Futures Forum: LOCALISM restated >>> "Power should be decentralised down to the lowest appropriate level - to councils, to community groups and to individual taxpayers"
... because this seems to be what people want:
Futures Forum: "An overwhelming majority of people want a bigger say over the development of their communities, and the benefits of successful localism would be huge: the planning process could be used to tackle wider societal challenges such as ageing, economic growth and environmental degradation, as well as engage communities about the issues that really matter to them."
It is now offering more funding:
£6 million new funding to give communities even greater local control - Press releases - GOV.UK
This has been welcomed in the 'civic' press:
Government announce £6m funding to Community Rights programme
Finance | Hugh Radojev | 18 Feb 2015
The government has awarded £6m worth of new funding for a programme to support local groups to use Community Rights and to take over and manage local assets.
Contracts have been won by a large number of local charities. The main winners are Locality, Co-operatives UK and The Community Development Foundation (CDF).
Contracts include management and support of the use of a new set of Community Rights introduced in the Localism Act 2012, as well as responsibility for advice services, economic development and grant giving.
DCLG said the funding will “help more local groups run key community assets, employing local people, keeping money circulating within their neighbourhood’s economy and providing valuable services for their communities.”
Locality chief executive Tony Armstrong said: “thanks to this new DCLG contract, we are able to continue and expand our support and our dedicated and knowledgeable team will help more and more communities gain control of their neighbourhood’s future by taking over and running their much-loved local buildings.”
Stephen Williams MP, who made the announcement yesterday, said that the extra monies would supplement the £22.5m worth of funding already made available since the scheme begun in 2012.
“The 3,000 uses of the rights so far is proof that communities are revolutionising the way their neighbourhoods work and this further commitment will ensure the Community Rights movement goes from strength to strength.”
The government, Locality and its partner organisations are hoping for the new funding to help them to offer COMA programme to an extra 150 communities.
Government announce £6m funding to Community Rights programmeLaura Sharman 18 February 2015
Cash boost for Community Rights programme
The Community Rights programme has been given a £6m funding boost to help people protect local assets and drive forward new developments.
The funding will help 50 local authority and community partnerships to transfer assets into community ownership, as well as supporting 100 more neighbourhoods to use the Our Place approach and develop Community Action Plans.
From March the programme will focus on sharing support through a network of communities, with a new website and phone line offering advice.
Communities minister, Stephen Williams, also awarded six new contracts to support communities in using the Community Rights in 2015 to 2016.
Mr Williams said: ‘This government has trusted local people and given them new rights, introduced by the Localism Act, so they decide how to run their community.
‘Real innovation and impact does not come from the old ways of working but from new ideas, new collaborations, new partnerships and most of all from local people who have the best knowledge.’
Cash boost for Community Rights programme - LocalGov
Feb17
Locality wins contracts to help more communities take control
We’re delighted to announce we will be supporting more local people to create the neighbourhoods they want to live in, thanks to new funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government.
The new combined funding of around £32 million from the DCLG will allow us to offer free advice, grants and a learning network to support communities to use the Community Rights and other opportunities.
The new funding will help support:
• Neighbourhoods to tackle important local issues from after school activities to health priorities through the Our Place programme
• 100 new communities to take the first steps in identifying important local issues and developing Community Action Plans
• More and faster transfers of community assets from councils into community ownership
• More local groups to shape the development of their neighboutrhoods and draw up neighbourhood plans
• 100 new communities to take the first steps in identifying important local issues and developing Community Action Plans
• More and faster transfers of community assets from councils into community ownership
• More local groups to shape the development of their neighboutrhoods and draw up neighbourhood plans
These new contracts are:
Advice Service and Network
Community Economic Development
Community Ownership and Management of Assets
First Steps and Our PlaceNeighbourhood Planning and Community Right to Build
Advice Service and Network
Community Economic Development
Community Ownership and Management of Assets
First Steps and Our PlaceNeighbourhood Planning and Community Right to Build
Locality will be working with Co-operatives UK who are leading on the Community Economic Development programme and Groundwork who are leading the grant administration, also the Community Development Foundation – joint lead on the Advice Service and Networks programme, along with an extensive network of partners.
As part of the support programme, the mycommunity.org.uk website will launch in early March including the My Community network with advice for communities wanting to take up the new opportunities.
Tony Armstrong Chief Executive Officer of Locality said:
“Locality and partners are very proud to be running the new Community Rights programmes. The support and funding available to communities gives us the opportunity to reach many more people and build on the successes of past programmes. We’ll be helping groups to take over local buildings and land such as pubs, sports centres and community facilities, to shape and deliver public services, and to develop neighbourhood plans.
“Locality and partners are very proud to be running the new Community Rights programmes. The support and funding available to communities gives us the opportunity to reach many more people and build on the successes of past programmes. We’ll be helping groups to take over local buildings and land such as pubs, sports centres and community facilities, to shape and deliver public services, and to develop neighbourhood plans.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get started and in some of the most deprived communities. There is so much inspiring work in communities, we see it every day through the activities of our members. We will create a widespread network for learning, with community champions inspiring others to take local action – improving people’s lives and creating thriving neighbourhoods.”
Stephen Williams MP said:
“This Government has trusted local people and given them new rights, introduced by the Localism Act, so they decide how to run their community.
“This Government has trusted local people and given them new rights, introduced by the Localism Act, so they decide how to run their community.
“Real innovation and impact does not come from the old ways of working but from new ideas, new collaborations, new partnerships and most of all from local people who have the best knowledge.
“The 3,000 uses of the rights so far is proof that communities are revolutionising the way their neighbourhoods work and this further commitment will ensure the Community Rights movement goes from strength to strength.”
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