Monitoring Under Localism

Andrew PritchardDirector of Strategy

Introduction

East Midlands Councils Monitoring So Far Localism & Monitoring Some Choices Conclusions

East Midlands Councils

Represents the interests of local councils to Government and national organisations

Enables local councils to work together on key issues of common concern

Supports local councils with employment, development advice & services

EMC: Some Current Initiatives

Low Cost CPD for local authority planners in the East Midlands

Planning for Localism Seminar CLG Select Committee Evidence Renewable Energy Opportunities & Heat

Mapping (DECC funded)

EMC: Potential Future Initiatives Interim management and technical skills

‘brokerage’ for local planning authorities Joint procurement of research and

information for Councils Supporting change management & joint

service provision between Councils Supporting emerging LEPs

EMC: Review

Review of functions and funding of EMC to be completed by December 2010

Likely that EMC will continue, but in a different form

More focused on supporting Councils through collective action and the provision of (traded) services

Likely to be reviewed on an annual basis

Monitoring So Far

8 RPG/RSS Annual Monitoring Reports Common definitions Master Databases CDP Smart CDP Vision £300,000 of investment …and 1 Archive DVD

(add front page from DVD)

Localism

Governments vision is for a community based planning system underpinned by fiscal incentives

RSSs, Regional Targets, National Indicators, and generous RSG settlements: OUT

New Homes Bonus, Business Bonus, Renewable Energy Bonus and ‘Tax Increment Financing’: IN

Localism

‘Slimline’ National Planning Framework Co-ordinating role for LEPs (if they want it)

– but no statutory strategic planning More detail in forthcoming Localism Bill

and consultations on fiscal measures – but no ‘tell me how’ guidance for planners!

Work it out for yourselves!

Localism & Monitoring

The new ‘bonus culture’ will require very accurate records of what gets built where

If you get the figures wrong, your Council could loose money (and jobs) – or be convicted of fraud!

Monitoring land use change will thus be central to implementing the localism agenda – and to keeping Councils solvent!

Expect some calls from your Chief Finance Officer!

Safeguarding the Investment

A significant amount of capital (financial & intellectual) has been invested in developing current monitoring systems

This will not be easy to find again in the future

How can we adapt what we have to meet new challenges?

Some Choices

Retain Smart & Vision? Retain just Smart and abandon Vision? Break up Vision into sub-regional chunks? Throw everything out and start again? What (if any) is the role of EMC? What level of service would Councils pay

for?

Conclusions

Localism represents the biggest shake up of the planning system for 40 years

Monitoring will underpin the ‘bonus culture’ and become crucial to Council’s finances as the CSR kicks in

We need to agree a way forward that works for Councils and makes best use of what we have