Community Rights BillPolicy Leads – 26th May 2011

Andy Wright(Head of Corporate Policy & Research)

Today’s Agenda

1. Introduction to Community Rights

• Right to Buy• Right to Build• Right to Challenge

2. Community Rights Project

• “Community Rights Made Real”• Project objectives

3. How you can get involved

The Community Right to

• Buy

• Build

• Challenge

Introduced in the Localism Bill published in December2010. It is a key part of the Government's Localism and BigSociety agenda. If enacted the bill will provide new rights forlocal communities and seek to devolve power to localpeople.

What are ‘Community Rights’?

The Right to Buy

• Local communities will be given new powers to bid to take over land and

buildings threatened with closure.

• It covers assets only and under it communities may bid to take over a

building but would need to use the Community Right to Challenge if

they wish to take over the service that operates from the building.

• Community groups will be entitled to nominate public or private assets to

be included on the local authority's list of assets of community value.

• The community will be given extended time to prepare to buy assets at

the going rate (i.e. on the open market).

The Right to Build

• Communities can take forward developments for new homes, shops and facilities in their area

• Community organisations can go ahead with developments which have overwhelming community support (50% in a referendum), without the need for planning permission

• It would not be possible to use the proposed Right to Build to expand communities by more than 10 per cent in a 10-year period.

• Schemes can only be brought forward by established community groups with a regulatory body (e.g. Charity Commission).

The Right to Challenge

• Communities will be given the ability to register an interest to bid to take over a local public service which they would like to run better or differently.

• It gives local people more of a say in how local services are run and empowers them to challenge and hold local authorities to account.

• Voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, parish councils and relevant local authority staff are given the right to submit an expression of interest to bid to run a local authority service.

• It applies to services run by local authorities, but it may be extended to include services run by other public bodies

Community Rights Project

‘Community Rights Made Real’

This project aims to enable community groups to take advantage of the new opportunities being created and will investigate local needs, circumstance, capacity and aspiration in Dudley to use community rights.

Urban Forum will carry out this work with Dudley CVS, Stronger Communities Steering Group and other partners. Evidence gained will be the basis for recommendation to DCLG to inform policy and practice in the future.

Project Aims

The project will work with local groups in Dudley to:

• Assess current levels of awareness & needs to support take up of rights.

• Raise awareness of opportunities being created via practical information

• Map current situation & potential for community rights activity

• Co-design and develop with partners a community rights action plan

• Capture learning on needs, solutions, barriers and success factors

How will the rights affect me?

Affected

You may find yourself being in the role of the …

Adviser

Enabler

Service Providers

Service Users

Local Communities

Provide Funding

Engagement

Partnership working

Provide Information

Signpost

Staff Support

How can you get involved?

• Tell us your reaction to the rights

• Which services in your directorate are most likely to be affected?

• In what ways might it affect them?

• How might they respond?

• How can we support you?

Useful Links

Thank you for your time. If you wish to find out more about the

Community Rights Bills visit some of the links listed below.

• Localism Billhttp://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/decentralisation/localismbill/

• Right to Buyhttp://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/righttobuyconsultation.

• Right to Buildhttp://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_189548

• Right to Challengehttp://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/righttochallengeconsultation