Success for Sustainable Communities Act

3.00.00pm GMT Tue 30th Oct 2007

The Sustainable Communities Bill, first tabled by Julia Goldsworthy MP back in July 2005, has finally made it onto the Statute Books, as this year's Parliamentary Session draws to a close today.

The Act will empower local communities to judge for themselves what the priorities for their area should be, so that the problems of "Ghost Town Britain" can be successfully reversed.

For the first time, people will be able to know the total amount of public money that is spent in their areas, not just by local government but also by agencies and quangos, so that there can be clear dialogue and accountability in how that money is best spent.

Commenting, Julia Goldsworthy said:

"This Act will make a real difference in reversing the way that decisions are made on public spending. Instead of centralised decision making in Whitehall, which often has unintended consequences at the front line, local people will be able to have their say about what the priorities should be in their area.

"This is great news for Cornwall, where so many of our communities are threatened by Post Office closures, out of town shopping and poor transport links and the growth of second homes. It will now become much more difficult for Government to ignore these issues, and I am proud of the role I have played in getting this Bill made into law.

"I have written to DCLG asking them to implement the Sustainable Communities Act as soon as possible. I have also written to the Chief Executives of Cornwall County Council and the Districts, asking that they do all they can to ensure that the new Cornwall Council is one of the first to take up the measures available to authorities and that they do this as soon as they can."

ENDS