1. Localism
an introduction
1

2. The government’s programme:
• the vision: Big Society
• the policy: localism
• the strategy: decentralisation
2

3. Big Society
• not a programme
• an outcome
• 3 strands:
– voluntarism, philanthropy and
social action
– public service reform
– community empowerment
• “Civil Society” and “Civil
Society organisations”
3

4. Localism
4

5. Decentralisation
Planning:
local plans
Education:
free schools
Public Buildings:
assets of
community value
Police:
elected commissioners
Cuts:
local
implementation
Local government:
elected mayors
Public Services:
right to challenge
Health:
GP consortia
5

6. “The time has come to disperse power more
widely in Britain today”
(Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Coalition Agreement, May 2010)
“Trying to improve people’s lives by imposing
decisions, setting targets and demanding
inspections from Whitehall simply doesn’t
work…it leaves people feeling “done to” and
imposed upon”
(Plain English Guide to Localism Bill, January 2011)
6

7. The Government’s “six actions of
decentralisation”
7

8. Localism Bill aims to introduce:
• New freedoms and flexibilities for local
government
• New rights and powers for communities and
individuals
• Reform to make the planning system more
democratic and effective
• Reform to ensure that decisions about
housing are taken locally
8

9. New freedoms and flexibility for local
government
• General power of competence
– Local Authorities are free to do anything (providing
they don’t break the law)
• Abolition of the centrally prescribed Standards
Board regime to oversee the behaviour of
Councillors
– But to ‘deliberately withhold or misrepresent a
personal interest’ becomes a criminal offence
• Clarifying the rules on predetermination
• Directly elected mayors
– In 12 largest cities
9

10. New rights and powers for
communities
• Community right to challenge
– Giving voluntary & community groups a right to
express an interest in taking over the running of a
local service – local authority must then consider
• Community right to bid
– When ‘assets of community value’ come up for sale,
community groups will have time to develop a bid
• Local referendums
• Right to veto excessive Council Tax rises
10

11. Reform to social housing policy
• Social housing tenure reform
– End to ‘lifetime tenancies’
• Social housing allocations reform
– Only those qualifying for social housing can go on the waiting
list
• Reform of homelessness legislation
– Enabling councils the use of private sector rented homes to
meet homelessness crisis
• Reform of council housing finance
– Councils can now keep the rent they raise
• National homeswap scheme
• Reform of social housing regulation
11

12. Reform to the planning system
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Abolition of regional strategies
Duty to cooperate
Nationally significant infrastructure projects
Requirement to consult communities before
submitting very large planning applications
Reform the way local plans are made
Strengthening enforcement rules
Neighbourhood planning
Community right to build
Reforming the community infrastructure levy
12

13. Reform to the planning system (cont.)
• Neighbourhood planning
– Right for communities to draw up a
‘neighbourhood development plan’ (but needs to
be within national planning policy and Local
Development Framework)
– Local planning authorities will be required to give
technical advice and support
– Neighbourhood planning ‘vanguards’ to test this
idea in practice
13

14. Reform to the planning system (cont.)
• Community right to build
As part of neighbourhood planning, groups of local people
can bring forward small developments
• Reforming the community infrastructure levy
(s106 agreements)
- Levy can now also be used to ‘maintain’
infrastructure
- Some of the money raised to go directly to the
neighbourhoods where development takes place
14

15. Localism Act
• new powers for councils
• new rights for local people and
communities
– includes ‘virtual’ and ‘causal’
communities – Minister of State for
Decentralisation Greg Clark
• planning reform
• make housing fairer and more
democratic
• incentives for economic growth
15

16. Localism Act
• new powers for councils
–
–
–
–
decentralisation
general power of competence
elected mayors
return to committee system
• Doncaster votes for referendum
to abolish elected Mayor
• Nottinghamshire returning to
committee structure
16

17. Localism Act
• new rights for local people
and communities
– right to challenge
– assets of community value
– council tax rise veto
17

18. Localism Act
• planning reform
– democratic and local control
• National Planning Policy
Framework
• presumption in favour of
sustainable development
• Select Committee calls for
redraft
18

19. Localism Act
• make housing fairer
and more democratic
– local decision making
– local control of social
housing
19

20. Localism Act
• incentives for economic growth
– give councils more stake in local
economy
– business rate discounts
– tax breaks
– rate supplements
• Local Government Finance Bill
20

21. We have been here before?
21

22. Familiar language
• ‘local’; ‘localism’; ‘choice’; ‘community’;
‘accountability’; ‘freedom’; ‘decentralisation’;
BUT
A wide range of views about what this means in
practice for local government; elected
members and the ‘communities’ they
represent.
22

23. What’s in a word? -‘community’
Different meanings under different parts of the
Act (and the wider localism agenda)
•Community Right to Challenge
•Neighbourhood Planning
•Community Right to Bid
•Applications for Free Schools
•Academy conversions.
23

24. Different views of ‘Localism’
“ I think it is reasonable that councils shouldn’t
use their new found freedom to saddle up the
horses, arm their citizens and invade France.
Apart from that, the world will be your
oyster”.
Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities & Local
Government. Local Government Association Conference, July
2010.
24

25. Different Views of ‘Localism’
‘The Localism Act is conditioned by the dominant
centralist culture of central government… it
could as well have been called the Centralism
Act’
George Jones & John Stewart ‘The World will be your Oyster’
Reflections on ‘The Localism Act 2011’
25

26. Henry VIII Clauses
• These allow a Minister to
use regulations to create
new laws which have the
same force as Acts of
Parliament but which don’t
undergo the same rigorous
process.
• Localism Bill peppered with
HVIII clauses.
26

27. Future accountability?
Members?
Service 4
(national
charity)
National
Trustees
Indicators?
Regulator?
Service 1
(national
firm)
User
Service 2
(local
voluntary)
Local board /
trustee
Shareholders
Service 3
(local firm)
Sole Owner
27

28. • Gamlingay community‐led initiative –
providing youth, employment, and community
services
• ‐ See more at: http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/case‐
studies/gamlingay/#sthash.8GbyJ78V.dpuf
28

29. • St James Care provide housing, and core and
support services to vulnerable people in
Southampton
•
See more at: http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/case‐studies/st‐james‐care/#sthash.y3J4bb3e.dpuf
29

30. • Himmat – working with young people
• Established in 1991, Himmat has expanded
from its Halifax base, where it started out by
focussing on the needs of young people from
the South Asian community, to deliver
services else‐where in West Yorkshire.
•
‐ See more at: http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/case‐studies/case‐study‐
6/#sthash.yN3plHu2.dpuf
30

31. • Asian Development Association of Bury
(ADAB) is a community organisation which
currently operates from three locations
situated in some of the most deprived areas
within Bury
• Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is funding and
providing support to ADAB to create a Community Fire
Prevention Networkto engage with hard to reach
communities, and private and voluntary business sectors
within Bury and Rochdale areas
•
See more at: http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/case‐studies/greater‐manchester‐fire‐and‐rescue‐
service/#sthash.PjabcEhJ.dpuf
31

32. • Lambeth Council – a co‐operative council
giving businesses and the community the
chance to run youth services
•
‐ See more at: http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/case‐studies/lambeth‐
council/#sthash.wqAQ81Ie.dpuf
32