Borough Council backs Lib Dem calls to give more power to local people

8.30.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 21st Oct 2008

Mike Mackrory, Chelmsford Borough Liberal Democrat leader, called on the council to use new powers to help local communities

Chelmsford Borough Council has backed a Liberal Democrat call for the Council to use key new powers. At the meeting on 15 October, the council backed a motion to take over specific cash and functions from central government.

The new powers come from the Sustainable Communities Act, passed last year with cross-party support. Proposer of the motion, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Mike Mackrory, said: "The aim of the new process is to promote sustainable communities and reverse community decline where it exists, something I hope we can all subscribe to.

"It allows local communities to take back power from Whitehall & Westminster. Any proposal to take control of an area of government must involve local people in the process. This is a very good initiative which allows the public a greater say in how things are run.

"The sort of proposals could include the highly topical defending local post offices from closure, or promoting local businesses by helping public bodies procuring goods and services produced within 30 miles or so."

By opting in to the processes allowed under the Sustainable Communities Act, the Government will have to publish local spending reports which will be a breakdown of all public money spent in a local area, allowing the Council to see which functions they might like to take under their control.