volunteer fatigue and elite capture (ie only those who can afford - in terms of finances or time - to volunteer get involved).
- Underline / emphasise that people’s time and input is valued: they are experts of their place.
The Community Council is the node of democracy from whom the project seeks the mandate to proceed; who hold us to account, and who are consulted and involved as appropriate.
The voices of the children and young people must be integral to conversations about long-term changes in land use.
The approach also respects the ‘carrying stream’ of knowledge from older generations, and seeks to strengthen intergenerational and cross-community links.
The team finds ways to encourage ‘hidden voices’ – those within the community who may not normally express their opinions publicly - to be heard.
The approach strives to be grounded, practical and useful, and make all communications accessible and jargon-free. The project strives to flex and adapt to changing circumstances, and work with other initiatives in the area for maximum efficiency and efficacy.
Whilst being embedded in ‘the place’, the approach integrates knowledge and expertise from the wider national, UK and international conversations, to ensure that the community benefits from any appropriate opportunities.
The approach strives for reciprocity and exchange: to optimise and build on the capacity and skills that already exist within the place: the local asset base in the widest, most holistic sense.