NLGN responds to new Decentralisation and Localism Bill

May 26, 2010

Commenting on the announcement in the Queen’s Speech of a new Decentralisation and Localism Bill, independent think-tank the New Local Government Network (NLGN) welcomed the “direction of travel” of the legislation but urged the Government to “focus as much on local financial reform as political change”.

NLGN Acting Director, Anna Turley said:

“There is a ‘fresh broom’ feeling to this legislation and certain elements like the General Power of Competence will undoubtedly help to devolve power from the centre to local councils. It is something on which NLGN has been campaigning for some time, and it will free up local authorities to engage in new activities and approaches to support their local economies and communities.The direction of travel is broadly pro-localist although we are disappointed to see the inclusion of council tax referendums which will do little to promote a new sense of financial freedom at the local level.”

“Moreover, as we highlighted in our 2009 analysis of Conservative policy, ‘Control Shift: Alt, Insert or Delete?’, significant questions remain as to whether removing Regional Spatial Strategies and reforming RDAs will hamper cross-authority decision making and make decisions on large infrastructure projects more difficult to agree on.”

“We do however very much welcome the promise of greater financial autonomy for local government and hope that this will lead to councils being able to diversify their income streams and have greater influence over driving their local economies. Coupled with the promised review into local government finance, we hope that the Government’s decentralisation agenda will focus as much on local financial reform as political change.”

“As a starting point we very much welcome many of the ideas set out in this Bill. Having decentralisation such a key theme throughout the Queen’s Speech is to be welcomed in itself. The challenge for the new Government is now to show how local authorities can be a key driver in delivering the new kind of politics favoured by the new administration”.


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