Sustainable Communities Act

3:10pm Friday 3rd October 2008

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AFTER a tireless cross-party campaign by three MPs and countless citizens of the UK, we now have an Act of Parliament that can bring real benefit to local communities.

The Sustainable Communities Act gives you, your neighbours and friends the power to work with your local council to tell central government what it must do to help your local community and prevent it from falling into decline.

To quote from those MPs who saw this Act become law, David Drew (Labour), Nick Hurd (Conservative) and Julia Goldsworthy (Lib Dem), “This is not just another consultation. This Act gives you power to protect and enhance your community – we urge you to use it.”

This Act means that citizens now have a real say in their own affairs. It is no longer a question of government overriding the wishes of a community by working to a different agenda. The only catch is that each local council has to ‘opt in’ to the scheme in October 2008.

Once that has happened, then we really can look forward to a more positive future in which dialogue with government at local and central level could result in real benefits to our communities, both rural and urban.

Further information and more details of how this Act can benefit all of us are available on localworks.org or unlockdemocracy.org.uk