Give communities more powers

This is a living document, and we need your help to make it better. Please leave any comments or sources of further evidence at the bottom of the page. This is version 1 - published on 15th July 2010.

What's the policy?

Give communities more powers

1. "We will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live.
2. We will introduce new powers to help communities save local facilities and services threatened with closure, and give communities the right to bid to take over local state-run services. 
3. We will train a new generation of community organisers and support the creation of neighbourhood groups across the UK, especially in the most deprived areas." (Building the Big Society, Cabinet Office). 

What's the evidence?

1. How do people feel about their neighbourhood?

How people feel about the neighbourhood they live in will be one of the many factors to influence their decision to get involved at the neighbourhood level.

According to the Citizenship Survey report on community cohesion, most people (77%) feel that they belong strongly to their neighbourhood. However, people’s feelings of belonging seem to vary depending on affluence, with those living in the more affluent areas generally having more positive attitudes towards their neighbourhood.

People in the 10% least deprived areas were more likely than those in the 10% most deprived areas (83% compared to 70%) to strongly belong to their neighbourhood. Similarly, those in the least deprived areas were more likely to enjoy living in their neighbourhood (77% compared to 47%) and agreed that people who lived there would pull together to improve it (78% compared to 51%). This evidence might suggest that building engagement in more deprived areas will be more difficult.

Importantly, people who felt that they could influence decisions affecting their local area were more likely to have a strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood (82% compared with 74% for those who didn’t), definitely enjoy living there (74% compared with 62%) and agree that people in their neighbourhood would pull together to improve it (78% compared to 59%). This might imply that a greater role for voluntary and community organisations in local governance could strengthen people's sense of belonging.

2a. Who is involved in decision-making about local services?

In the Citizenship Survey report on community empowerment ‘civic activism’ includes activities such as undertaking specific responsibilities in the community (like being a councillor, a school governor, a magistrate or a special constable) and involvement in groups which have a decision-making role in local services.

Using this definition, according to the survey, 10% of people in England were involved in some form of civic activism over the previous 12 months (compared to 43% who said they had formally volunteered over the same period). Only 4% were involved at least once a month (compared to 27% who said they had formally volunteered).

Participation in civic activism, 2005 and 2007/08

Source: CLG - Citizenship Survey report on community empowerment (pdf), Table 59

The most common forms of civic activism involved joining a group concerned with services for young people (25% of ‘civic activism’ participants), tenants’ committees (20%) and local regeneration groups (19%).

People more likely to engage in civic activism were:

• People who were economically inactive* (compared to those in employment)
• People who had three or more close friends (compared to people with no close friends).
• People who lived in a rural area (compared to people who live in an urban area).
• People who had lived in the area for five years or more (compared to people who have lived in the area for less than a year).

*due to being either retired, a student, looking after family/home or having a long-term illness or disability

2b. What does asset transfer activity look like?

The Asset Transfer Unit Evaluation Baseline Report for the Development Trusts Association indicates that over the period 2007-2009 local authorities have transferred or were in the process of transferring assets mostly to charities (26%), social enterprises (11%) and community interest communities (10%). A small number of transfers have also been made to development trusts (4%), industrial/provident societies (1%), credit unions (less than 1%) and co-operatives (also less than 1%).

There is a huge diversity of assets being transferred, but the most common types of assets are by far community centres (34%) and parks or playing fields (16%). Almost the totality (93%) of the current asset transfer projects were reported to be in urban areas and only 10% in deprived areas.

Critical success factors in sustainable and successful asset transfers

Source: Development Trusts Association - Asset Transfer Unit Evaluation (pdf), Figure 2-6

The two most important success factors in undertaking successful and sustainable asset transfer were considered to be ‘the receiving third sector organisation having sufficient skills and capacity’ (72%) and ‘a good business plan and a viable revenue stream going forward' (66%).

The Development Trusts Association's member survey 2009 indicates that its 466 members held £565 million of assets in community ownership in 2009 representing a 15% rise from last year. They employed 5,400 people and worked with 16,000 volunteers.

3. Who supports neighbourhood groups?

In March 2010, the Conservatives announced plans to create ‘neighbourhood army’ of 5,000 full-time professional community organisers who will ‘identify local community leaders, bring communities together, help people start their own neighbourhood groups, and give communities the help they need to take control and tackle their problems’.

The most often quoted example of community organising in the UK is London Citizens, a 150-member alliance of faith congregations, trade unions, schools and community groups campaigning on a range of issues including undocumented migrants, the living wage, safer streets, community land trusts, and a cap on interest rates combined with the expansion of credit unions.

Community development workers also support neighbourhood groups at the grassroots level. According to the Survey of Community Development Workers and Managers, community development workers are to be found mostly in the voluntary and community sector (39%) and in local government (25%).

Respondents’ roles are funded primarily by the local authority (35%), central government (15%) or regional/regeneration development funds (8%). Other funders are charities, trusts and the private sector. Just under a fifth (18%) of community development workers surveyed are volunteers, and just over half (51%) have been volunteering for ten years or more.

The main barriers facing community development workers highlighted by survey respondents are lack of funding (62%), working to other political or/and policy agendas that conflict with community development principles and values (48%), and working on short-term contracts or project funding (41%).

What are the potential challenges and opportunities?

Opportunities

• Many people express what local issues are important to them through existing community groups and voluntary organisations.
• Voluntary and community organisations also contribute to strengthening links within and between communities.
• Community development workers already operating at the neighbourhood level can provide the support needed for future initiatives.

Challenges

• Current levels of engagement for ‘civic activism’ are very low, especially engagement in regular ‘civic activism’ – the type of commitment needed when running local services.
• The type of participation needed to undertake successful and sustainable asset transfer and run effective services is sophisticated and resource intensive – it requires specific skills, commitment over time and funding.

References

• CDF (2009) Survey of Community Development Workers and Managers
• CLG (2009) 2007-08 Citizenship Survey: Community Cohesion Topic Report
• CLG (2009) 2007-08 Citizenship Survey: Empowered Communities Topic Report
• Development Trusts Association (2009) Development Trusts in 2009
• SQW Consulting (2009) Asset Transfer Unit Evaluation Baseline Report for the Development Trusts Association.

Additional areas to explore

• The relationship between neighbourliness and social capital.
• Community-led parish planning in rural areas.
• Impact of current local governance structures and processes on community activism.