STOPPED: Local Democracy, Communities and Development
We are holding a series of seminars on Local Democracy, Communities and Development during June and July 2009. These will consider the new Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 plus updates on the work of the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority since they started work in December 2008.
Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009
This Act is likely to become law in the spring and gives local people new rights to shape local services and gives greater responsibility to local authorities to promote economic development helping communities respond to local challenges. The Act includes:
- A Duty to promote democracy : The duty will ensure councils raise awareness of their work and services so people can find out and understand how decisions are made, how to make their voice heard and how to stand for a civic role
- A Duty on local authorities to respond to petitions : Designed to improve transparency in local decision-making and the extent to which citizens feel able to influence local decisions
- Extending the duty to involve : Growing evidence highlights that involving citizens in local decisions and services affecting them is an effective way of driving up performance
- Providing funding for a National Tenant Voice : To ensure tenants' views are central to decision-making processes, particularly of the Tenant Services Authority
- Strengthening overview and scrutiny : To boost capacity and raise awareness of overview and scrutiny through the creation of a scrutiny officer and broadening the scope of what joint overview and scrutiny committees can consider
- Other implications: Making the Boundary Committee for England and independent body and separate from the Electoral Commission; A Duty on local authorities to undertake an economic assessment of their area; A New Regional Strategy for each English region (except London); New powers to create 'Economic Prosperity Boards'; Allowing the creation of Multi Area Agreements with statutory duties
Updates on the work of the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority
The 2008 Housing and Regeneration Act established the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority. This session will provide an update on the work of both bodies including: Progress with the Homes & Communities Agency’s single conversation, New funding programmes being promoted by the Homes & Communities Agency, How the Homes & Communities Agency is responding to the ‘credit crunch’, The Tenant Services Authority’s national conversation with tenants, Draft Tenant Services Authority standards, How will local authority housing be regulated after April 2010? How are housing associations responding to the credit crunch and the Tenant Services Authority’s response?
The course is accompanied by a very useful guide written exclusively for the course by Stephen Harriott entitled: “Local Democracy, Communities and Development”
Event Location(s)
Sorry, we have no more events currently planned for this course.
