Guidance

Plan for Neighbourhoods: 10 year vision content checklist

Published 9 June 2025

Your 10-year vision should set out the long-term strategy to regenerate your local area.

It should outline your local community’s vision for the future, with a clear plan for how your Neighbourhood Board will deliver this change through a programme of investment and local capability building over the next decade.

What to include in your 10-year vision

Your 10-year vision must include all the content outlined on this page, following the order of the sections. It must be submitted in a PDF format.

Places are encouraged to use diagrams, maps, and charts to support the narrative and should use relevant subheadings where required. Boards should include key data and information in the 10-year vision document and aim to keep a single cohesive document. Additional annexes may be submitted if required, but these should be kept to a minimum.

Section 1: Local context

This section should be a short introduction to the local community, including its history, identity, people, economy and story so far.

Section 2: Spatial targeting

This section should include:

• a map of the agreed geographic boundary for your place
• a short description of the areas within this boundary where your Neighbourhood Board intends to focus funding and interventions – for example the town centre or neighbourhoods with the greatest need

Section 3: Vision for the future

This section should include:

• the detailed vision for your place over the next decade
• a short narrative identifying specific areas, what change will be delivered in these areas and what success looks like at the end of the programme
• a short ‘vision statement’ that articulates this vision (maximum 250 words)

Section 4: Strategic case for change

This section is an outline of the strategic case for change in your place, which should include:

• the underpinning body of evidence showing economic need, market failure or social disadvantage, building on the evidence in the data pack and polling provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and supplemented with additional local data, case studies and local stories where available
• the priorities for change identified through your community engagement (for example, more jobs or safer high streets)
• how those priorities align to the 3 objectives for the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme:
  • thriving places
  • stronger communities
  • taking back control
• intended use of powers
• the long-term outcomes that you hope to achieve as a result of the interventions you choose to fund

You do not need to go into detail about specific interventions and projects that will be funded if this is not yet known. However, if the information is available, Neighbourhood Boards are encouraged to include it alongside the rationale for this portfolio of programmes, projects and timing of investments as this will help us better understand your vision.

Section 5: Alignment with other programmes and investments

This section should contain a summary of how the proposed activity for Plan for Neighbourhoods will align with, and complement, existing and planned local, regional or national:

• programmes
• investments or other funding streams delivered by the UK Government, Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive
• ‘masterplans’ that describe the overall vision, design concept and structure for new development
• plans, strategies or similar documents

Section 6: Match funding and leveraged investment

This section should include an outline of how your Neighbourhood Board will attract and maximise opportunities for private, public, and philanthropic match funding and investment.

It should set out any existing commitments (such as charities, individuals, and other organisations) and your plans to secure future support.

Section 7: Community and stakeholder engagement

This section should include an outline of how your Neighbourhood Board will ensure the local community and key stakeholders are involved in the ongoing development and delivery of your Regeneration Plan over the course of the 10 years of funding. This includes through:

• your Neighbourhood Board membership and leadership
• the board’s ways of working and distinction from the local authority
• your plans for securing buy-in from local businesses, civil society, and communities
• how you deliver interventions

It should include information about how you will continue to engage and consult the local community and key stakeholders in shaping and developing the plan throughout the delivery period.

Section 8: Governance

This section should contain an outline of the roles and responsibilities of all parties overseeing the investment programme, including: 

• governance structure for the programme, namely the relationship between the Neighbourhood Board, accountable body, and any other parties
• how the Neighbourhood Board governance and transparency requirements will be met
• confirmation that the programme will be managed in line with the Nolan Principles and the standards expected for projects and proposals as outlined in Managing Public Money (regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility)
• a high-level overview of the route to market and process for appraising and approving investments

Section 9: Assurance

This section should include a high-level description of how the local authority will assure that the programme is delivered in line with Best Value standards and Managing Public Money (regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility).