The Sustainable Communities Act
The Sustainable Communities Act is intended to divert power and funding from Central Government to councils and local people to help them manage community issues at a local level and change things for the better. We need local people to advise and help us put forward proposals for action to Government. Anyone can make suggestions - if you have an idea for a project that you think would make Kingston a better place to live, we want to hear from you. Please complete the online form below, or print off a form and post it to us at the address below.
How does the Act work?
The Sustainable Communities Act allows councils, after taking advice from local people, to present proposals for government action that will help local communities to be more sustainable and offer better quality of life. The Act aims to provide a channel to propose changes to improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of an area, including participation in civic or political activity.
It is aimed at givng people the power to change the environment they live in.
Local councils are invited to make proposals to central government as to how it can help them promote the sustainability of local communities. To do this, councils need to talk to local people to find out what would help them.
What sort of projects are covered by the Act?
The scope of the Act is fairly broad, but ideas should be about making change for the good of a community. Ideas need to be about things that the local council or other local bodies cannot do at present and for which government action is needed. The Act could be used to do things like gain new powers, devolve existing powers and money from Central control to local control, change planning rules and reduce centrally imposed duties.
Examples could include:
- promoting local investment, business and jobs;
- protecting parks and open spaces;
- promoting sustainable development;
- improving public transport;
- protecting local public services;
- improving working between partners and agencies;
- supporting groups e.g. older people, vulnerable people etc;
- promoting local people having a voice in local decision making.
More detailed examples of the types of projects residents could put forward are available via the link at the bottom of the page.
How will ideas be chosen?
All ideas and proposals will be considered by a Community Panel formed of Kingston residents which will meet once a year. The residents will put together a shortlist of proposals which they think will most benefit Kingston in the line with the Act. Proposals will then be submitted to Government for consideration
The Government will then short-list from all of the proposals received and look at which it is possible to implement. All suggestions will receive a response and the Government will produce an action plan which will explain how it will take forward the suggestions it adopts.
More detailed information on how proposals will be selected is available via the link at the bottom of the page.
If you have an idea or proposal, please complete the online form below to tell us about it or download a printable version at the bottom of the page and return to us at:
Sustainable Communities Act
Room 238
Kingston upon Thames
Guildhall 2
High Street
Kingston
KT1 1EU
To complete an online form please use the link below.