What is the Sustainable Communities Act?
The Act is a piece of legislation with the principal aim of promoting the sustainability of local communities based on the belief that local people best know what needs to be done to promote the sustainability of their area.The Act sets up a new process where local communities and their local authorities (e.g. Medway Council) can drive central government policy and action on reversing community decline and promoting local sustainability.
The Act establishes in law for the first time a co-operative method of decision making so that not all the decisions are made at the centre. The Act also requires central government to publish local spending reports which will be a breakdown of public money spent (local and national) by local area.
Who Supported the Sustainable Communities Act?
Local Works (www.localworks.org) is a coalition of over 90 national organisations and campaigned for the introduction of the Act for five years. A wide variety of organisations support Local Works, including Age Concern, CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), Co-operative Group, Green Party, Law Society, National Federation of Women's Institutes, SHELTER and Soil Association.In November 2006, 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 and in the House of Lords by Lord Marlesford. The Bill became law with full cross party support in October 2007 as the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.
What Does the Sustainable Communities Act Cover?
The Act is potentially very wide reaching with sustainable communities being defined in the Act as having four categories:- local economies, e.g. local jobs and promoting local shops/businesses;
- environment, e.g. promoting local renewable energy and protecting green spaces;
- social inclusion, e.g. alleviating fuel and food poverty; and
- democratic involvement, e.g. promoting local people participating in local decision making.
How Does the Sustainable Communities Act Work?
Local Works did not want to put any further centrally imposed duties on councils so they are not required to participate in the Act.For the people of Medway to use the Act, Medway Council must opt-in to the Act. This step is crucial.
The Medway Green Party has been lobbying Medway Council for some time to opt-in but, although they were invited to do so by central government in October 2008, the council has so far declined.
Despite assurances from Medway Council they would vote to adopt the Act, at the January 2009 full council meeting they decided to defer a decision until later. At the April 2009 full council meeting, we asked when Medway Council would be opting-in to the Act and Councillor Chambers replied the decision would be one for cabinet to make on 12th May. (Records of the council meetings can be found at www.medway.gov.uk/index/council/committees/index/council/committees/commdoc/commlist.htm?cid=1&type=F.)
The decision made at cabinet was "to review the experience of others in implementing the Sustainable Communities Act and to consider its use in Medway in the light of lessons learned once schemes have been put into practice elsewhere." (Please refer to www.medway.gov.uk/cabinetdecisions-issues.asp?ID=1540 for further details.)
We will continue our campaign to ensure Medway Council opts-in to the Act.
If Medway Council decides to opt-in, they must set up a citizens' panel which must be representative of local people and include people from under-represented groups. The citizens' panel can then be lobbied by local people - Medway Council would have to allow local people easy access to the panel.
Medway Council would then have a legal duty to try to reach an agreement with the citizens' panel regarding the proposals to be submitted to central government.
Once all participating councils have submitted their proposals, they will be considered by the Local Government Association (LGA) and a short-list will be drawn up by the LGA (this is reasonable as there may be thousands of proposals and many very similar proposals that can be merged).
Central government then has a duty to 'co-operate and try to reach agreement' with the LGA on the proposals put forward.
This final decision results in an action plan from central government which is presented before Parliament. Central government must also publish the reasons why any proposals were not finally taken up. Central government then begins to act and assist communities and councils based on the proposals that were accepted.
The whole process starts again in October of each year (although a council only has to opt-in once).
How is the Sustainable Communities Act Different to Transition Towns?
The Sustainable Communities Act and Transition Towns are two different ways to tackle similar issues, however, these are the main differences:- the Sustainable Communities Act is politically led with community support being an integral part of the process but Transition Towns are community lead with political support provided where necessary;
- the Sustainable Communities Act can only be used if the local council decides to opt-in to the Act whereas Transition Towns are started by members of the community;
- the Sustainable Communities Act potentially tackles a wider range of issues; and
- the Sustainable Communities Act is a law but Transition Towns have no such standing.
For examples of how the Sustainable Communities Act can bring about positive changes for local communities, please visit www.localworks.org/node/66. The Transition Town Sevenoaks web site, www.transitiontownsevenoaks.org, provides examples of the positive changes they wish to bring to their community.
How Can You Help?
To help persuade Medway Council to opt-in, please write to the Leader of the Council (Rodney Chambers), Deputy Leader (Alan Jarrett) and/or your ward councillor(s).Details of the councillors by ward can be found at www.medway.gov.uk/index/council/councillor/20306.htm.
To download a sample letter, please visit www.localworks.org and click on the relevant link.
