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Sustainable Communities Act

The Sustainable Communities Act 2007 was introduced to Parliament as a Private Members Bill in the House of Commons by Nick Hurd MP.

The Bill was supported through Parliament by the Government and all main political parties in England. It was the culmination of a five year campaign led by a coalition of 85 national organisations under the banner Local Works.

The Sustainable Communities Bill was granted Royal Assent and became an Act of Parliament on 23rd October 2007.

What is the Sustainable Communities Act?

The Sustainable Communities Act is a response to concern about the community decline that follows the loss of key local services such as post offices, bank branches and community shops. Its main effect will be to give local people much greater power over the way in which taxpayers’ money is spent in their community. It will also require local and central government to attach greater priority to the long term development and protection of communities.

Sustainable Communities Act 2007: A Guide

What problems does the Act address?

  • Decline in communities – high streets, post offices, civic participation and environmental degradation
  • Lack of coherent Government strategy to address that decline
  • Lack of transparency in the way that resources are allocated to communities

“When it comes to shaping the future of the communities we live in, we must accept local people know best. We must give them greater power over the policy and spending decisions that will shape the future of the area they live in. The Sustainable Communities Act is an honest attempt to help communities address the social problems that arise from loss of local services.”

Nick Hurd

How will it do this?

The Act will work in the following way:

  • Local Authorities now have the right to receive a breakdown of expenditure by Central Government departments and agencies on services provided for the benefit of local communities.
  • Local Authorities are then able to go back to the Secretary of State with an alternative, local spending plan. The local spending plan must have been drawn up after full local consultation and must be disclosed to public. They must have regard to the promotion of the sustainability of local communities. The Secretary of State must take a decision on these local spending plans and the reasons for any amendments must be made public.
  • Once approved, the Secretary of State must implement the local spending plan, having consulted with the relevant central government departments and agencies. The Secretary of State must also publish a report each year on progress in the implementation of the local spending plan.
  • The Act also requires Central Government to publish long term action plans [ten years?] to promote sustainability of local communities. It gives every resident the right to make recommendations for that action plan through their principal council. It will require the Government to give reasons for not accepting any recommendations made by the principal councils.

Your priorities

With regard to making recommendations for community action plans, I would like to hear what your local priorities are.

If you were able to change how Central Government spent their money in your community, how and where would you spend it? Email me at hurdn@parliament.uk or write to me at House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.