A PLAN has been launched, aimed at making the county a better place to live.

Organisations from across Gloucestershire were in Gloucester for the launch of the county's first community strategy.

It has been devised to try to ensure the county becomes a better place in which to live, work and learn. It will guide the combined efforts of hundreds of organisations that work together on behalf of local people and communities.

Developed by the Gloucestershire Strategic Partnership, the strategy looks to the future of the county and identifies key features for the Gloucestershire of 2014 - a county with a thriving economy and thriving communities, that enables its people to live life to the full and gives access to learning and opportunity to all with a better environment.

Gloucestershire County Council's deputy leader, Cllr Liz Boait, has been chairman of the partnership for the last two years.

The partnership is leading the community strategy and has been created from a broad group of organisations from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors.

During the launch Cllr Boait handed over control of the partnership to newly appointed independent chairman Chris Creswick.

Cllr Boait said the last two years had been challenging and rewarding.

"This strategy has been developed by hundreds of organisations working together," she added. "That work will continue over the next decade as we use our combined efforts to address the wide range of issues facing our county and residents."

Mr Creswick is a former chairman of the Gloucestershire Health Authority and member of the Learning and Skills Council.

He said: "I am extremely impressed by what has been achieved so far. I am looking forward to taking the partnership into a new phase. We will focus on developing an ambitious yet sensible plan to turn the strategy into action for the benefit of Gloucestershire people."