Government promises community control as ‘new dawn' Bill introduced
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which will receive its first reading in the House of Commons on Thursday, includes what is described as 'radical reset of local government' and protections for local businesses, as well as measures to enable strategic collaboration across wider areas on issues such as transport.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the Bill provides a 'new dawn of regional power' that will 'rebalance decade old divides'.
Among a range of measures, the Bill would introduce a 'community right to buy' through which communities have the first option to purchase local assets such as pubs and shops that are placed on the market.
Clauses in commercial leases which enforce 'upward only' rent reviews will be banned in a bid to keep small businesses afloat, helping to end the 'blight of vacant high streets' and anti-social behaviour.
The Bill would also establish a new requirement for councils to put in place 'effective neighbourhood governance' aimed at giving local people a direct say in decisions about their areas.
As part of boosting the powers available to regional mayors, they will be responsible for developing local economic plans and gain control over licensing for e-bikes and planning decisions to 'set the direction of growth'.
Mayors will also be able to impose 'development orders' to speed up developments, while new 'mayoral development corporations' are intended to streamline implementation and attract investment.
In a push to restore taxpayers' trust in council spending, the Government has also pledged to address long delays in the process of local authority financial audits.
As previously announced, a Local Audit Office will be established to 'increase transparency, simplify and streamline the system'.
Ms Rayner said: 'We were elected on a promise of change, not just for a few areas cherry-picked by a Whitehall spreadsheet, but for the entire country.
'It was never going to be easy to deliver the growth our country desperately needed with the inheritance we were dumped with.
'But that's why we are opting to devolve not dictate and delivering a Bill that will rebalance decade old divides and empower communities.
'We're ushering in a new dawn of regional power and bringing decision making to a local level so that no single street or household is left behind and every community thrives from our Plan for Change.'
Local government minister Jim McMahon said power concentrated in Westminster and Whitehall has left councils 'frustrated and diminished'.
He added: 'This failed approach has held back growth across our country for far too long.
'Local people see this in the job market, on the high street and in their own household security and prosperity.
'Devolution begins the work of fixing that, with this Bill delivering freedom to local leaders to make decisions for their local areas in partnership with local communities, unleashing more growth and more opportunities for people as part of our Plan for Change.'
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