Our latest submissions to parliamentary consultations, inquiries and other calls for evidence.
Communities vs Climate Change Briefing for MPs (October 2021)
Key points:
- The local has been overlooked by decades’ worth of climate change policymaking in the UK but holds the key to building a strong, sustainable and hopeful response to climate change.
- The innate commitment, energy and pride of communities, so central to the levelling up agenda, can be part of the solution and ensure the process of decarbonisation is equitable and empowering for all places.
- There is a lack of clarity across national government over the role and recognition of local government in mitigating and adapting to climate change, and what their responsibilities are in terms of decarbonisation.
- National government should clarify the role of local government in reaching net zero, and pursue an ambitious approach to devolution as a means to meet the commitment to net zero.
Key points:
- Right to Regenerate is currently little-known and little-used.
- There should be more transparency and improved public to information about unused – or underused – land.
- Landowners should be required to work towards a reasonable timeframe for this land to be brought back into use. Failure to do so should activate the right of first refusal, granted foremost to the community
- The government should incentivise temporary use of unused land through an annual tax based on land value.
- Communities themselves are best placed to know what would and would not be useful land-use, and should be empowered to use this knowledge
Key points:
- The pandemic fueled more collaboration between local public services, and saw these services work more closely with communities, businesses and the VCSE sector
- Many councils innovated through greater use of digital technology
- The UK Government’s failure to share data and to work with local government on the test-and-trace system cost lives
- The Government’s failure to meet its promise to adequately reimburse councils their pandemic response will weaken future Covid response and long-term recovery.
- Long-term public service resilience can only be secured if local authorities receive a multi-year funding settlement
- Communities have played a vital role in the Covid-19 response and local authorities should continue to develop these relationships and involve them in services