Local
and National Policy
Strong and Prosperous Communities -
Local Government White Paper 2006
This white paper sets out a range of proposals designed
to strengthen local communities, devolving more responsibility
to local authorities, whilst placing a duty on them
to cooperate with other statutory partners at the local
level, and also to engage with other partners including
the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sectors (VCFS). Throughout
the white paper there is a consistently high recognition
of the importance of the relationship that local government
has with Voluntary and Community and Faith organisations.
Some of the key areas that are of particular relevance to
the voluntary and community sector are:
Partnership working
There are three main elements of partnership working in
a local area: the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP); the
Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS); and the Local Development
framework (LDF). There is a clear expectation that
the VCFS must be involved in all three of these.
Neighbourhood working
The white paper has a focus on strengthening participation
and enabling citizens and communities to help shape policies,
services and places. The government is encouraging
the expansion of neighbourhood management by supporting
and encouraging local authorities to take up neighborhood
management, particularly as part of New Deal and other
community renewal programmes.
Community Engagement
The white paper proposes to streamline and simplify local
arrangements for involving local people by streamlining
plans for involving communities. This could mean a significant
and welcomed reduction of the current consultation burden
on the local VCFS.
Funding
The white paper has a significant focus on transforming
public services, efficiency and delivering value for money
throughout. In order to tackle difficult
cross-cutting issues and maximise the value for money
of public resources, the white paper is clear that services
should be designed around the needs of the citizen and
the community, not around the processes and structures
of individual agencies, and places an emphasis on the
need for collaboration with both statutory and non statutory
partners to transform services.
For a breakdown of some of the proposals in the White
Paper visit: www.gos.gov.uk/gonw
Click on the icon or link below to view or download a
Local Government White Paper Briefing document as pdf.
(left click to view / right click "save target as"
to download)
 LG
White Paper Briefing.pdf
requires Adobe Reader (click on icon below to download)
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