From the Local Works website which campaigns to get the Sustainable Communities Act implemented:
The Sustainable Communities Act recently became law due to a huge campaign effort by the Local Works coalition. Now that we have this fantastic new law a ‘bottom up’ process has been set up and can be used by you, your communities and councils to protect and promote local shops, services, trade and the environment, devolve powers and potentially even trigger new legislation.
However,
councils must choose to use the new powers before communities can and in London so far only a handful of councils have done so. Please come to our public meeting and hear how the Act works and how you can help ensure all London’s councils choose to use it!
* Sustainable Communities Act – Tuesday 10th February 2009, The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House, Parliament, Victoria Embankment, Westminster SW1A 2LW
LONDON wide public meeting in Westminster - Tue 10th Feb 2009
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Venue: The Boothroyd Room, 1st Floor, Portcullis House, Parliament, Victoria Embankment, Westminster, London SW1A 2LW
Chair: Mike Benner (CAMRA - the Campaign for Real Ale Chief Executive)
Speakers:
* INVITED - Hazel Blears MP (Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) - INVITED
* Oliver Letwin MP (Chairman of the Conservative Policy Review)
* Julia Goldsworthy MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government)
* John Wright (Federation of Small Businesses National Chairman)
* Hugh Lanning (Public and Commercial Services Union Deputy General Secretary)
* Ron Bailey (Unlock Democracy Campaigns Director)
It will come as no surprise to learn that according to this
this map Haringey have not opted into the Act, being content I think with their current system of neighbourhoods and area assemblies which some of us feel are dying on their feet at least around here and do not represent a bottom up process. If the meeting is not convenient (GRA AGM that night) there is a sample letter on the site to help you write to the council urging their participation.
http://www.localworks.org/