Liberal Democrat Christian Forum - A Sustainable Future for our Communities

A Sustainable Future for our Communities

Written by Julia Goldsworthy
Sunday, 05 August 2007
Julia Goldsworthy, MP for Falmouth and Camborne and Lib Dem Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, explains the importance of the Sustainable Communities Bill, and the difficulties in getting it through Parliament. For readers who have seen a local school, shop or post office close, the notion of ‘ghost town’ Britain will be familiar. And with the pace of change increasing every year, it is not surprising that many communities feel their needs are being overlooked by a centrally controlling government. That is why I presented the Sustainable Communities Bill to Parliament and am co-sponsoring it through the Committee Stage. I believe it is vital that local communities are empowered to recognise and deal with their own problems. Many of our communities are becoming increasingly unsustainable. In my Cornish constituency, ever rising numbers of second homes have fuelled rapid house price inflation. The direct result is that more homes are put out of reach of working families and the stock of local housing is reduced. There are also knock on effects. Since many houses stand empty for long periods of time, there is insufficient support for local shops and post offices. Village schools are threatened by falling rolls. Public transport is used less and the residents who remain are left isolated. British people feel that they have lost control of their communities and have little influence over centralised decisions that affect their way of life. It is clear that our communities – especially in rural and peripheral areas – are becoming increasingly unsustainable socially, environmentally and economically. This Bill would protect local communities from poor decisions made in London. I can think of many examples where greater local empowerment could make a significant positive difference. It would make sure that our Post Office network was recognised and supported. It would enable housing policy to be determined more locally and more accountably, so that working families could afford to live in the villages where they grew up and their children could attend the local school, keeping the community alive and giving it a viable future. But these are just examples of changes that I personally would like to see. The Bill would allow everyone to have their say. Local authorities would be ultimately responsible for delivering these policies, but they would be required to engage local individuals and organisations in participation. And the Secretary of State would need to support our local authorities in meeting these goals. Instead of a centrally driven, ‘one size fits all’ approach, local knowledge would be accorded the importance it deserves. This Bill has a high level of support, with the endorsement of more than 80 national organisations, including Friends of the Earth and the Disability Rights Commission. Within Parliament there is a crossparty consensus in its favour – including many Labour MPs. It was therefore disappointing that the Government tabled amendments designed to ‘wreck’ the Bill at the first Committee meeting. In communities across the country it is clear that people want a greater say in how their town or village is run. They are desperate for public services that reflect their needs and for decisions to be taken that fully consider the wishes of local people. The Sustainable Communities Bill would do this and I will continue to do all I can to get it onto the Statute Book. To follow the progress of the Bill through Parliament follow this link.

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