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Winchester T: 01962 893 893 F: 01962 893 883
London T: 020 7812 6490 F: 020 7812 6677
info@remarkable-engagement.co.uk
Find out more about Localism visit localism-agenda.com
The Big Society, the idea that formed the centre piece of David Cameron's election manifesto, was fleshed out last week at a launch event in Liverpool.
Though many party activists and grandees within the Conservative party apparently remain skeptical and privately wish the prime minister would stick to more traditional Conservative issues, Mr Cameron signalled his intention to push on with its creation, denying that he had been forced to re-launch it after it failed initially to catch on.
Speaking at the event last week, Mr Cameron described the big society as a "really big idea, a really exciting future for our country". He outlined that it would include local groups being able to run post offices, libraries, transport services and, importantly for the property industry, helping to shape housing projects.
Mr Cameron said that the schemes would be funded by dormant bank accounts, and described it as a "big advance for people power".
The project will initially be trialed in four parts of the UK - Liverpool; Eden Valley, Cumbria; Windsor and Maidenhead; and the London borough of Sutton. Among the first projects is the building of a renewable energy project in Cumbria.
Also announced last week were plans to allow villages to build homes without seeking planning permission.
The "Community Right to Build" initiative - launched last week by the Department for Communities and Local Government - would enable villages to create local housing trusts and hold referendums to decide whether house building should go ahead.
The announcement followed a report by the National Housing Federation earlier this month on the need for small villages to have more affordable housing. The report argued that a lack of affordable housing results in not only unbalanced communities but also has a detrimental impact on rural services.
Announcing the government's plans, housing minister Grant Shapps said that the right to build initiative would likely be used for developments of fewer than 20 homes.
He said: "Loads of people in village communities are saying, ‘our school's closing, our post offices are under threat, we're losing our community facilities'.
"Our problem is that the young people grow up and find they can't afford to live in the village anymore.
"We believe that people have a right to stay in their community and if people want to build that community to make it a bit bigger and expand it a bit, within reason, they should have the powers to do that."
The proposals have been criticised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which said that it could lead to development in the green belt. The group said that there should be proper planning scrutiny of house building by democratically-elected councillors rather than simple public ballot.
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