Website of the UK government

Strengthening local democracy consultation

The new proposals will mean that councillors, as elected representatives acting on behalf of local people, would:

• be given more power to end bureaucracy and duplication and increase value for money and personalised services
  
• have local influence and accountability over an extra £100 billion of public money
  
• be able to make changes to council house financing so councils could keep all their rental income
  
• gain the freedom to manage their housing to meet local needs;
  
• have the opportunity to go further on reducing carbon emissions than the government's national climate change targets.

Communities Secretary John Denham said: "The changes being outlined today are not about strengthening councils for their own sake - rather to strengthen the rights of citizens through their elected representatives.

"In future when people go to vote they will know that they are electing someone who can act on their behalf in relation to every aspect of public spending in the community and someone who can secure for them the very best public services.”

Have your say

If you want to have your say on the new proposals, you have until 2 October 2009 to do so.

Read the full consultation document by following the ‘Strengthening Local Democracy’ link below.

To comment on the proposals, email:

localdemocracyconsul@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Alternatively, you can write to:

Local Democratic Renewal Consultation
Zone 4/G6
Communities and Local Government
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU

• Strengthening local democracy consultation (PDF) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

Further information

• Local government structure

• Local councillors

• Local government powers and finance

• Local government elections