Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Sustainable Communities Act 2007
Last year a new piece of legislation received royal assent. In a nutshell, it's about encouraging initiatives by central governement through consulting locally and with residents given a key role.
By October 2008 the government must ask every council to submit suggestions of ways that it can help residents and local authrities make communities more sustainable. Local authorities must ask residents' opinions of what these suggestions should be.
The usual meaningless consultation? – wrong! Your council now has a legal duty to set up citizens panels (drawn from all sections of the community – not just the usual suspects!) and then to try to reach agreement with those panels on suggestions you make and then submit them to the government; and the government has a legal duty to co-operate with local authorities and try to reach agreement on what action it will take on the suggestions. This is the first major reversal in the power structure (whereby all decisions are made in Whitehall) that has ever been enshrined in law. This is a new bottom-up process we fought so hard for, so that the policies to create sustainable communities will be driven by you and your fellow citizens, not by civil servants in Whitehall.
So we all need to keep an eye on how Haringey will deal with this and ensure that we're properly involved.
By October 2008 the government must ask every council to submit suggestions of ways that it can help residents and local authrities make communities more sustainable. Local authorities must ask residents' opinions of what these suggestions should be.
The usual meaningless consultation? – wrong! Your council now has a legal duty to set up citizens panels (drawn from all sections of the community – not just the usual suspects!) and then to try to reach agreement with those panels on suggestions you make and then submit them to the government; and the government has a legal duty to co-operate with local authorities and try to reach agreement on what action it will take on the suggestions. This is the first major reversal in the power structure (whereby all decisions are made in Whitehall) that has ever been enshrined in law. This is a new bottom-up process we fought so hard for, so that the policies to create sustainable communities will be driven by you and your fellow citizens, not by civil servants in Whitehall.
So we all need to keep an eye on how Haringey will deal with this and ensure that we're properly involved.
Tags for Forum Posts: consultation, haringey, sustainable communities, sustainable communities act
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Hugh on
-
Mmm.......so we're now at April. In six months' time Haringey need to have consulted with the community and responded to the Government. I've heard nothing. Are they cutting it tight or what?
-
Permalink Reply by Liz on
-
Dropped a line to my councillors to ask them to help us with this. As they will be part of this process, they should be able to tell us what is happening.
Dear Councillors,
Following the passing of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, it is now a requirement of central government to provide for the implementation of local sustainability strategies that communities will be invited to draw up themselves together with their councils in a participatory not consultative process. By October 2008 the government must ask every council to submit suggestions of ways that it can help residents and local authorities make communities more sustainable. Local authorities must ask residents' opinions of what these suggestions should be.
Therefore I am writing to ask you to find out what steps are currently being taken by the council to begin this process and how it will be communicated to residents.
(with apologies for cribbing from your write up a bit)
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
