(Edited on 7th August. Blog comments removed and transferred to Hazel's blog.)
Thank you for your comments. It has been interesting to understand your views on Communities in control: real people, real power on this forum and on Hazel Blears’ blog.
You have raised concerns on a number of issues, some related to the seven key themes and chapters in the White Paper( being active in the community; access to information; having an influence; challenge; redress; standing for office; and ownership in control) and some related to empowerment in general.
To address some of these in turn.
Chapter 1 - Empowerment Fund (IanJ's comment on 14 July)
The White Paper includes a strong emphasis on the importance of local groups in driving empowerment and the Government is investing £130m over the next three years through Grassroots Grants, which is specifically targeted at local community organisations with turnover of less than £20k per annum. However, we do know that many local organisations also welcome and benefit benefit from the networks and associations who can share learning, information and provide support in a range of activities. The Empowerment Fund is intended to complement the wider financial relationship between Government and the community sector.
The White Paper includes a strong emphasis on the importance of local groups in driving empowerment and the Government is investing £130m over the next three years through Grassroots Grants. Local funders across England have been selected to give out grants as small as £250 to grassroots third sector organisations as part of the Government’s £130m Grassroots Grants programme. Grassroots Grants, funded by the Office of the Third Sector and administered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF), will provide much needed grants to small third sector organisations and help local funders build endowment funds to provide a continuous source of small grant funding, by matching funds raised in the community.
63 local funders have been selected to distribute grants and set up endowments, and 57 have officially accepted. CDF are keen to give those which will be working in partnership more time and support to develop the structures, processes and relationships required to ensure they fully benefit from Grassroots Grants, as do the community and voluntary groups in their catchment areas.
Local funders will distribute grants of up to £5000 to small community and voluntary groups in both urban and rural settings across England – with the potential to reach out to new projects and communities that have not previously received funding.
A £50 million endowments programme sits along side the £80 million grants programme, and these two elements of Grassroots Grants will work together for maximum impact.
The endowments programme will enable local funders to generate additional donations on a matched basis, invest them and build their capacity to provide long term funding for small community and voluntary organisations.
Chapter 4 – Planning and Petitions
On the matter raised by Lockwood, again we are unable to comment on the individual case. However we agree that it's important that involving communities should be a proactive process. We are encouraging this by requiring local planning authorities to take a strategic lead role in their local area, ensuring that their local plans (set out in the Local Development Framework) provide a high quality framework for housing delivery, informed by a robust and shared evidence base - including evidence of current and future levels of need and demand at the local and sub-regional level. We are also encouraging developers to hold pre-application consultations with residents so that their views are taken on board early in the process.
Other related issues
"Ed Brown on 10 July questions why the Government is implementing a single unitary council for Northumberland in the light of the White Paper commitment, particularly in the light of referendum results, which indicate that that local people favour the establishment of two-unitary councils for Northumberland.
To fully address the issues Ed Brown raises, may I take the opportunity to firstly explain how we arrived at this situation and then pick up individually some of the other issues he raises.
Local Government Restructuring in Northumberland
The creation of a unitary Northumberland Council on 1 April 2009 is the result of a bottom-up process, during which there has been substantial local engagement, and the Government has listened carefully to all views expressed.
Bottom-up process
In response to the “Invitation to Councils in England”, issued by the Secretary of State in October 2006, two unitary local government proposals were received from Northumberland authorities.
One was received from the Northumberland District Councils, based on the creation of two-unitary councils, one for the urban south east and the other for the rural north/west; while alternative unitary proposals were received from the County Council, for a single unitary authority.
All successful unitary proposals were required to address the five criteria specified in the “Invitation”. The proposals submitted by Northumberland County Council addressed all five criteria; while the District Council’s proposals failed to meet three of those criteria, specifically those relating to the:
· provision of enhanced strategic leadership;
· delivery of value for money public services, with changes being met through existing council resources; and
· command a broad cross-section of support from partners and stakeholders to be a successful form of local governance for an area.
This proposal, put forward by Northumberland County Council, was fully debated in both Houses of Parliament and approved earlier this year.
Public support
The Northumberland referendum to which I assume you refer to may relate to the 2004 Regional Assembly Referendum – a constitutional reform in the governance of England. At the time, it was felt that two-tier areas in the North East should be given a say on the pattern of single-tier authorities (not on whether there should be single-tier local government).
The Northumberland results suggested that the public had a preference for the two-unitaries (56% in favour of the 2-unitaries, 44% in favour of the county unitary). In making our decision on the current unitary proposals, we had regard to all relevant information, including the 2004 referendum. As stated in Northumberland County’s decision letter of 25 July 2007:
“whilst the Districts rely heavily on the 2004 referendum, which produced a majority against the single unitary option, it is significant that in that referendum the single unitary option nevertheless had support of over 40%”
Whilst the 2004 referendum result was clearly taken into consideration, we recognised that it was held in a different context some time ago, and that it was not a referendum on the current unitary proposals.
In areas where local polls were undertaken, results were relevant in assessing proposals against the broad cross-section of support criterion. As such, they were only one of the factors we took into account in assessing the range and depth of support for a proposal.
Community engagement
As a result of local government restructuring by 1st April 2009 the number of local councillors in Northumberland will be reduced from 319 to 67.
One of the five criteria successful unitary proposals needed to address was in relation to the delivery of genuine opportunities for neighbourhood empowerment and accountability.
Although geographically large, Northumberland County Council’s proposals include comprehensive arrangements to address this criterion based around significant delegation of responsibility to area committees, and effective community engagement will be through local community boards.
These arrangements will help to ensure that the new council is not seen as being too remote and will enable local communities to genuinely influence local service delivery.
Estimated savings
Although one-off transitional costs for implementing unitary local government in Northumberland are in the region of £18m, the savings generated are estimated to be in the region of over £17m each year – savings that can be transferred to improving the delivery of frontline services or, used to hold down the cost of council tax bills for the people of Northumberland.
Elections
In Northumberland, it was agreed locally that elections should be held to the new authority as early as possible to provide legitimacy and the democratic mandate to take forward the creation of the new council.
Those elections were held on 1st May 2008 permitting the local electorate to have their say. As a result of those elections, the new council now includes many former district councillors and the new minority Liberal Democrat administration is taking forward implementation, supported by the commitment of other political parties to creating a successful Northumberland Council.
( Councillor numbers based on the proposals submitted by the bidding authorities and subject to an electoral review currently being undertaken by the independent Boundary Committee for England.)
I attach links to decision letters to both Northumberland County Council (http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/decision-letter-northumberla.pdf) and the Northumberland District Councils (http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/decision-letter-nothunberlan.pdf), outlining the reasons why their proposals were accepted/rejected.
If Mr Brown wishes to raise any further questions, officials at DCLG would be happy to address them directly. Those questions in the first instance should be directed to the Local Government Restructuring Teams at implementation@communities.gsi.gov.uk.