Transcript Slide 1

EALC Presentation on the
Localism Act 2011
www.eden.gov.uk
Localism
The Localism Act , passed in November 2011, to fulfil
the Government’s stated commitment to
decentralising control over public services, assets and
planning from central government to local government
and from local government to communities.
www.eden.gov.uk
Five Key Measures
1.Community Rights
2.Neighbourhood Planning
3.Housing
4.Empowering Local Areas
5.General Power of Competence
www.eden.gov.uk
Community Rights
Right to Challenge - to bid to run a local service,
came into force on 27 June 2012
• To make use you must be a: voluntary and
community groups, parish councils and/or groups
of 2 or more staff from a local council
• How it works: express an interest, council
considers the application, holds a procurement
exercise, and a relevant body takes over the
service
www.eden.gov.uk
Community Rights
Right to Challenge in Eden
• No challenges have come forward yet
• In Alston – Community have taken over the
running of their snow plough, however not
through this piece of legislation.
www.eden.gov.uk
Right to Bid
• An ‘asset of community value’: its main use is to further the
social wellbeing of the local community.
• How it works: assets can be nominated by groups with a
connection to the local area.
• If nomination process is undertaken correctly then the Local
Authority must include the asset on its list. Assets remain on
the list for at least 5 years.
• If the council decides that the nomination doesn’t meet the
criteria, then they must write to the group who nominated the
asset and provide an explanation.
www.eden.gov.uk
Right to Bid in Eden
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Not to be confused with Community Right to
Buy
Proving reasonably popular in Eden
To date there are three community assets on
the Council’s Community Asset Register these
include two areas of land in Penrith and the
Crown Inn Pub at Blencow
www.eden.gov.uk
Right to Build
A new way for communities to choose where and when to build
homes, shops, etc. – came into force on 6 April 2012
•A Neighbourhood Development Order allows people to propose a
development and obtain permission for it, without having to go
through a planning process.
•Any revenue generated is retained by the community
•The community organisation needs to finance the process
•How it works (the process): set up a corporate body, engage the
community, draw up draft Build Order, independent examination, local
referendum (must receive over 50% support from those voting), ready
to build
www.eden.gov.uk
2. Neighbourhood Planning
Neighbourhood Planning enables communities to draw up a Plan
for their area. These plans will be used to decide the future of
places where they live and work. It will give local people
opportunities to:
•Choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be
built
•Have their say on what new buildings should look like
•Grant planning permission for the new buildings they want to see
go ahead
•Eden is home to the first Neighbourhood Plan to be approved in
the Country – the Upper Eden Neighbourhood Plan
www.eden.gov.uk
How it works:
• Defining the neighbourhood – what’s the
boundary?
• Preparing the Plan – local people decide (needs to
conform with existing planning policy)
• Independent Check
• Community Referendum – if more than 50%
support the plan, the local authority must bring it
into force
• Legal force
• Implementation
www.eden.gov.uk
3. Housing
Councils will get the flexibility to better manage their
housing stock by adapting to meet local needs. The
Localism Act will let councils decide:
•How best to help homeless people
•How to manage their housing waiting lists
•The length of tenancy that best fits a household's
needs
•The Act will change the way social housing is funded
to pass more power to a local level. Councils also will
get back the control of the revenue raised by council
rent
www.eden.gov.uk
4. Empowering Local Areas
The Localism Act enables Ministers to transfer public
functions to local authorities in order to improve
local accountability and promote economic growth.
It empowers major cities and Councils to:
•Develop their areas
•Improve local services
•Increase their competitiveness
www.eden.gov.uk
5. General Power of Competence
Gives councils the legal capacity to do anything
an individual can do. The new power will give
councils the freedom to:
•Work together to improve services
•Drive down costs
•Enhance their local area
•Councils will be able to work creatively to
meet local needs, without having to wait for
agreement from the centre to get things done
www.eden.gov.uk