Communities have many assets. These include green and open space, woodlands, community buildings, housing, and many others. Some will already be place and some will come via new development. Long term stewardship means not only managing these assets but creatively harnessing them to build community, resilience, and meet needs.

Because development is not just about houses. It is about people, and how best and most sustainably to meet current and future needs. CFO and our parish and town council members believe that places which are shaped by the people who live there – using their own enthusiasm, knowledge, skills, and lived experience – allow communities to put down deeper roots and flourish. We think Local Authorities and many developers and landowners share that belief.

When it comes to long-term stewardship, this means actively helping residents to take a leading role in how their community is shaped and managed. Community First Oxfordshire’s service – designed with our colleagues at Wild Oxfordshire, Collaborative Housing, Future Nature, London Development Trust, Place 54 Architects, and Edge Urban Design– aims to do that.