Transcript Rutland

Parish Council Forum – 17 October 2011
LOCALISM BILL
Geoff Pook
Head of Corporate Governance
Philosophy
•Big Society
•Power at lowest appropriate level
•Individuals, public service
professionals, local neighbourhoods,
local level institutions
•National Government – strategic,
economies of scale
Approach
•Giving rights, not prescribing
•Choice to exercise – e.g.
neighbourhood plans, community right
to challenge
•Bill +White Paper ‘ Open Public Services’
•Local Government Resources review
•Individual, neighbourhood,
commissioned services
Ethical Standards
•Abolition of current regime
•Duty to maintain high standards of
conduct
•Voluntary code – enforcement
•Financial and other interests – criminal
offences
•Pressure building for code requirement –
LGA, NALC – sanctions?
•Interaction between principal & parish
councils?
Assets of Community Value
•Loss of local amenities, village shops, pubs
•Right to identify buildings/land important
to social wellbeing
•Time to develop proposals and bid on open
market if sale or long lease
•List – current/recent ‘social’ use and
realistic to continue
•Cultural, recreational, sporting
•Not residential unless part of shop/pub,
nor operational land
Community Right to Challenge
•Express interest in running local
authority services
•Fair hearing of ideas and time to bid
•Normal procurement rules
•Promoting/improving social, economic
or environmental wellbeing
•SoS power to exempt services
Neighbourhood Planning
•Parish Council or neighbourhood forum
•Neighbourhood plan – general policies
for development/land use
•Neighbourhood development order –
grant planning permission
•Fit national/local policies
•Independent examination
•Referendum (+ additional referendum)
•Community right to build
Others
•Local referendum
•Council Tax referendum
•General power of competence