COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (013) issued by The Government News Network
on 22 January 2008
COMMUNITIES
SECRETARY HAZEL BLEARS announced plans for new 'community
contracts' across England today - giving communities the
opportunity to agree deals and written guarantees with their
council on a wide range of service standards from tackling drug
dealing on estates, bin collection, clearing graffiti and street cleaning.
In a speech to the New Local Government Network she announced
'community contracts' between local communities and
their council that are to be piloted in twelve areas across the
country in Sunderland, Gateshead, Barnsley, Oldham, Lewisham,
King's Lynn, Blyth, Kirklees, Brighton, Manton, Kidderminster
and London's South Bank.
The contracts are voluntary agreements between local people and
town halls that will allow residents to set minimum standards,
bargain with councils for extra services and put in place checks
on quality.
She also called for a new debate raising the question of whether
in the future these should be extended and linked to new forms of
'redress' where services fall short.
Redress could range from an investigation into why service
standards have not been delivered, a right of written response or
a commitment from a council to rectify a problem for lower level
breaches to considering financial compensation, or funding to
correct the problem in the minority of cases of serious and
persistent failure.
In return, local people would be asked to play their part. For
example, in return for council pledges on improving parks,
clearing graffiti and tackling drug dealers, they will also be
able to negotiate commitments by local people who could agree to
report incidents of anti-social behaviour, maintain grass verges
or even takeover the running and management of some council services.
The proposal for voluntary contracts are part of what Ministers
have called a 'reinvention in the way govern', giving
local people greater say in their communities. Evidence shows
where people are fully involved and consulted satisfaction and
standards of local services rise.
There are a small number of areas in the country where the
approach is already working - for example, in Staffordshire
Moorlands through a local Community Pride Agreement that has
helped to cut arson, and improve both the reporting of crime and
people's confidence in local policing.
On a smaller scale in Peel Hall Manchester, 60 residents are
receiving free hanging baskets for the front of their houses in
return for agreeing to water them, and for their neighbours when
they are away.
Announcing the pilots and new guidance to councils on how to
establish local contracts or 'charters', Hazel Blears
also said exploring methods of redress when standards are not met
would ensure greater accountability to local people.
Hazel Blears said:
"There isn't a single service or
development in Britain which hasn't been improved by actively
involving local people who are best placed to spot problems and
come up with ideas to solve them, whether its tackling anti-social
behaviour or litter, or providing more services at a time people
want them.
"Charters or so-called 'community contracts' will
help councils, police and health authorities and local people to
work together in tackling the issues that matter, improving their
local neighbourhoods and improve public satisfaction.
"Areas right across the country coming forward to sign local
contracts with their community. Those who really believe in
delivering for the people they serve should also have the
confidence to commit to some form of redress if those agreements
are broken.
"People rightly expect a good standard of service and
redress when things go wrong. When trains are delayed they know
they are entitled to refunds or compensation. Improving
transparency for other public services on a similar scale will not
only improve standards but will also increase confidence in local democracy."
Local services have continued to improve in recent years: last
year, 79 per cent of all councils received either a good or
excellent rating, up from 66 per cent in 2006, and just a half in
2001. Redress schemes will help to ensure that persistent failure
can be tackled quickly and effectively.
Research shows involving local people more closely in decisions
is closely linked to satisfaction with council services. In 2005,
70 per cent of those who agreed that they could influence local
decisions, also said they trusted the local council, compared to
nearly half of people who said they did not think they could
influence local decisions.
Notes to Editors
The new guidance How to develop a local charter: A guide for
local authorities is published today and available here: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/localcharters
The new guidance will encourage and show councils how to get more
people involved in local decision-making on a variety of issues,
from tackling anti-social behaviour to maintaining parks and open spaces.
Each charter will be tailored to local needs and expectations and
differ in name, scope and size, from agreements across a range of
services to small scale, single issue brochures. Typically, the
local agreements might include:
* Written statements, pledges or targets from local service
providers setting the quality of local council, NHS, fire and
police services. The agreements might set out a list of
'must-have' services and clear expectations on service
opening times.
* Community pacts - charters setting agreements for individual
residents to take on jobs traditionally carried out by the local
council, such as mowing grass verges, in exchange for extra local
authority services elsewhere, including more regular refuse disposal.
* Monitoring agreements - arrangements where local resident
volunteers, or 'neighbourhood champions' monitor the
performance of services as a means of improving satisfaction.
* Resident takeovers - charters allowing co-ops of local people
to take-over the running and management of some services. Town or
Parish Councils, as well as residents associations and community
groups will be able to bid to deliver specific services.
* Roles and responsibilities - brochures spelling out the roles
and responsibilities of local service providers, such as the
council, Primary Care Trust or Registered Social Landlord, as well
as information on services, such as response rates and contact details
Community groups, Parish Councils or residents associations will
be free to request or broker the charters, drawing on their
knowledge of local concerns and links with local people.
Councils will also be encouraged to engage with
'hard-to-reach' groups and ensure that charters reflect
the views of local people.
News Releases: http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsroom