Sustainable Communities (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

Sustainable Communities

November 4, 2008 12:00 AM
By Cllr Zoe Patrick in County Council

The Sustainable Communities Act 2007 set out a process to give local people more control over improving their community, by allowing a community panel to suggest ways local spending could be better used to improve local services and quality of life. The Department for Communities and Local Government have now issued a formal invitation to local authorities to put forward proposals.

The Act will give communities more power over decisions that are made for the environmental, economic or social sustainability of their area. The process in brief involves:

• Ideas being generated by the community to improve local sustainability; ideas may involve the transfer of roles and/or functions from other organisations

• Bringing together a community panel of local representatives to try to reach agreement on proposals to take forward

• The proposals being put forward by the local authority to central government through the LGA

• LGA shortlisting the proposals in its role as the "selector"

• The Secretary of State deciding which of the shortlisted proposals should be implemented based on a consultation with the LGA

On 14 October the Secretary of State sent a formal invitation to local authorities to submit their proposals, so this is our opportunity to do just that.

The LGA will be providing more information on their role as selector as the process develops; however they are suggesting local authorities with ideas for proposals should post them on the LGA website.

The bottom line is that we should seriously consider the potential changes we can make in our areas by getting involved in the process now. The government is looking for innovative ideas to help projects that will turn around environmental and social decline in their area. We now have a portfolio holder for Place at County, so this is even more reason why we can use the work of the cabinet member to take this forward.

We can then give our local communities the boost they need and will also give us all opportunities as backbenchers in this council an opportunity to engage with our areas by helping to progress the work involved. Even better if we can be given the devolved budgets to go with it.

Let's get started now on the process; we will then see some real benefits, especially in areas of deprivation which need some intervention now.