By Vivienne Russell
27 October 2009
Councils will no longer need to seek permission from Whitehall to create or revoke local byelaws, it was announced today.
Communities Secretary John Denham said any proposed changes to local byelaws would need to undergo local scrutiny and have the backing of residents, but central government’s endorsement would no longer be necessary.
‘Having to get government’s approval can sometimes feel like unnecessary red tape when what really matters are local people’s views,’ Denham said.
‘Where national laws don’t offer protections for localised problems, council leaders must be fully equipped with the powers they need to act decisively and effectively to tackle issues on behalf of their citizens and communities.
‘Once [councils] have community agreement they should be trusted to get on with it – rather than having to go to someone sitting behind a desk in Whitehall who may seem far removed from the problem in hand.’
In Worthing in Sussex, for example, residents campaigned to remove the ban on cycling on the promenade. The council had to secure Whitehall’s consent to make the change. Under the new regime, this would no longer be necessary.
Denham also announced plans to consult on how the other 52 ‘consent regimes’ could be streamlined or repealed altogether.
27 October 2009
Councils will no longer need to seek permission from Whitehall to create or revoke local byelaws, it was announced today.
Communities Secretary John Denham said any proposed changes to local byelaws would need to undergo local scrutiny and have the backing of residents, but central government’s endorsement would no longer be necessary.
‘Having to get government’s approval can sometimes feel like unnecessary red tape when what really matters are local people’s views,’ Denham said.
‘Where national laws don’t offer protections for localised problems, council leaders must be fully equipped with the powers they need to act decisively and effectively to tackle issues on behalf of their citizens and communities.
‘Once [councils] have community agreement they should be trusted to get on with it – rather than having to go to someone sitting behind a desk in Whitehall who may seem far removed from the problem in hand.’
In Worthing in Sussex, for example, residents campaigned to remove the ban on cycling on the promenade. The council had to secure Whitehall’s consent to make the change. Under the new regime, this would no longer be necessary.
Denham also announced plans to consult on how the other 52 ‘consent regimes’ could be streamlined or repealed altogether.
