Sustainable Communities
What is meant by sustainability?
In 1987 the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) called attention to the fact that economic development can often lead to deterioration rather than improvement in the quality of people's lives.
In its report, the Commission called for "a form of sustainable development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
The essence of this is about striking a balance between human activities and the natural world, so that the prospect for future generations to enjoy a quality of life at least as good as our own is not diminished by the actions of the present generation.
What is involved in ensuring our communities are sustainable?
From an environmental perspective, economic and social development needs to work alongside preservation of natural resources and protection of the environment on which our lives depend.
Reusing and recycling resources, protecting green spaces, and reducing pollution are all part of this.
Socially, sustainability refers to providing for the needs of our local communities. Over the last twenty five years we have lost a quarter of our post office and bank branch network, along with over 30,000 independent retailers. As a result we are by necessity driving longer distances to find the services that should be on our doorsteps, and many of our high streets are in decline.
The Sustainable Communities Act 2007 should go some way to addressing this problem.
Sustainable Communities ActWhat is the aim of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007?
The principal aim of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 is to promote the sustainability of local communities.
What is meant by 'sustainable communities'?
The definition of this in the Act is deliberately broad. It has four aspects:
1. Environmental, e.g. promoting local renewable energy, protecting green spaces
2. Local economies, e.g. promoting local shops, local businesses and local jobs
3. Social inclusion, e.g. protecting local public services and alleviating fuel poverty and food poverty
4. Democratic involvement, e.g. increasing ways in which people can participate in local decision making and influence what happens locally
How did the Act come about?
The Sustainable Communities Bill was introduced to Parliament as a Private Members Bill. It was sponsored in the House of Commons by Nick Hurd MP (Conservative, Ruislip-Northwood) and in the House of Lords by Lord Marlesford.
This was the result of a five year campaign led by a coalition of over ninety national organisations under the banner Local Works.
The Bill was supported through Parliament by the Government and all of the main English political parties and on 23 October 2007 became law as the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.
When will it take effect?
In October 2008, the Government will invite Local Authorities to propose ideas to promote the sustainability of their communities. This will be the 'first round' of the Sustainable Communities Act process, and will take place over what we expect to be a twelve month period.
Following this, Government will invite Local Authorities to submit further proposals during rounds which will probably take place on an annual basis. The exact details are yet to be published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
Which areas of the UK does it apply to?
The Sustainable Communities Act 2007 applies to all Local Authorities, which in the Act includes County Councils and their respective communities, in England. If the Welsh Assembly chooses to request to Westminster that the Act applies to them it will also apply to all Local Authorities in Wales. The Local Works coalition are campaigning for the Welsh Assembly to choose to do this.
How do I take part in this process?
Before making any proposal, Local Authorities will be required to establish or recognise a panel of representatives of local persons with whom to discuss and reach agreement on potential proposals. These 'citizens' panels' will be open to any member of the community.
Local Authorities will decide the exact way in which citizens are chosen to sit on a citizens’ panel and are able to put proposals in to the process via the citizen’s panel. Contact your Local Authority to find out how they intend to do this. If you are keen to be a representative on one of the citizen’s panels, contact your council telling them so and ask other people to nominate you.
What happens after Local Authorities submit their proposals?
All proposals will be considered by the Local Government Association (LGA), appointed as the “selector”, in co-operation with the Secretary of State. A short-list of proposals will then be drawn up in an action plan.
Ultimately, the Secretary of State will decide which of the proposals on the short-list should be implemented, but the Act ensures that the Government has a ‘duty to reach an agreement’ with the LGA on this final decision. This is NOT a consultation.
How is the action plan monitored?
Unless an action plan has been implemented, the Secretary of State must publish and present to Parliament a report describing the progress which has been made. This needs to be within one year of the publication of the action plan, and at yearly intervals after that.
How do we know what is already being spent in our Local Authority area?
As laid down by the Act, in April 2009 the Government will publish local spending reports which will be a breakdown of all public money (i.e. central and local) spent within each Local Authority area. This is described as being "for the purpose of assisting in promoting the sustainability of local communities".
This ‘opening of the books’ has never happened before and will likely be cause for some very lively debate.