What is it?

ODPM鈥檚 five-year plan for sustainable communities, People, Places and Prosperity, signals a people-first approach to regeneration. The theory is that people who are involved in their communities through schools, Sure Start or voluntary projects 鈥� should feel they can influence decision-making.

How does it work?

The strategy has three tiers, aimed at improving the accountability and visibility of decision-making at neighbourhood, local authority and regional levels.

What are the key proposals?

  • Neighbourhood Charters would allow local groups to own and control assets such as community centres or playgrounds; to raise revenues; amend bye-laws, set priorities for local services and take action when standards slip. The plan aims to 鈥渢ake the work of town halls out from behind closed doors鈥�.
  • Councillors would become more visible, with 鈥渁dvocacy鈥� roles in their community. They could also allocate a small community fund for their ward.
  • Under 鈥渓ocal area agreements鈥�, 鈥渓ocal strategic partnerships鈥� formed by councils and businesses can direct central government funding (such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund) to projects in education, health or housing. There are already 21 pilot LAAs; the plan calls for 40 more councils to take part.
Anything else?

The plan flags up the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill, which will use grant funding to encourage local authorities to deal with the issues that fill the local papers鈥� letters pages, such as litter and fly-tipping.

There are also measures to encourage an alliance between commerce and councils. The introduction of business improvement districts will allow the two sides to work together on locally devised projects funded by a levy on business rates.

The Local Authorities Business Growth Incentive allows councils that preside over an increase in business rates to spend a proportion of the increase.

www.odpm.gov.uk

Source

RegenerateLive