Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP Steve Brine has given an enthusiastic welcome to the Localism Bill which cleared its first Parliamentary hurdle on Mon 17th Jan.
Speaking late on Monday night from Westminster after MPs had voted overwhelming for the Bill at its second reading stage, Mr Brine said it was a landmark piece of legislation that would reverse years of centralising by Government. He said it contained the ‘most concrete’ measures to-date to build the Big Society David Cameron has made such a personal mission as Prime Minister.
He said; "This is a huge Bill containing dozens of clauses but granting a general power of competence to local councils, allowing them to do anything which is not specifically prohibited by law, is key and will set them free to innovate in response to local needs and end the feeling of powerlessness many councillors feel.
“The Bill will also give our local communities powers to save local assets threatened with closure, by allowing them to bid for their ownership and management and end the era of central imposition of council tax caps. Instead local residents will have the power to veto excessive increase by requiring their local council to hold a referendum. I also think plans to radically reform the planning system to give new weight to properly constituted ‘neighbourhood plans’ will be especially welcome among many of the people I represent.
But the MP said it was the clause that will finally abolish regional strategies which will, at first at least, resonate the most locally. “The Localism Bill will abolish top-down regional targets in favour of democratic local decision-making and replace millions of words of central dictat with focused local plans that reflect Winchester’s vision. It is probably the smallest clause in the Bill but the line that repeals the regional strategies once and for all is crystal clear and should be heard loud and clear in Winchester now the Bill has had its second reading in the House of Commons.”
He added that the Bill also contained good news for local business by giving local authorities the power to grant a discount in business rates, enabling them to respond locally to the concerns of local business.
Pictured; Steve Brine on his feet in the chamber
More information...
Find out more about the progress of the Localism Bill - http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/localism.html