Transcript Localism Bill an introduction

Localism Bill
an introduction
Derk van der Wardt
Community Engagement Team,
Leicestershire County Council
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
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 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 – including Leicester
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
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
Reform to the planning system
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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
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
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)
- Levy can now also be used to ‘maintain’
infrastructure
- Some of the money raised to go directly to the
neighbourhoods where development takes place
Leicestershire County Council
• Big Society Scrutiny Panel asked to look at the
implications of the proposed Localism Bill for
Leicestershire County Council
• Neighbourhood Planning Vanguard bid
supported with Blaby District Council and the
parishes in the Blaby South Community Forum
• Big Society Fund [subject to cabinet decision]
More information
• http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovern
ment/decentralisation/localismbill/
Reactions
• http://www.consultationonline.co.uk/localism-blog/reaction