You ve got the power Jon Yates jon yates communities

You’ve got the power Jon Yates (jon. yates@communities. gsi. gov. uk; 0303 444 3720) Department for Communities and Local Government May 2014 1

What do we want to achieve? • Communities genuinely more in control of decisions, assets and services • Build different relationships between people and services – with interaction, engagement and ownership accepted as the norm • People to have an understanding of what they can do, what their role is and how they can make a difference

We’re helping communities to take control… What’s the problem? What’s the solution? Want a much stronger say over what goes where in your community? Want your neighbourhood to grow while staying special? Neighbourhood Planning Community Right to Build Community Infrastructure Levy Local assets such as pub, shop or community centre closing? Community Right to Bid / Community Asset Transfer Want to raise money for local community projects? Community Shares Want to improve things in your community? Barrier Busting Sustainable Communities Act Our Place! Think you could run a local public service better? Community Right to Challenge Does your community want to do things its own way? Establish a Parish Council Think you could improve the way your housing is managed? Right to Manage Could you make better use of vacant or underused land or buildings in your community? Right to Reclaim Land / Compulsory Purchase Order

Neighbourhood Planning The Upper Eden Community Plan brings together 16 parishes around the town of Kirkby Stephen, Yorkshire, and sets out what local people value about their community, and where they’d like to see change.

Right to Bid Residents of Nunhead, south London, came together to stop the clock on the sale of their local pub, The Ivy House, and raised money to buy it using community shares.

Queen’s Park: London’s first new parish council in 50 years.

Advice 4 Renters, Brent

Our Place! Haverhill

It’s happening all around…

Where we are now 245 Challenge organisations supported 123 Our Place areas 840 designated neighbourhood planning areas; eight ‘yes’ votes 2 Community Right to Build Orders approved 912 Community assets listed under Community Right to Bid 93 Community Share offers £ 25 m combined value 16 campaigns for new parish councils supported February 2014 Over 1, 700 uses of the rights… and counting.

Our Ambition 1000 s of areas designated 100 s of referendu ms 10, 000 assets listed 1000 share offers £ 100 m+ Thousands of people and places using their Community Rights And knowing that they don’t have to accept the status quo 1000 s of Our Place! areas

That’s all very well but this seems complicated… That’s why we’re: • Funding expert support organisations to work with community groups, parish councils and local authorities. An enquiry service, advice, case studies (and more) can be found at www. mycommunityrights. org. uk • Providing £ 51 m of grant support for communities using the new powers and opportunities • Working closely with other government departments to make it easier for communities to understand the wider help available 12

What’s the catch? Encouraging use of the new powers and opportunities. There isn’t one - the new powers and opportunities, if used well, can radically improve where you live. And the end game? www. mycommunityrights. org. uk www. communityshares. org. uk www. gov. uk Whatever you want it to be, it’s yours, You’ve got the power! 13