Local Investment Plan

Following the launch of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in 2008 the HCA has promoted nationally the Single Conversation. The coalition government no longer uses this term and is continuing the process of dialogue with local authorities via the Local Investment Plan (LIP). This seeks to bring together a range of housing, infrastructure, regeneration and community investment priorities across a particular area. This process will determine how government will channel future investment at a local level.

The benefits to such an approach are:-

• It tailors investment strategies to the needs of places rather than developing them on a one size fits all basis
• It is underpinned by mutually shared and agreed priorities which are based on local ambitions
• Investment is used to ensure that national programmes for growth and renewal are delivered in ways which work effectively in different local contexts
• Funding from a variety of public and private sources are linked to achieve maximum impact

The Local Investment Plan area is based on housing market areas.

Forest Heath is part of the Cambridgeshire Sub Regional Housing Market Area with St Edmundsbury, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire councils. 

Local Investment Plan - Current Position

The LIP is intended to set out the investment required to deliver an area's ambitions and how resources will be allocated. This is based on evidence from all relevant local strategies, such as the Sustainable Communities Strategy, Local Development Framework, Economic Development and Tourism Strategy and Housing Strategies.

The initial scope of the LIP will cover several key areas for investment:

• Spatial priorities for strategic growth sites, town centre renewal and regeneration
• Targets for growth, affordability, renewal, rural housing, including specific groups such as older people, disabled people, BME communities, vulnerable people and gypsies and travellers
• Social, economic and environmental sustainability including migrating and adapting to climate change
• Employment, training and apprenticeships according to local strategies
• Land supply
• Physical and social infrastructure of all types

Forest Heath District Councils Local Investment Plan  has been approved by the HCA.