Sustainable Communities Act - key facts

The Sustainable Communities Act 2007 gives an opportunity for councils and communities to put forward new thinking on how to meet the challenges of sustainability and local wellbeing. It starts from the principle that local people know best what needs to be done to promote the sustainability of their area, but that sometimes they need central government to act to enable them to do so. It provides a channel for local people and the councils which represent them to ask central government to take such action.

In October 2008, the Secretary of State invited proposals from communities and councils which will contribute to sustainability. These could advocate changes to the law, and changes to which body provides particular public services. The Act also requires the Secretary of State to publish statements detailing the public spending in the area on the services provided - this is to enable proposals to be made to change the way public money is spent in the area.

The Act provides for a ‘selector’ body to consider and short-list proposals made under the Act and the LGA has agreed to take on this role. This part of the LGA website explains more about how councils and communities can put forward their ideas to enhance the economic, social and environmental sustainability of their area, using the Act.

The Act in brief

The main provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act are:

• The Secretary of State should publish local spending reports, statements showing the scope of public spending by all bodies exercising public functions in the area
• Local proposals from councils can be put forward to the Secretary of State, aimed at improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area including participation in civic and political activity
• This can include proposals to transfer functions from one organisation to another
• Councils should develop proposals through wider community consultation, using a panel or panels of local people
• In developing proposals, councils should have regard to a range of sustainability issues such as local production of goods, local food, transport, energy use, and others
• Local proposals are submitted via local authorities for short-listing by a ‘selector’ body  representing the interests of local government, before being put to the Secretary of State for a response
• The Secretary of State publishes an action plan setting out decisions on proposals, and should report annually to parliament on progress made as a result of this Act.

Statutory guidance was published by CLG in 2008 as the final part of Creating Strong Safe and Prosperous Communities.

Councils making use of the Act need to take account of this guidance, particularly in respect of local consultation arrangements set up to consider ideas and proposals coming forward, before these are submitted to the LGA as selector.

Councils making use of the Act need to take account of this guidance, particularly in respect of local consultation arrangements set up to consider ideas and proposals coming forward, before these are submitted to the LGA as selector.