Local Government White Paper: community call for action

Following the publication of the White Paper, a Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill has been introduced. It will be going through committee stages in Spring, with Royal Assent anticipated in Autumn. The proposed legislation includes measures to:

• Promote a council leadership model where mayors (or council leaders or an executive) are elected every four years.
• Promote parish councils with greater "well-being" powers for those that meet the Quality Parish criteria.
• provide a statutory basis for Local Area Agreements, with a reduced number of centrally imposed targets.
• Introduce a 'community call for action'
• Introduce a duty on local authorities to involve local people in services and policies.

According to DTA Director, Steve Wyler, the big disappointment is the community call for action'. This had the potential to be the most significant of the proposals in the White Paper, introducing mechanisms such as petitions for community groups and citizens, enabling them to force an issue onto the council Overview and Scrutiny agenda. However, at a meeting on 25 January, Baroness Andrews announced that the call for action can only be undertaken by local councillors, and only in respect of issues affecting their own ward. There will be no mechanisms available to communities themselves, and therefore it is no longer a 'community' call for action. Steve Wyler argues that "this setback appears to signal a victory for old-style municipalists over those who wanted to pursue a "double devolution" agenda instigated by David Miliband".

To read a summary of the Local Government White Paper click here.