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<p> </p><p>This Government has been clear about its intention to devolve power, responsibility
and decision-making down to the lowest possible level. This vision underpins significant
elements of our policy agenda which are transferring power and freedom to both local
councils and communities, some of which are noted below.</p><p>Nearly 1,000 assets
of community value have been listed and we have helped 150 organisations to acquire
a community asset or obtain significant investment towards doing so. 16 local campaigns
for new parish councils are being supported covering local populations of more than
half a million people. Over 100 new Our Place areas are starting work within their
communities to transform neighbourhood level service delivery. Community share issues
have raised over £24 million for community ventures.</p><p>Nearly 800 neighbourhood
planning areas have been designated, and all 13 plans which have so far reached referenda
have passed with significant majorities in favour.</p><p>Local authorities are now
required to pass a proportion of Community Infrastructure Levy funding to local communities
so that they can directly see the benefit of local development.</p><p>Over 2013-15
£14 million has been made available for community groups to develop their proposals
for Community Right to Build orders or to progress community-led development. Groups
can develop their ideas on the development that they want and need in their areas.Applications
for this funding continue to rise with around 60 applications received.</p><p>In April
2014 four new combined authorities were established, on the request of the councils
concerned. These will support the councils to collaborate and work jointly across
the wider functional economic areas on economic development, regeneration and transport
to support economic growth in the areas of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Greater
Merseyside and Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.</p><p>The Government wants
local authorities to be more transparent and accountable to local people for how they
spend money, deliver services and take decisions. We will shortly be publishing a
revised local authority transparency code extending the breadth of data that local
authorities must publish and will make regulations to make publication of certain
data a legal requirement. Also, Regulations which will allow members of the public
including professional journalists to film, photograph, audio-record and use social
media to report the proceedings of meetings of local government bodies, and to access
documents relating to decisions made by officers under delegation from their local
government bodies, are now before Parliament.</p><p>Under the business rates retention
scheme local authorities now directly retain nearly £11 billion of business rates,
instead of returning it to Whitehall.</p><p>The Government has also reformed the outdated
council housing finance system with the introduction of self-financing in 2012. This
has given the 167 council landlords greater freedoms and the ability to plan for the
long term to better meet the needs of their tenants and local area.</p><p><em>HomeSwap</em>
Direct - the national home swap scheme which increases opportunities for social tenants
wishing to move through mutual exchange – was launched in October 2011 and since then
tenants have made over 18 million searches of ‘partner' data.</p><p>Social landlords
are now free to match the length of tenancy to the needs of the household and to use
their social housing stock in a way which best meets the needs of their local area.
Councils have the freedom to decide who qualifies for social housing in their area
and to find alternative solutions for those who do not qualify.</p><p> </p>
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