Transcript Slide 1
Localism
Jonathan Free
Context
National
County/District
In a few years our funding will only meeting the social care bill .
Core funding reduced - Less resource – integrated staff across BDC/MSDC close to 40%
reduction in revenue grant
Shift to reward based funding NHB – Business Rates, Council Homes rent retained
Emerging spatial plan - LDF
Parish/Community
Economy – Austerity – Public Service reforms
Benefits reform/caps – control the public spend
Growth Agenda - grow our way out of this
Localism – locality act 2012 – new community rights – greater local choice, communities
doing things for themselves
NPPF – presumption in favour of growth
Community Rights – NDP - RTC - ACV
Shape your own place – in exchange for growth
NPPF v NDP – Key factor is the Housing Supply
What do these changes mean for you – opportunity or threat. Certainly things will not
remain the same in the LG landscape and that will impact on your communities.
New Community Rights
NDP – Community Spatial Plan – adopted
planning policy – determine own area – significant
piece of work – own land allocation, building
character, level of growth – conformity CS – not to
prevent growth
ACV – Asset register – moratorium on sale – 6
months to raise funds and try to purchase.
RTC – LG services you’d like to run instead.
Times when able to do this. Trigger procurement
round. Some exceptions (stopping a service –
middle of a contract)
……What do you want to be?
Do you want to - Stay as you are?
Do you have an appetite for growth?
Are you concerned about NPPF and
presumption in favour of sustainable
development (5 year housing supply)
Are you concerned about the potential
erosion of community facilities (pubs, shops,
community centre, etc)?
Localism – not a blank sheet of
paper
Already visible within corporate priorities of BDC and
MSDC
Building on a base of Community Led Planning and
building community capacity through Community
Funding and Grant Support
Developing a place based approach to further this,
understand and build upon Community Assets.
Community Funding Support
Approximates
MSDC/BDC combined - £920K
£110 capital £280 revenue – BDC
£240 capital £247 revenue £24 minor £22 discretionary
Neighbourhood Planning
High levels of interest in rural areas (6 applications 10
other communities debating if appropriate for them)
Is NDP – the right tool? Need to understand local
motivations/needs. Village design statement, village
plan, etc.
Planning and Communities joint support.
Challenge and Issues
Relationships and historic mistrust
Working alongside the VCS or SALC?
Risks ref applications (NPPF)
Right to Bid
Assets of Community Value
15 enquiries – 10 of which are pubs/former pubs, 4 listed
so far.
5 of which are a more general discussion about a range
of community assets.
Challenge and Issues
Definition of ‘community value’ and clear criteria critical
to prevent risk of legal challenge
Period of recent community use
Groups meeting the criteria
Expressions of interest has potential to be divisive
No guarantee of community acquisition.
Right to Challenge
None received in Suffolk, consistent with national picture
Informal route taken in preference to formal process
Challenge and Issues
How will decisions be made if challenged on joint
services?
Potential to open the door for larger organisations to bid
Questions?