Cheryl Gillan MP: New law that will enable people to make a difference

Dec 1 2011

The Localism Bill, which is intended to return power to citizens, community groups and local councils, has received royal assent, so its measures will begin to come into effect under the new Act of Parliament within months. By April 2012, many of these should be in place.

What kind of activities will our local communities be able to promote?

Four rights are contained at the heart of the Act.

The first is the Right to Bid. This gives residents the chance to take over local assets such as shops or pubs, leisure facilities or community centres, so they can continue providing services.

Second comes the Right to Challenge. Local groups can put forward their ideas to improve services to the community. These could include voluntary groups as well as parish or town councils.

Third is the right for local people to draw up a neighbourhood plan, so members of the community can give their views about where new houses, businesses and shops should be located. That includes their ideas about how these buildings should look.

Fourth is the Community Right to Build. Communities can bring forward their proposals for things like playgrounds, public halls, shops to serve communities, or housing.

There are also measures which would require developers to consult local communities before they submit certain applications through the planning process. This would enable members of the community the opportunity to make their views known, so that there is scope to make changes before all is cut and dried.

Another strand of the Act is to allow communities to veto excess council tax rises. Councils will also have greater control over business rates, so that local business rate discounts may be applied, to attract businesses and companies.

Overall, the aim is to provide new freedoms and flexibilities to enable people to make a difference in our local communities.