Localism

Tuesday 24th April 2012, One Wimpole Street - London, 09:15 - 16:00

The Localism Act: New Rights and Powers for Communities

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Overview

The coalition government is putting localism and decentralisation at the heart of its agenda. There is a fundamental shift of power away from Westminster to local councils, communities, voluntary organisations and individuals across the nation, which will set the foundations for realising the Big Society.

On the 15 November 2011, the Localism Act was passed in Parliament. The Act includes five key areas that underpin the government's approach to decentralisation; community rights; neighbourhood planning; housing; general power of competence; and empowering cities and other local areas.

The Localism Act contains a wide range of measures to devolve more powers to councils, enabling local communities to exert greater control over local decisions such as housing and planning. The recent concluded consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework gave planning stakeholders and local communities the opportunity to examine ways of developing a concise policy framework in which local economic growth and sustainable development are delivered. The planning system will be decentralised; local planning decisions and accountability will exist at the local level.

The Local Government Resource Review, is tasked with examining ways of giving local councils greater financial autonomy and strengthening the incentives to support growth in the private sector and regeneration of local economies. The second phase of the Local Government Resource Review will test how Community Budgets can be used to give communities and local people more power and control over local services and budgets, and will explore ways of pooling and aligning resources across systems that can deliver better outcomes, more effective use of resources and greater value for money for taxpayers.

Agenda

This timely forum will offer delegates the opportunity to understand the implications of the Localism Act for empowering local communities and ensuring that decentralised services are flexible and responsive to local needs. It will also offer unique insights into planning and housing reforms, new community rights, opportunities for driving local economic growth and future funding for local services, assets and development.

09:15	Registration and Coffee
10:00	Chair’s Welcome Address Simon Parker, Director, New Local Government Network (CONFIRMED)
10:10	Morning Keynote: Growing the Big Society – Implementing the Localism Act Why decentralisation is important Developing a neighbourhoods agenda The Localism Act Mark Carroll, Director for Decentralisation and Big Society, Department for Communities and Local Government (CONFIRMED)
10:30	Questions and Answers Session
10:40	Local Government’s Vision for REAL Reform: Delivering Response, Efficient, Accountable and Local Services The role of the localism act in delivering public service reform Inspiring and supporting local councils to develop the localism agenda Promoting the role of local democracy as the key enabler of more empowered communities and a thriving voluntary and community sector Lobbying on new community rights, and on changes to councils' powers and governance in the Localism Bill Involving communities through Community Rights to Challenge and Bid to Buy Assets of Community Value Matt Barton, Assistant Head of Service – Strategy, Localism and Communications, Cornwall Council (CONFIRMED)
11:00	Questions and Answers Session
11:10	Coffee and Networking
11:30	Case Study: Becoming a Big Society Vanguard and Implications for Public Service Delivery Empowering communities to decide and influence what public services they want in their area Commissioning services that will work for both the public and voluntary sector Finding ways to commission services that provide better value for money and better satisfy the needs of citizens and communities Measuring the full social, economic and environmental value of services Focusing on social outcomes in the procurement process Improving voluntary networks to drive local activities Councillor David J Burbage, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (CONFIRMED)
11:50	Localising Planning: How Local Authorities Can Make the Most of Community-Led Planning Shropshire’s LOCALised planning approach Place Plans and CIL as tools for co-ordinating investment Integrating spatial planning with other disciplines, putting communities in the driving seat, and relating developer contributions to locally determined infrastructure priorities Opportunities and challenges for housing associations, planning authorities and town and parish councils The implications of the Localism bill for the planning system, new financial freedoms and new rights for communities to manage services How regulations can be developed by working with local partners In an era of austerity, will local government be in a position to benefit from these powers? Jake Berriman, Head of Strategic Delivery, Shropshire Council (CONFIRMED)
12:10	Questions and Answers Session
12:30	Lunch and Networking
13.30	Afternoon Chair’s Welcome Address Stephen Gilbert MP, Member, Communities and Local Government Select Committee (CONFIRMED)
13:40	Afternoon Keynote: Empowering Locally Driven Growth, Encouraging Business Investment and Promoting Economic Development Regional Growth Fund – supporting local authorities to make the transition to private sector led growth and prosperity Supporting LEP’s to facilitate business growth and wider regional regeneration Working in partnership with the private sector, local authorities and their local communities Prioritising infrastructure Driving sustainable local economic growth and creating local jobs Ben Rimmington, Acting Director, Economic Development, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (CONFIRMED)
14:00	Questions and Answers Session
14:10	Funding the Localism Agenda: Enabling and Empowering People and Local Communities Supporting and driving voluntary and community action Encouraging social involvement in communities and removing barriers Strengthening and increasing the capacity of the social investment market for supporting public benefit and social action Big Local Trust – how will the £200 million programme for local communities be distributed? Supporting, challenging, training and encouraging people to develop and take ownership of Big Local in their local area Margaret Cooney, Deputy Director for England, Big Lottery Fund (CONFIRMED)
14:30	Questions and Answers Session
14:45	Coffee and Networking
15:00	The Impact of the Localism Agenda for National Charities How national charities are responding to the localism agenda The challenges and opportunities for campaigning on a local level Increasing the diversity of service provision – opportunities for voluntary sector involvement Community Right to Challenge – the role of the voluntary sector in creating long term positive transformation in public services Pathways through Participation project Improving the relationship between local authorities and the voluntary and community sector Daniel Fluskey, Policy Officer, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) (CONFIRMED)
15:20	Closing Keynote: Building Better Communities: Helping Others Help Themselves Supporting small charities at the local level How will localism affect local charities? The role of small scale, local charities in improving lives and communities Working with the FSI to deliver training, development and consultancy services to the small charity sector Pauline Broomhead, Chief Executive Officer, The Foundation for Social Improvement (CONFIRMED)
15:40	Questions and Answers Session
16:00	Afternoon Chair's Summary and Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates will include directors, heads of planning, policy, housing, community cohesion, neighbourhoods, voluntary and community sector partnerships, heads of regeneration, economic development, business change, strategic directors, heads of policy and performance, charities, volunteer groups, NHS, heads/directors of public health, social care, planning professionals, architects, planning officers, and social enterprises.

Localism

Tuesday 24th April 2012, One Wimpole Street - London, 09:15 - 16:00

The Localism Act: New Rights and Powers for Communities

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