(CLG) Blears: community clout crucial to combat downturn

Local communities will be the driving force behind the UK's recovery from global downturn, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said today.

In a speech to Parliament she argued that local people must be given a stronger voice and a greater say in the decisions that affect them - those communities who work closest together are likely to emerge the strongest.

The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill, which has had its second reading in the Commons today, will strengthen local democracy and support councils and local people in working together to increase jobs, skills, housing and improve infrastructure, to help them to move beyond the downturn.

The Bill will create new local blueprints to increase prosperity, and tackle social deprivation and inequality in all parts of England. Councils will get a stronger economic role that expects them to work closely with regional partners to deliver economic growth. Regional planning is to be streamlined.

The Bill will also place a new duty on councils to promote local democracy and ensure all sections of their community understand how the council and other public bodies work, who makes the decisions and how they can get involved.

Councils will also be required to respond to local petitions on the issues that are of most importance to their local communities.

Hazel Blears said:

"A tough economy is affecting different parts of the country in different ways and to differing degrees. The downturn may be global, but the solution is local.

"It's vital that councils have the freedom, flexibility and ability to support their local communities. That's why we are giving councils new powers to address the economic challenges they face, so people in their area can have the right skills and opportunities to make the most of the upturn when it comes.

"And by giving people a greater say in local decision-making, councils will focus on the issues that matter most to them."

The Local Democracy Bill builds on government reforms to devolve more power to local leaders, in the 2006 Strong and Prosperous Communities White Paper, and last year's Communities in Control White Paper.

A new report published today to coincide with the Bill's second reading highlights the progress already being made to strengthen communities and empower citizens.

Over the past year alone, key achievements include:

* Signing off 150 Local Area Agreements;

* Announcing plans for a new fund to encourage the setting up of at least 20 new young mayors across the country;

* Publishing a new strategy for participatory budgeting, so more people have a say on how public money is spent; and

* Launching a new Asset Transfer Unit, to help councils and other public bodies transfer more buildings into community ownership.

An independent study also published today examines the various ways in which local people can be empowered and encouraged to participate in their local communities - endorsing the many measures being taken forward, including participatory budgeting, asset transfer and offering formal responses to petitions.