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Strong Local Voice, Strong Local ChampionAnnette Brooke, Lib Dem MP for Mid Dorset & North Poole |
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Campaigners Congratulate Annette Brooke MP for Supporting Dorset’s Communities
June 27, 2012 1:18 PM
Local Works, a coalition of over 100 national organisations including Age UK, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Women's Institute, have congratulated Annette Brooke MP for supporting Dorset's communities in Parliament.
The Mid Dorset and North Poole MP spoke passionately at a Parliamentary debate about the long government delays to improving the Sustainable Communities Act. In response, Communities Minister, Greg Clark, promised he would make the improvements within days, and now has done.
This means that Dorset's communities and councils can now use the Sustainable Communities Act to help improve or protect their areas. The Act can be used to do things like restrict second homes, protect local Post Offices, shops, pubs and other services, increase local recycling and renewable energy and even change the planning rules.
The Act creates a 'bottom-up' process that puts local people in the driving seat on the actions government takes to help local areas. It became law after a five year grass roots mobilisation campaign by Local Works.
The legislation requires councils and central government to go further than merely consulting Dorset citizens on what demands for action will be put to the government. There is a legal duty on councils and government to try to reach agreement with community representatives. Trying to reach agreement means dialogue and discussion where the final decision is taken together between local people and council, and then between the councils and government.
Local Works have heralded the Act as a radical departure from the usual 'top-down' way of doing things and the first truly 'bottom-up' process the country has ever had. The campaigning group are now encouraging Dorset's communities and councils to get involved in the Act.
Steve Shaw, National Co-ordinator of Local Works, said:
"We congratulate Annette Brooke for successfully pressing the government to make needed improvements to the Sustainable Communities Act so that the people in Dorset and communities across the country can use it to help improve, or protect, their villages, towns and cities."
Mid Dorset and North Poole MP, Annette Brooke said:
"Many local people, civic societies and town and parish councils are concerned about community decline, for example the risk of losing a much loved local landmark or playing field. The Sustainable Communities Act gives local people in Dorset the power to drive the action Government takes to help the places where they live, work and play. I will do all I can to ensure the Act helps local communities."