This document discusses ways to enhance local democracy and devolve more power to local governments in England. It suggests increasing financial autonomy through business rates retention and new funding streams. It also proposes new ways for local communities to participate in decision making, such as through e-petitions, webcasting meetings, and local referendums. Further, it advocates decreasing bureaucracy by challenging local authorities and incentivizing innovation among officials. The overall goal is to improve the sense of community and make local government more transparent.

1. Enhancing Local Democracy
17 January 2012
Richard Carr, Steven Howell, Dominic Rustecki
Councillor Tim Cheetham (LGA)
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2. About Localis
• Independent think tank
• New solutions to achieve a significant
devolution of power to local government and
local areas
• Innovative and evidence based research
targeted at the policy community, local
authorities, and wider public sphere
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3. Welcome to Councillor Tim Cheetham
• Cabinet Member for
Development, Environment and Culture
(Strategy, Programmes and Projects) –
Barnsley Council
• Member – LGA Improvement Board
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4. Local Government in England –
current context
• 2010 General Election (and therefore move from
Labour to Conservative/Liberal Democrat ethos)
• Impact of present financial difficulties
• Getting more for less – Open Public Services
White Paper (greater choice for taxpayers,
diversification of service provision), strategic
commissioning
• Wellbeing Powers  General Power of
Competence
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5. Increasing power at the local level
• Devolving financial autonomy to local
authorities – Business rates retention, Tax
Increment Financing, Enterprise Zones, New
Homes Bonus. Return to the bond market?
• Local Enterprise Partnerships and bottom up
led growth
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6. Increasing power at the local level
• Stronger sector reputation
• Putting forward ideas, showing some
initiative, getting Central Government to listen
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7. Increasing power at the local level
• Community budget pilots/non-silo’ed
investment in targeted areas
– Essex
– London Tri-borough (Westminster, Kensington &
Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham)
– Cheshire West & Chester
– Greater Manchester (ten councils – cross party)
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8. Increasing power at the local level
• ‘Power to the people’ – planning proposals
– Councils as honest brokers
– Encourages trust from local people
– Organic growth
• Community Infrastructure Levy
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9. Increasing power at the local level
• Devolving power to the lowest possible level
• Rise of the Parish Council?
• Urban Parish Councils?
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10. Increasing power at the local level
• Lambeth co-operative
• Barnet, Surrey and Westminster’s Big Societies
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11. New ways to participate in decision
making at a local level
• ePetitions
• Webcasting meetings
• Consulting using social media
• Local referenda?
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12. New ways to participate in decision
making at a local level
• Mapping and reporting
– FixMyStreet
– FixMyTransport
– Love Lewisham / Westminster’s QR Codes (Nudge
Theory)
– Boston ‘Street Bump’ App
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13. Decreasing bureaucracy and static
structures on local level
• Future local government structures?
• Community Right to Challenge authorities on
service provision
• Shared services, management and no chief
executive?
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14. Decreasing bureaucracy and static
structures on local level
• Academies and free schools
• Big society
• Red tape challenge
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15. Incentives for officials to renew their
thinking and open up more for new ideas
• Appraising and pay bonuses to individuals and
departments based on ability to innovate
(Labour Party)
• Employ senior figures from private and
voluntary sector backgrounds in the civil
service?
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16. Incentives for officials to renew their
thinking and open up more for new ideas
• Greater use of secondments between local
government and central government?
• Central and local government to commission
outcomes from voluntary sector organisations
and allow such organisations to develop the
means of doing it?
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17. Improving the sense of
community in today’s society
• Big Society (and Blue Labour response)
• Capacity building in the voluntary sector
– Government fund (£500m)
• Neighbourhood planning
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18. Making Government more
transparent
• Open data
• Government business plans
• Government contracts (Open Public Services White Paper
stresses ‘accountability’)
• Who ministers are meeting (and influence of external
websites, Who’s Lobbying et al)
• Spending data (all over £500 for local government)
• Next steps?
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19. Making Government more
transparent
• Localism Act – community right to buy and right to
challenge; neighbourhood planning; elected mayors
• Councils and residents to determine what is needed
at a local level
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20. And finally... Trust!
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21. List of recent Localis works
• ‘Power to the People’ report
• ‘Commission Impossible’ report
• ‘Big Society’ pamphlet series
• ‘Enabling Communities’ policy platform
• Infrastructure (coming soon)
www.localis.org.uk
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