Lib Dems call on Shepway Council to sign-up to the Sustainable Communities Act

The Liberal Democrats have submitted a motion to the next full Council meeting on 29th April calling on Shepway District Council to sign up to the Sustainable Communities Act.

The Sustainable Communities Act establishes a new 'bottom up' process where councils are in the driving seat on what government does locally. The Act became law on 23rd October 2007 with full cross party support. There is more information on the Sustainable Communities Act at www.localworks.org

The Act sets up a new process of governance where councils can drive central government action, policy and assistance to promote and protect thriving communities. The potential of the Act for councils is huge - councils can use it to do things like gain new powers, devolve existing powers and money from central control to local control, change the planning rules and reduce centrally imposed duties.

The Act also requires central government to publish local spending reports which will be a breakdown of all public money spent (local and national) by local area. Local authorities (including county councils) then have the power to argue for a transfer of specific monies and function from central to local control.

Shepway Lib Dem Councillor Tim Prater commented:

"The Liberal Democrats strongly believe that local decisions should be made locally. The Sustainable Communities Act empowers local councils to get powers that would really make a difference devolved down to them.

"If passed, this motion will ensure Shepway is part of the process of working for more power for our local councils, and local people will have a say in what powers would make the biggest difference to us in Shepway.

"Over 90 Councils across England have signing up to this Act - including Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Labour controlled Councils. Its a real shame no Kent Council has currently signed up - I hope Shepway will take a lead in Kent by backing the Lib Dem motion on 29th April."

The Liberal Democrat motion to Shepway Full Council reads:

That Shepway District Council:

(i) supports the bottom up process in the Sustainable Communities Act designed to allow local authorities and their communities to drive the action and assistance that central government gives in promoting thriving, sustainable communities;

(ii) notes that the Act gives local authorities the power to:

• make proposals to government on the action and assistance government must take or give to promote sustainable communities, and that
• those proposals can be for a transfer of public money and function from central or regional control to local control;

(iii) notes that the Act defines sustainable communities broadly, that definition having the 4 aspects of

• the improvement of the local economy,
• protection of the environment,
• promotion of social inclusion, and
• participation in civic and political activity;

(iv) notes that reasons for a local authority choosing to use the Act include gaining new powers or assistance from government, determining those powers or that assistance and transferring public monies from central or regional control to local control.

(v) resolves, having been invited to by central government in October 2008, to use the Act by submitting proposals for action and assistance from central government by 31st July 2009; and

(vi) further resolves to

• to inform the local media of this decision;
• to write to our MP, informing him of this decision; and
• to write to Local Works (at Local Works, c/o Unlock Democracy, 6 Cynthia St, London N1 9JF) informing them of this resolution to use the Act.