Bettering our community

Carholme sits at the meeting point of the city centre, University, West Common and many homes and local businesses. Our area is constantly changing and local people should have a say in what these changes are. Different communities make up the foundation of Carholme and insight from diverse groups is essential to make the area work for everyone.

Got ideas for things you want to see in Carholme? You can lead the change!

Become active in the CNPF and suggest initiatives and projects that benefit every member of our community. It’s no secret that we live in a beautiful place and we can work collaboratively to ensure it’s not only protected but flourishing too.

Why implement a Neighbourhood plan?

• With local pressures in things such as housing, business, parking, climate change, a coherent neighbourhood plan provides the local area with opportunities to create better links, greener streets and a strong local identify. As an added bonus, the community plan promotes a healthier and safer neighbourhood too.
• A neighbourhood plan can shape many things in the local area, including:
  • Design quality: think things such as local character, scale, materials and streets.
  • Homes, businesses & other uses: things concerning housing and mixed-use areas
  • Green spaces: protecting and conserving local green spaces, biodiversity, and trees. Climate resilience and preparedness links closely with protecting our green spaces too.
  • Heritage: conserving valued buildings, views and the area’s identity (certainly important in an area as historical as Lincoln!).
• A community-led plan for wellbeing, projects, partnerships and local action sees residents have a direct say on the area around them. A Community Plan and a Neighbourhood Plan go hand in hand.

The power of a combined Neighbourhood & Community Plan

• The community plan makes the Neighbourhood Plan more meaningful and facilitates one joined up conversation. Residents don’t experience life in policy silos.
• Preparing the plans together also enables better evidence, a more practical delivery and stronger legitimacy. By not focusing on just a neighbourhood plan, the process can be more representative for all of Carholme, especially those in our communities without planning interests.
• in a nutshell, the community element reaches the parts that planning policy cannot reach: it builds partnerships, sets community projects, guides volunteering and much more!

Practical work people can help with

Evidence & Mapping:	Engagement & testing:	Delivery & drafting:
street and route audits	pop-up conversations	action teams
green space and tree mapping	young people/student sessions	project descriptions
heritage and character walks	workshops by theme	policy idea testing
photographic record	online/offline surveys	checking wording against evidence
business/community facility list	priority sorting exercises	monitoring “what changed?