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A New Law That Could Save Your Local
From a CAMRA Press Release
Hazel Blears, secretary of state for communities and
local government has invited councils to “opt in” to a
radical new law - the Sustainable Communities Act.
CAMRA is leading a national coalition of organisations,
ranging from the Association of Chief Police Officers to
the Womens' Institute, who have written to the leaders
and chief executives of every council in England, asking
them to seize this opportunity.
The Act enables councils and their communities
working co-operatively to get government help to assist
them in reversing the decline of services and amenities
such as local pubs, post offices and bus services, but also
on dealing with fuel poverty, protecting the environment
and obtaining greater involvement in civic activity. The
government then has a legal duty to reach agreement with
councils on how it will help them.
Originally a Private Members Bill introduced by a
cross-party coalition of MPs led by Nick Hurd MP, the Act
became law last November with full support from the
government and the Conservative and Liberal Democrat
front benches.
In the Commons third reading debate, the then local
government minister Phil Woolas described it as one of the
most significant Private Members' Bills of the past 40 years
and said that it could change the face of British politics.
Welcoming Hazel Blears' invitation to councils,
CAMRA's chief executive, Mike Benner said: “The Act
could not have come at a more crucial time. The global
economic downturn will hit pubs and brewers hard and also
have a huge impact on our local communities.
Decimated
“Local high streets are likely to be decimated as outlets are
forced to close. CAMRA has brought together a huge
coalition of very diverse citizen organisations who all want
one thing - thriving and prosperous communities.
“If local communities are to weather this storm, they
will need far more autonomy than they currently have.
Local people are the experts on the problems of their areas
and the solutions to them.
“Yet currently they are at the complete mercy of the
global stock exchange. The Sustainable Communities Act
will give real power to local people to protect and revive
their areas."
Reproduced from the Full Pint, Issue 48.
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