GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ON LOCALISM BILL

The Government has today launched its Localism Bill, which will have major impacts on council services. This is just a snapshot and we will be doing further work over the next week to draw out the implications for Sutton.

Sutton has long been committed to involving the local community in decisions that affect them, and our status as one of the Big Society vanguard areas is recognition of this. The Bill will allow us to build on this work by further devolving power and give us more flexibility so that we can work with local people to deliver the services they want.

The main proposals in the Bill show that:

• Councils have a “general power of competence”, allowing them to do anything not specifically banned

• Councils will be allowed to return to the committee structure if they want

• Councils will have to publish a senior pay policy statement

• Councils will be given the power to set business rates, and borrow against future income

• Councils will also be given the power to decide who should qualify to go on their housing waiting list

• Residents will be given the power to start local referendums on any local issue and the power to veto excessive council tax increases

• Community groups will have a “right to challenge”, meaning they can apply to run local services

• Communities will be given the right to buy community assets if they are up for sale like libraries and shops

• Neighbourhoods will be given the right to permit development in their areas without the need for planning applications

• Developers planning large schemes will have to consult with the community before submitting a planning application

• London councils will be given control over more of the major local planning decisions that affect their local communities. The Mayor of London will only consider the largest planning applications in future

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