Rekindled

The Sustainable Communities Act (2007) is a fantastic piece of legislation that allows local councils to apply to central government for more control over local decisions with regards to the environment (e.g. promoting local renewable energy, increasing recycling and protecting green spaces), local economies (e.g. promoting local shops, local businesses and local jobs), social inclusion (e.g. protecting local public services and alleviating fuel poverty and food poverty) and democratic involvement (e.g. increasing the ways local people can participate in local decision making and promoting new ways in which people can influence what happens locally).

However, according to Steve Shaw, National Co-ordinator of Local Works (the organisation that helped to bring about the original Act), more needs to be done:

The initial take up of the Sustainable Communities Act has been fantastic. So far 100 council areas have submitted a total of 300 proposals for government action to promote and protect local sustainability.  However the process is in danger of being a one off! It must be ongoing.

We need to see the Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill made law. This will ensure that the Act’s process is ongoing [so that councils who haven't yet opted-in can still do so in the future].

Parliament held a ballot recently to select which MPs will be given a chance to introduce a piece of legislation (i.e. a Bill) which has a chance of becoming law. Because of the upcoming election, only the top seven have a realistic chance of changing the law. It is crucial that we persuade one of these lucky MPs to adopt the Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill.

URGENT ACTION:

Your help will be crucial in successfully seeing one of these MPs to take up our Bill, so please do the following:

1. Please write to, or email, at least one of these MPs, but preferably all seven, and ask them to ‘Please adopt the Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill’. This will only take a few minutes and I have included a sample letter for you to personalise below.

2. Please ask others to do the same and forward this email on to anyone who may help – the more letters and emails these MPs receive the better!

Thank you for you fantastic support and efforts: it really has made a big difference. Let’s make sure the Sustainable Communities Act keeps on going!

The seven MPs who came top of the ballot, and their addresses and emails are:

1. Brian Iddon (Labour, Bolton South East): iddonb@parliament.uk
address: Brian Iddon MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

2. David Chaytor (Labour, Bury North): chaytord@parliament.uk
address: David Chaytor MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

3. Andrew Gwynne (Labour, Denton and Reddish): gwynnea@parliament.uk
address: Andrew Gwynne MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

4. Albert Owen (Labour, Ynys Môn): owena@parliament.uk
address: Albert Owen MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

5. Julie Morgan (Labour, Cardiff North): morganj@parliament.uk
address: Julia Morgan MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

6. Anthony Steen (Conservative, Totnes): steena@parliament.uk
address: Anthony Steen MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

7. Alistair Burt (Conservative, North East Bedfordshire): burta@parliament.uk
address: Alistair Burt MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

DRAFT LETTER TO THE SEVEN MPS

Dear [MP’s NAME]

Congratulations on your success in the Private Members’ Ballot. I am writing to ask you to please adopt the Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill.

The Bill is crucial as it will ensure the involvement process in the Sustainable Communities Act is ongoing and not just a one off event. Thousands of people and hundreds of councils across the country want to use the Act but currently can not. This Bill will ensure they can.

I am not one of your constituents but understand what a rare opportunity you have been granted via the Ballot. This Bill already has backing from MPs of all parties, and from the huge Local Works coalition of national organisations, that successfully campaigned for the original Act to become law.

I do hope very much you will take up this Bill.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

[YOUR ADDRESS]