Agenda item

Zoe Burns, Head of Neighbourhood Management and Business Support, will be talking about how you can get involved in the Sustainable Communities Act.

Zoë Burns, Head of Neighbourhood Management and Business Support, gave a presentation about the Sustainable Communities Act.

1. The Sustainable Communities Act is a lobbying Act that seeks the ideas of residents to potentially generate new powers for local authorities. It’s basic principle is sustainability, and it is informed by the idea that local people are best informed to know what is required in their local communities. The Act has a broad definition of sustainability, encompassing economic, social and environmental factors.

2. While the overall consultation process is quite complex, it has been simplified by using ward committee meetings, parish councils, community organisations and online surveys to solicit ideas. Ideas and suggestions then come to the council and are examined by experts in various fields, explored in greater detail by citizen panels and Local Strategic Partnership, and then passed to central government through the Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA will explore common themes that emerge from consultations across the country and pass the information to central government who must produce an action plan.    

3. Proposals should relate to powers that are currently held by central government and that promote the idea of sustainable communities. Some issues that might be addressed by the Act include: the local authority could ask for the power to retain a greater portion of rent from council housing; business rates could go back into the local economy; lobby to generate power locally.

4. In order to develop ideas to pass onto the LGA, the deadline for initial suggestions is May 8, 2009. Apologies were made for the very short timescale.  Suggestions can be made by filling in a form that is available from the Neighbourhood Management Unit, completing the online survey at the council website, or by emailing shapingneighbourhoods@york.gov.uk.   

5. There have been over 200 suggestions already, including local issues which we can already tackle and will look at.  Examples of the kinds of suggestions we have received involve allotments, compulsory purchase of unused building, bus routes, local energy generation and changes to planning requirements.

6. This may happen again, although it is not yet clear whether it is an annual process or not.

Residents were given the opportunity to ask questions:

Q: Is this being funded within the council’s budget or from central government?

A:  It depends which proposals go forward. Some could actually be money-making, for example all rent collected from housing being put back in to the local council.  It is hard to say as it is not clear yet how central government will handle the suggestions.

Q: Could money gained from tourism all go back in to the council’s funds?

A: Yes, as long as it falls within the sustainability criteria.

Q: What time is the deadline tomorrow and how am I able to suggest something?  If I post a suggestion tomorrow will it still be counted.

A: Yes we will count votes which we receive from Micklegate up until Monday afternoon, in light of the fact that your meeting is a day before the deadline.

Q: How will the Citizens’ panel be selected?

A: It is likely to be similar to the Talk About panel, which is self-selecting.  We must ensure that under-represented groups are represented.  If you want to be involved in the group someone from Neighbourhood Management would be happy to take your details.

Q: Cllr Gunnell asked whether the council had any process by which feedback could be given, either to individuals, city-wide, or by ward.

A: Many people have given information anonymously by post-its on the boards at ward committee meetings, so unfortunately they will not be able to get individual feedback.  However, the online forms ask for details so we will be able to send feedback to these individuals. We are considering coming to the next round of ward committee meeting to feedback on a ward basis.  The end results will also be publicly viewable city-wide.