East Surrey MP Peter Ainsworth is backing radical proposals aimed at halting the decline of communities.
The Sustainable Communities Bill, put forward by Nick Hurd, Member of Parliament for Ruislip-Northwood, has cross-party support and seeks to tackle the problem of "ghost towns" signalled by the loss of post offices, vital public transport links and other local services including village shops.
The legislation would see the transfer of power to local communities and give council taxpayers a greater say on how their money is spent. It would also require the Government to provide local authorities with an annual account of how public money is spent in their area, and give town halls new powers to redirect the cash towards residents' priorities.
Peter Ainsworth said of the Bill:
“I am pleased that Nick has chosen to sponsor this Bill, having come top in the annual ballot of Private Members Bills. A year ago I spoke at a public meeting in Caterham to highlight the importance of having a Bill so I am delighted that, thanks to Nick, it has such a good chance of becoming law”.
Mr Ainsworth went on to say:
“The proposals contained within this Bill will reduce the reach of Whitehall and its unelected quangos by imposing burdens on government, rather than the other way around and significantly increase the power of local government and local people to decide how their communities look, feel and run”.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1) The Sustainable Communities Bill was drafted in conjunction with Local Works. Local Works is a cross-party campaign, supported by over 20,000 individuals, 1,000 local councils, 300 local organisations and 77 national organisations. http://www.localworks.org
2) The text of the new Sustainable Communities Bill can be found at:
http://www.conservatives.com/pdf/sustainablecommunitiesbill.pdf
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