Localism -" The New Hope"

The localism bill is presented as an opportunity to transfer power from central government to local government. It also sets out to give ownership of issues to local communities. These freedoms are a good idea. It should improve local democracy. However, we must be careful about what we wish for. It cannot become a mechanism for self interest. Organisations such as the National Trust are concerned about the planning processes envisaged. We either get large scale development with self interest at the centre or we end up with the classic "nimby" scenario. We wait with interest for the outcomes of the planning battles. If we have elected mayors then there must be a recall mechanism as well.

Localism should not be about cuts. It should be about ensuring appropriate service needs are determined locally and are delivered to the required standards. Value for money needs to be delivered locally.

Interesting times ahead.