In 2007 the Sustainable Communities Act became law with full government and cross-party support. The act set up a radical new ‘bottom up’ process whereby communities and councils to put forward ideas for government action to promote or protect thriving communities.
Last year saw the ‘first round’ of the act’s process where 300 proposals were put forward from across the country. A shortlist of over half these proposals is now before the government.
Thousand of people and hundreds of councils got involved which, at a time when we people are disengaged from politics to a concerning degree, is exciting and inspiring. However the act’s process is at risk of being a one-off. That is why the Sustainable Communities Act amendment bill is so important…
Introduced as a private members’ bill in November and co-sponsored by Labour MPs Tom Levitt, David Drew and Andrew Dismore, the Sustainable Communities Act amendment bill will ensure that the process in the original act is ongoing.
You can help see this bill made law before the election.
The campaign for the bill has been doing well: Over 280 MPs – nearly half of those being Labour MPs – have already signed early day motion 143 and negotiations between the bill’s sponsors and government ministers and officials have so far been constructive.
However the bill faces a very tight time frame with the election due in May. We need more MPs to sign up and we need all MPs to urge the government to give the bill the parliamentary time it needs to become law. The bill’s second reading is set for Friday 26 February and it will need government support by then.
ACTION – please help:
You can help, indeed your help is crucial to seeing this bill made law. So please do the following by Friday 12 February:
1. Please write to, or email, your MP asking them to support the bill and urge ministers to give it the parliamentary time it will need. A sample letter that you can personalise is below. You can find out who your MP is and their contact details here: http://findyourmp.parliament.uk.
2. Please ask others to do the same – the more letters and emails MPs receive the better!
You can find out if your MP has already signed early day motion 143 on the link below, if they have please write and thank them for signing the early day motion and ask them to urge ministers to give the bill the time it needs to become law. Early day motion 143 – signatories
Thank you very much for your efforts. More information on the bill can be found on our website: www.localworks.org
SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR MP:
Dear [your MP’s name],
Re: the Sustainable Communities Act amendment bill
I am writing to you as a constituent regarding the Sustainable Communities Act amendment bill. This bill will help strengthen the original act by making the process ongoing, and so further involve people in decision making.
I therefore ask that you:
1. please sign EDM 143 in support of the bill, if you have not already, and
2. please urge the relevant Government Ministers to support this bill and, if required, agree to give the bill extra time or to speed up the procedure to ensure it becomes law in this parliamentary session.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[your name]
[your address]