People power plan set for cut back

Date article online: 08/04/2008

Government powers which would have given local communities a formal way to demand action about anti-social behaviour or safety problems by going straight to their council have been cut back.

The scheme, revealed last year by Phil Woolas, then a Local Government Minister, was for a community call for action (CCA) about issues affecting their lives.

But Mr Woolas, MP for Milnrow & Newhey, has moved to a new job. And his successor, John Healey, says the idea of communities taking their calls directly to their council would be “too bureaucratic and burdensome.”

Mr Woolas said there had been misunderstandings about how the calls for action would be made.

He added: “It was always intended that CCAs would be made via a councillor, otherwise in the real world councils would be spending all their time answering community calls for action.

“What we are trying to do is put the responsibility on councillors and empower councillors so there is a process they can go through.”

The Development Trusts’ Association, a national community charity helping local people get projects off the ground, is also disappointed there is no Community Call for Action.

Director Steve Wyler said: “This setback appears to signal a victory for old-style municipalists over those who wanted to pursue a ‘double devolution’ agenda.”